Sahib

More about the book

The post-war reconstruction of Bosnia is seen through the eyes of a young Englishman, Sahib, who arrives in Sarajevo as a worker for a foreign development agency. He shares his initial experiences in the Balkans through emails to his love, George, back in Britain, viewing their separation as a test of their relationship. However, he gradually becomes more immersed in the Bosnian reality, aided by his personal driver, Sakib, a Bosnian Muslim. Sahib's emails evolve into a confrontation with his own (and broader) prejudices and myths about the Balkans, the war, and the so-called Western aid, juxtaposed with real experiences. The developing relationship between Sahib and Sakib forms the core of the narrative, providing sources of comedy, tension, and an unexpected resolution at the end.