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In a voice both innocent and wise, reminiscent of Anne Frank, Zlata Filipovic's diary has awakened the world's conscience. At thirteen, Zlata began her diary just before her eleventh birthday, when Sarajevo was peaceful and her life was that of a carefree young girl. Her early entries reflect her friendships, hobbies, and school life, filled with excitement about joining the Madonna Fan Club. However, her perspective shifts dramatically when she sees bombs falling on Dubrovnik, unable to imagine such violence reaching her home. When it does, her diary's tone changes profoundly. She begins an entry to "Dear Mimmy" (named after her deceased goldfish) with words like "SLAUGHTERHOUSE! MASSACRE! HORROR!" As conflict escalates, Zlata's world shrinks; she becomes confined to her family's apartment, seeking refuge in a neighbor's cellar during shelling. The war disrupts her education, and basic necessities become scarce. The violence destroys her childhood, injures her friends, and ages her parents. In moments of despair, she declares, "War has nothing to do with humanity," and contemplates suicide. Yet, with remarkable courage and clarity, Zlata strives to preserve fragments of her former life, continuing to study piano, read, and celebrate special occasions, documenting it all in her extraordinary diary.
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Zlata's Diary, Zlata Filipović, Janine di Giovanni, Christina Pribichevich-Zoric
- Language
- Released
- 1994
- product-detail.submit-box.info.binding
- (Hardcover)
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- Title
- Zlata's Diary
- Subtitle
- A Child's Life in Sarajevo
- Language
- English
- Publisher
- Viking Penguin
- Released
- 1994
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 200
- ISBN10
- 0670857246
- ISBN13
- 9780670857241
- Series
- Tags
- Non-Fiction, Historical Themes, History, True Stories, Biographies, Autobiographies & Memoirs, Military History, Military Fiction, Wars, Death, Violence, Fear, Diaries, Women's Biographies, Persecution, Yugoslavia, Balkans
- Rating
- 3.75 out of 5
- Description
- In a voice both innocent and wise, reminiscent of Anne Frank, Zlata Filipovic's diary has awakened the world's conscience. At thirteen, Zlata began her diary just before her eleventh birthday, when Sarajevo was peaceful and her life was that of a carefree young girl. Her early entries reflect her friendships, hobbies, and school life, filled with excitement about joining the Madonna Fan Club. However, her perspective shifts dramatically when she sees bombs falling on Dubrovnik, unable to imagine such violence reaching her home. When it does, her diary's tone changes profoundly. She begins an entry to "Dear Mimmy" (named after her deceased goldfish) with words like "SLAUGHTERHOUSE! MASSACRE! HORROR!" As conflict escalates, Zlata's world shrinks; she becomes confined to her family's apartment, seeking refuge in a neighbor's cellar during shelling. The war disrupts her education, and basic necessities become scarce. The violence destroys her childhood, injures her friends, and ages her parents. In moments of despair, she declares, "War has nothing to do with humanity," and contemplates suicide. Yet, with remarkable courage and clarity, Zlata strives to preserve fragments of her former life, continuing to study piano, read, and celebrate special occasions, documenting it all in her extraordinary diary.