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Black Butterflies

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About this listen

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2023

SHORTLISTED FOR THE RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE 2023

SHORTLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS’ CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2023

‘A moving, compelling, deeply human novel about love, hope and resilience in a city under siege. Everyone should read it’ Emma Stonex, bestselling author of The Lamplighters

Sarajevo, spring 1992. Each night, nationalist gangs erect barricades, splitting the diverse city into ethnic enclaves; each morning, the residents – whether Muslim, Croat or Serb – push the makeshift barriers aside.

When violence finally spills over, Zora, an artist and teacher, sends her husband and elderly mother to safety with her daughter in England. Reluctant to believe that hostilities will last more than a handful of weeks, she stays behind while the city falls under siege. As the assault deepens and everything they love is laid to waste, black ashes floating over the rooftops, Zora and her friends are forced to rebuild themselves, over and over. Theirs is a breathtaking story of disintegration, resilience and hope.

©2023 Priscilla Morris (P)2023 W. F. Howes Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Heartfelt Inspiring Tear-jerking Thought-Provoking Scary War
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A window on the siege in Sarajevo from the viewpoint of innocent civilians, who desperately try to hold on to their way of life as the war gradually but catastrophically progresses. The story is a wonderful homage to humanity, to the power of culture, and to the strength and resilience of the human spirit. My heart breaks for anyone whose lives are being or ever have been impacted by war.

Heartbreakingly beautiful

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beautifully written and read, an absolute joy to listen to. one of the best books I've had read/ listened to!

wonderful book

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Loved the reader’s voice and the story. Vivid descriptions and the story proceeded at a pace that wasn’t too slow nor too rushed. I enjoyed listening to this book very much.

Excellent

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Some of the criticism of this book has been about it reading as a history text rather than a novel. I disagree. This is a great piece of writing that brings terrible events alive, especially as I am old enough to remember this playing out nightly on the news. The systematic stripping away of civilisation from the middle aged, middle class narrator illustrates how savage and inhuman is one of the most human follies we carry from generation to generation. The narration is not fussy and maybe this is a reason why some have seen it as a flat piece of historic reporting. It is a good listen, short, and powerful, giving voice to someone who so far has not really been listened to.

HERSTORY

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An incredibly powerful story full of raw emotions. The narrator truly brings this story to life and it’s a captivating, yet harrowing listen.

Superbly narrated powerful story

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