War starts in Dubrovnik and Zlata’s parents are worried that
it will come to their city. In March
1992, a small gang of armed civilians murder a Serbian wedding guest and injure
the priest, bringing the war closer to them.
One day while Zlata was doing her homework, she hears gunfire getting
closer. She is afraid that the war will
mean that all the schools will be closed.
People start leaving Sarajevo as the heavy shelling and gunfire
increases. They are afraid for their
lives, as is Zlata, who spends lots of her time in the cellar. Throughout the city the electricity, water and gas are all turned
off and people start receiving UN food packages.
Zlata pours her hopes and fears into her diary as gunfire
rings throughout the city. Will her sad
days ever end?
I liked reading this book because the way Zlata wrote about
the war seemed as if she was an adult, not a twelve year old.
I think children should read this book as it shows you what
some people have to try and live through, even in this modern age. I hope I
will never have to write the type of diary that Zlata did.
