NOT MY TURN TO DIE:
Memoirs of a Broken Childhood in Bosnia
by Savo Heleta
Published by AMACOM Books
(ISBN 9780814401651, 240 pages, hard cover, $22.00)
Available through bookstores or directly from the publisher:
http://www.amanet.org/books/book.cfm?isbn=9780814401651
In 1992, Savo Heleta was a young boy enjoying an idyllic, peaceful childhood in Gorazde, a primarily Muslim city in Bosnia. At the age of just 13, Savo's life was turned upside down as war broke out. When Bosnian Serbs attacked the city, Savo and his family, ethnic Serbs, became objects of suspicion overnight.
Through the next two years, they endured treatment that no human being should ever be subjected to. Their lives were threatened, they were shot at, terrorized, put in a detention camp, starved, and eventually stripped of everything they owned. But after two long years, Savo and his family managed to escape. And then the real transformation took place.
From his childhood before the war to his internment and eventual freedom, we follow Savo's emotional journey from a young teenager seeking retribution to a peace-seeking diplomat seeking healing and reconciliation. As the war unfolds, we meet the people who helped shape Savo's life, from his brave younger sister Sanja to Meho, his fatherís childhood friend who would become the family's ultimate betrayer.
Through it all, we begin to understand this young man's arduous struggle to forgive the very people he could no longer trust. At once powerful and elegiac, NOT MY TURN TO DIE offers a unique look at a conflict that continues to fascinate and enlighten us.
ENDORSEMENTS
"A gripping and compelling story, fascinating piece of memoir literature from Bosnia."
-- Dr. James Lyon, International Crisis Group
"An eloquent testimony to the human capacity for compassion and forgiveness."
-- Andrew Himes, Voices in Wartime Education Project
"A moving, real-life story, a must-read."
--Ambassador John McDonald, Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy
Author Profiles
