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S.: A Novel about the Balkans
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S.: A Novel about the Balkans Paperback - 2001

by Slavenka Drakulic

Set in 1992 during the height of the Bosnian war, "S".--now in paperback--reveals one of the most gruesome aspects of war: the rape and torture of civilian women by occupying forces. Through a series of flashbacks, S., a Bosnian woman, relives the unspeakable crimes she has endured, and, in telling her story, depicts the blackest side of human nature during wartime.


Summary

"S. may very well be one of the strongest books about war you will ever read. . . .The writing is taut, precise, and masterful."

Set in 1992, during the height of the Bosnian war, S. reveals one of the most horrifying aspects of any war: the rape and torture of civilian women by occupying forces. S. is the story of a Bosnian woman in exile who has just given birth to an unwanted child—one without a country, a name, a father, or a language. Its birth only reminds her of an even more grueling experience: being repeatedly raped by Serbian soldiers in the "women's room" of a prison camp. Through a series of flashbacks, S. relives the unspeakable crimes she has endured, and in telling her story—timely, strangely compelling, and ultimately about survival—depicts the darkest side of human nature during wartime.

From the publisher

"S. may very well be one of the strongest books about war you will ever read. . . The writing is taut, precise, and masterful." --The Philadelphia Enquirer Set in 1992, during the height of the Bosnian war, S. reveals one of the most horrifying aspects of any war: the rape and torture of civilian women by occupying forces. S. is the story of a Bosnian woman in exile who has just given birth to an unwanted child--one without a country, a name, a father, or a language. Its birth only reminds her of an even more grueling experience: being repeatedly raped by Serbian soldiers in the "women's room" of a prison camp. Through a series of flashbacks, S. relives the unspeakable crimes she has endured, and in telling her story--timely, strangely compelling, and ultimately about survival--depicts the darkest side of human nature during wartime.

First line

The child is lying naked in his cot.

Details

  • Title S.: A Novel about the Balkans
  • Author Slavenka Drakulic
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reprint
  • Pages 224
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Penguin Books, New York, New York
  • Date 2001-01-01
  • ISBN 9780140298444 / 0140298444
  • Weight 0.4 lbs (0.18 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.65 in (19.81 x 12.95 x 1.65 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 1990's
    • Chronological Period: 1950-1999
    • Cultural Region: Balkan
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 99054481
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

". . . Slavenka Drakulic has given the world a gift, digging into the twisted reality of war . . . a novel of cataclysmic power." --San Francisco Chronicle

"Drakulic's novel will leave you with survivor guilt even while never having undergone the horrific events described. . . . Descriptions of camp life rival those of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich in graphic and compelling detail." --The Nation

About the author

Slavenka Drakulic was born in Croatia in 1949. The author of several works of nonfiction and novels, she has written for The New York Times, The Nation, The New Republic, and numerous publications around the world.
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S.: A Novel about the Balkans
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S.: A Novel about the Balkans

by Drakulic, Slavenka

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S.: A Novel about the Balkans
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S.: A Novel about the Balkans

by Drakulic, Slavenka

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S.: A Novel about the Balkans
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S. : A Novel about the Balkans

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S. : A Novel about the Balkans

S. : A Novel about the Balkans

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S. : A Novel about the Balkans
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S.: A Novel about the Balkans
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S.: A Novel about the Balkans

by Slavenka Drakulic

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S.: A Novel about the Balkans

by Slavenka Drakulic

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ISBN 13
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ISBN 10
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