The books protagonist, ana, is 10 when the croatian war of independence breaks out and 20 when she. 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 anas tenth birthday and, during the family celebration dinner, her godfather has sent her out to the nearby kiosk to buy him cigarettes. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading girl at war.
Girl at war is a 2015 novel by american author sara novic. The war in zagreb began over a pack of cigarettes so begins girl at war, sara novics debut novel about ana, the girl of the title. Like the book s men, the women of war and peace represent a broad array of possibilities for their gender. Girl at war study guide contains a biography of sara novic, literature. Ana juric has her childhood interrupted by the civil war in yugoslavia and 10 years later and half a world away is st. First, thank you, julia, for reading the book and asking me these interesting. While attempting to travel within the country with her family, anas once simple life is thrown into chaos and sets off a chain of events that will lead her through dark, unexpected situations. Novics debut novel chronicles ten yearold ana jurics experience growing up in the early 1990s in war ravaged croatia and her struggle to come to terms with her past a decade later in new york city. Novic s fictional, but historically accurate work reveals the atrocities of yugoslavias civil war from the perspective of 10year old ana. Ana juric is a carefree tenyearold, living with her family in a small apartment in croatias capital. Novics debut novel centers on the civil war in croatia between croats and serbs in the 1990s. I havent read many books that talk about the yugoslavian war that occurred in the 90s, so it was great to read a novel that provides an interesting perspective into the conflict. We first meet her protagonist, ana, as an ordinary, happy girl, living with her parents and baby sister i.
Novics fictional, but historically accurate work reveals the atrocities of yugoslavias civil war from the perspective of 10year old ana. The book leaves the reader hanging when the war is at a climax, but soon enough it is evident that ana is safe. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of girl at war by sara novic. Novic says he was inspired by a professor she had at emerson as an undergrad, whose office was similarly crammed with piledup books. This clumsy debut novel never for a moment convinces in its setting, characters or conflict, says eileen battersby. A majority of the characters have ulterior motives and are trying to use each other to serve their own selfish ends, though of course amy takes the cake when it comes to disingenuousness. Girl at war by sara novic meet your next favorite book. May 21, 2015 in girl at war, sara novics beautiful writing really brings to life a country torn by conflict. Sara novics debut novel, girl at war, zeroes in on the croatian war of independence, which lasted from 1991 to 1995. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read girl at war. When youre so into talking about the novel you forget to rate it.
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. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Sara novics novel girl at war is not just a story of a girl who was the witness of the civil war in zagreb. Jul 16, 2015 girl at war by sara novic fiction released may 12, 2015 338 pages bottom line. May 12, 2015 in sarah novics first novel, girl at war, her protagonist ana juric lives suspended between the living and the dead after witnessing the atrocities of the croatian war of independence. Sara novic on how she wrote girl at war the author tells the story behind the story of her debut novel about the serbocroatian war. In sarah novics first novel, girl at war, her protagonist ana juric lives suspended between the living and the dead after witnessing the atrocities of the croatian war of. Novic s debut novel centers on the civil war in croatia between croats and serbs in the 1990s.
But its also a tender, realistic comingofage tale which perfectly captures a myriad of emotions, without ever being overly emotional. I knew in the end the guilt of one side did not prove the innocence of the other. The intense climax point when anas family is stopped by the soldiers is the end of part i of the novel, and part ii shoots forward a decade to show anas new life in america. The united nations estimates that 3,000 to 4,000 child soldiers some as young as 10 took part in the fighting, most of them in bosnia and croatia, though other sources put the numbers at more like 10,000. The book follows the story of ana juric, who is ten years old when the novel opens in 1991. She holds an mfa in fiction and literary translation from columbia university, and is an assistant professor of creative writing at stockton university, a. But when civil war breaks out across yugoslavia, football games and school. 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. Sara novics debut novel girl at war subtly undoes what most of us, who havent actually survived a conflict, thought we knew about war. Throughout, girl at war performs the miracle of making the stories of broken lives in a distant country feel as large and universal as myth. Girl at war performs the miracle of making the stories of broken lives in a distant country feel as large and universal as myth. To ask other readers questions about girl at war, please sign up. Girl at war tells the story of ana juric, a girl who is just ten when the civil war breaks out in croatia.
