by Sara Novic
First published 2017
Ana lives in Zagreb when the Croatian War of Independence erupts in 1991. The twenty-something deaf woman works as a sign language interpreter while bombs fall on her city. She moves between her apartment, her job, and the underground shelters where residents wait out air raids. Ana maintains relationships with her hearing boyfriend Marko and her deaf friends, but the war strains every connection. Food becomes scarce, electricity cuts out regularly, and friends disappear or flee the country. Ana must decide whether to stay in the only home she has known or join the exodus of refugees seeking safety elsewhere. The conflict forces her to examine what she values most: the familiar rhythms of her Zagreb life or the possibility of a future without constant fear. Her deafness shapes how she experiences the war differently from those around her, creating both isolation and unexpected advantages as she navigates a world where communication itself becomes a matter of survival.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, war, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Zagreb, Croatia
Period: 1991
360 pages · Paperback · Catedral
Content warnings: war