Author interview sara novic, author of girl at war. Here are some books you can read in a day, if you want a sense of accomplishment. Author interview sara novic, author of girl at war bookpage. And for those craving escape, here are five absorbing novels to lose. Zagreb is the capital of the country, so it was inevitable that when a problem struck, people living there would be among the first affected. The 20 best fiction books of 2015 businessinsider india. Her powerful debut novel girl at war random house, 2015 tells the story of ana. This clumsy debut novel never for a moment convinces in its setting, characters or conflict, says eileen battersby. Goodreads members who liked girl at war also liked. The book switches from her years in croatia to her years as a college student in manhattan, trying to deal with the trauma of her past. The new york times sara novic s powerful debut novel. Set in the early 1990s in croatia, the book tells the story of a young girl whose family was caught up in the yugoslavian civil war and torn. A capacity for empathy, an interview with sara novic, author.
Initially, the wars voracious appetite is content to remove some of anas comfort. Girl at war by sara novic, 9780812996340, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. I only placed it down to rest and when to address some call. May 21, 2015 girl at war depicts the stillfresh nightmare of the serbocroatian war, survived by a girl much too young to know all she knows. Sara novic fearlessly shows the impact of war on one young girland its legacy on all of us. In the first of the novels four parts, tomboy ana describes what made her world precious parents and baby sister, her best friend luka, and how. Sara novic s girl at war is one of those rare debut novels that you cant quite believe is the authors first book.
This book was a real revelation for me and it shows how important prize longlists can be for bringing authors to the attention of readers. Although theres a feeling of detachment throughout this quick read, i enjoyed it very much. Girl at war by sara novic overview for readers of the tigers wife and all the light we cannot see comes a powerful debut novel about a girl s coming of ageand how her sense of family, friendship, love, and belonging is profoundly shaped by war. She holds an mfa in fiction and literary translation from columbia university, and is an assistant professor of creative writing at stockton university. Girl at war depicts the stillfresh nightmare of the yugoslavian civil war, survived by a girl much too young to know all she knows. She adores her father, her baby sister rahela, and her best friend luka. Powered by create your own unique website with customizable templates. There, a young girl named ana juric lives with her family in an apartment. A capacity for empathy, an interview with sara novic, author of girl at war. Find books like girl at war from the worlds largest community of readers. Girl at war is not a perfect novel, but it is a powerful one. Countless novels have taken on the varying narratives of notorious wars, but sara novic s gut wrenching debut is a testament to why these reminders. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read girl at war.
In this promising debut, novic tells the story of 10yearold ana, for whom the war in zagreb. Girl at war ebook epubpdfprcmobiazw3 free kindle books. Now a student in america, shes trying to come to terms with her past. May 27, 2015 a conversation with sara novic, the young writer behind one of the most powerful books of the year. Debut uscroatian novelist sara novic discusses her book girl at war, which looks. Girl at war draws loosely and unconvincingly on the war in croatia, which began in 1991 following the breakup of yugoslavia. We, on the outside, would believe that growing up in a city at war would be horrifying for the children and we would be right. Girl at war by sara novic books hachette australia. Mar 24, 2016 girl at war is an extraordinarily poised and potent debut novel, a story about grief and exile, memory and identity, and the redemptive power of love financial times a shattering debut. Moving between the years 1991 and 2001, the novel follows tenyearold ana juric in wartorn croatia and twentyyearold ana as she copes with the traumas of her past in new york city.
Girl at war follows protagonist ana juric throughout her childhood in war torn yugoslavia. Girl at war is a 2015 novel by american author sara novic. Before her descent into child soldiering, ana juric was a normal 10yearold in zagreb, croatia, but the breakup of yugoslavia rendered normalcy. I started this book at regarding 10pm last night, as well as simply finished it a minute ago 330pm following day. Featured in november 2019 as part of our feminist fairy tales collection, girl at war was one of two novels chosen because of their strong female protagonist, showcasing women with agency and in the driving seat of their own destiny. A capacity for empathy, an interview with sara novic. Moving through time and space from 1991 to 2001, from croatia to the us and back. In terms of violence, novic doesnt show us nearly as much as she could. A powerful debut novel about a girls coming of ageand how her sense of family, friendship, love, and belonging is profoundly shaped by war. The violent conflicts in croatia, where she has many friends and family, and the complicated history of that region have been obsessions of saras for many years. This story has a quiet drama as it explores big themes war, loyalty, love.
Like many books that deal with disturbing themes and events, its occasional stylistic. Girl at war relives the disastrous croatian war vanity fair. Girl at war by sara novic signed first edition 2015. A ten year old girl living in croatia with her loving family suddenly loses most of what is dear to her when civil war breaks out. The author shifts between past and present very well and balances tragedy with hope. Moving back and forth through time, girl at war is an honest, generous, brilliantly written novel that illuminates how history shapes the individual. Nov 05, 2016 the author of girl at war, sara novic, writes with an unashamed purity that leaves no feeling untouched.
Girl at war tells the story of ana juric, who when the story begins is 10 years old, without a care in the world, running around the streets of zagreb, the capital of croatia. Book has a complete number line from 19, is a stated first edition, is unread, unmarked, unclipped. Very suggest for all, excellent for publication clubs. Longlisted for the baileys womens prize for fiction 2016 growing up in zagreb in the summer of 1991, 10yearold ana juric is a carefree tomboy. Mar, 2021 in the final months of last year, heady mix interviewed sara novic author of girl at war. Girl at war by sara novic is a gripping look at the fallout of war and the lasting. If ever a novel needed to be written in the third person, it is this. Aug 19, 2017 girl at war by sara novic in 1991, 10yearold ana juric struggles to survive in yugoslavia after civil war breaks out, ending the safe world she once knew. She holds an mfa in fiction and literary translation from columbia university, and is an assistant professor of creative writing at stockton university, a public liberal arts school in southern new jersey.