Girl at war study guide contains a biography of sara novic, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. In girl at war, sara novics beautiful writing really brings to life a country torn by conflict. Tolstoy is horrified by the idea that the disagreements of a few people in government are solved by the movement of thousands of men across hundreds of miles, mostly to kill and be killed in turn by other men. Mar 30, 2020 sara novics novel girl at war is not just a story of a girl who was the witness of the civil war in zagreb. Johanna is a 14yearold jewish girl who lives in hamburg, germany, in the early 18th century. Obreht comes a debut novel by the young americancroatian sara novic. But what makes the book unique is tolstoys commitment to nonjudgmental realism when describing the way a teenage girl grows into an adult woman.
A realistic fiction novel, girl at war was published in 2015 and written by american author sara novic. Sara novic s debut novel girl at war subtly undoes what most of us, who havent actually survived a conflict, thought we knew about war. She points me toward the bosnian book of the dead, which lists 97,207 names of the dead from the war. Jun 07, 2015 you dont need to experience something to remember it, a former child soldier remarks in the final pages of sara novics outstanding first novel, girl at war. When 14yearoldjohanna learns that her orphanage is experimenting on babies, she kidnaps one of them and sets off for amsterdam. Girl at war is a superb exploration of conflict and its aftermath. Girls at war, and other stories characters chinua achebe this study guide consists of approximately 29 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of girls at war, and other stories. The especially painful memories etch themselves deeper than those of happier times.
For readers of the tigers wife and all the light we cannot see comes a powerful debut novel about a girls coming of ageand how her sense of family, friendship, love, and belonging is profoundly shaped by war. Girl at war is completely devourable, in before long, however, she is unable to miss the civil war sparking around her as yugoslavia starts to crumble. Not just literally, as in the sicko punch and judy puppets amy gets nick for their anniversary, but metaphorically. Red sonja girl at war sara novic characters throughout the chapters, ana travels to various places and shifts to the past. The warrants for this argument are the following aspects. Theres a character in girl at war, a professor who acts as a sort of book angel, lending ana new books each week and guiding her reading.
Like i knew in the end the guilt of one side did not prove the innocence of the other. That recent war provides the backdrop to sara novics powerful debut novel, girl at war. 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. Sara novic s debut novel, girl at war, zeroes in on the croatian war of independence, which lasted from 1991 to 1995. The fact that, as an adult reader, you could understand the bigger picture made me feel quite emotional at times. Author interview sara novic, author of girl at war. Violence methodically consumes everything that was once good and innocent in her young life, ensnaring 10yearold ana, her mother and father and her. The books protagonist, ana, is 10 when the croatian war.
The careful structure of girl at war keeps it from becoming just another ordinary, chronological war story. Girl at war by sara novic published by little brown, 2015 longlisted for the baileys womens prize for fiction zagreb, su. Sara novic is the author of the novel girl at war, which won an american library. Sara novics debut novel girl at war subtly undoes what most of us, who. I remember the images of refugees during the war, and was struck by the pragmatism of a child experiencing what was going on. It is a novel that demonstrates how history can shape an individuality of every single person and the whole society. Girl at war relives the disastrous croatian war vanity fair.
Here, the readers encounter people from different time periods with different nationalities and backgrounds. Girl at war largehearted boy, may 2015 remission, catapult, november 2015 ableism hurts, blunderbuss magazine, may 2014 lets stop mansplaining eastern europe, blunderbuss magazine, march 2014 im deaf and totally cool with it, xojane, march 2014. She lives in the capital of croatia, but, soon enough, conflict strikes. Girl at war is a 2015 novel by american author sara. Do you think you will revisit the subjects and themes of girl at war.
The girl at war community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical. The book begins with what deserves to become one of. For that matter, ask ana juric, the narratorprotagonist of sara novics shattering and promising debut novel, girl at war 12 out of four. Girl at war by sara novic fiction released may 12, 2015 338 pages bottom line.
In the beginning, adults operating somewhere between concern and nosiness had asked questions about the war, and i spoke truthfully about the things id seen. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Tenyearold ana juric is a carefree tomboy who runs the streets of croatias capital with her best friend, luka, takes care of her baby sister, rahela. 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. Author interview sara novic, author of girl at war bookpage.
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