Ana was a young girl when war broke out in the former yugoslavia. For fans of the tigers wife and all the light we cannot see comes a powerful debut novel about a girls coming of age and how her. Girl at war by sara novic meet your next favorite book. It will be interesting to see if another novelist, particularly a firsttime novelist, can match novic s bravura, gutpunching opening section. Girl at war is an extraordinarily poised and potent debut novel, a story about grief and exile, memory and identity, and the redemptive power of love.
Ana juric is a carefree tenyearold, living with her family in a small apartment in croatias capital. Mar 23, 2016 girl at war tells the story of ana juric, a tenyearold girl whose life and nation are upended by civil war. The book begins with what deserves to become one of contemporary literatures more memorable opening lines. Anas life during and after the war is characterized by loss. Girl at war a novel sara novic this affecting novel set in the near and distant past of croatia is a gripping look at the fallout of war and the lasting bonds of love, friendship, and loyalty. With generosity, intelligence, and sheer storytelling talent, sara novics first novel confronts the enduring impact of war, and the enduring bonds of country and friendship.
We first meet her protagonist, ana, as an ordinary, happy girl, living. Girl at war by sara novic depicts the stillfresh nightmare of the serbocroatian war, survived by a girl much too young to know all she knows. Novic s debut novel centers on the civil war in croatia between croats and serbs in the 1990s. She holds an mfa from columbia university, where she studied fiction and literary translation. Novics fictional, but historically accurate work reveals the atrocities of yugoslavias civil war from the perspective of 10year old ana. We first meet her protagonist, ana, as an ordinary, happy girl, living with her parents and baby sister i. Her first novel, girl at war, won the american library more about sara novic. A capacity for empathy, an interview with sara novic, author of girl. Written by dabney collier, kim soohyun and other people who wish to remain anonymous girl at war begins in zagreb, croatia in 1991. More by and about this author novics debut novel centers on the civil war in croatia between croats and serbs in the 1990s. Girl at war is a superb exploration of conflict and its aftermath.
This seems like a theme that runs throughout girl at war. Sara novic writes with ruthless understatement not only about a modern city subjected to primitive horrors, but about young anas subsequent war against the. Sara novic fearlessly shows the impact of war on one young girl and its legacy on all of us. Sara novic pours herself into her central character in girl at war. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading girl at war. Girl at war by sara novic when starting this book, i didnt expect the experience i had from reading it. May 30, 2015 for that matter, ask ana juric, the narratorprotagonist of sara novic s shattering and promising debut novel, girl at war 12 out of four. Its opening which you can read below perfectly portrays the uneasiness of ana, a child old enough to be aware of upcoming trouble but still too young to understand it.
Sara novic is an assistant professor of creative writing at stockton university and the fiction editor for blunderbuss magazine. The war moves from abstraction to bitter reality soon enough, and ana finds herself in a. This is what im trying to figure out, the author says, laughing, in a recent interview. Sep 19, 2015 girl at war is told by ana juric, who is ten and living in zagreb when the conflict begins. Aug 19, 2015 girl at war is a story that needed to be told. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Girl at war study guide contains a biography of sara novic, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. For readers of the tigers wife and all the light we cannot see comes a powerful debut novel about a girl s coming of ageand how her sense of family, friendship, love, and belonging is profoundly shaped by war. When her happy life in 1991 croatia is shattered by civil war, tenyearold ana juric is embroiled in a world of guerilla warfare and child soldiers before making a. Sara novic writes with ruthless understatement not only about a modern city subjected to primitive horrors, but about young anas subsequent war against the american urge to forget. Moving between the years 1991 and 2001, the novel follows tenyearold ana juric in wartorn croatia. In the novel girl at war, sara novic incorporates the theme of trauma throughout the story from the yugoslav wars that impacted most of the.
The central character is a 10yearold girl, called ana juric, growing up in zagreb in the early 1990s with her infant sister and her parents. Girl at war performs the miracle of making the stories of broken lives in a distant country feel as large and universal as myth. Apr 22, 2019 perhaps its not typical to recommend a novel about a war zone for your beach bag, but sara novic s girl at war is so excellent that i really have to bend the springsummer genre and recommend it. Novic, 28, has lived in queens for about a year, and in new york city for a few years, but she grew up dividing. The right book can instantly transport you to anywhere and. Girl at war was hailed as a brutal novel, but a beautiful one by the new york times. The struggle of her adult life is to make peace with her grief and anger at the political world which took so much from her so young. May 12, 2015 much like ana, the heroine of her engrossing debut novel, sara novic isnt entirely sure where to call home. First, thank you, julia, for reading the book and asking me these interesting. The book follows her life as she escapes to america as well as, years later as a college student, when she returns to croatia to make sense of all that she had experienced there. May 28, 2020 sara novic girl at war audio book online. This book really packs a punch and takes you by surprise.
546 1494 618 1610 281 720 1391 873 545 166 1074 1201 1112 737 384 323 936 1163 117 988 1128 226 1456 285 1415 1552 362 627 1533 437 916 1072 1140 1052 45