  | Three summers : a memoir of sisterhood, summer crushes, and growing up on the eve of war Author: Sabic-El-Rayess, Amra | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
An epic middle-grade memoir about sisterhood and coming-of-age in the three years leading up to the Bosnian Genocide. The story of five young cousins who grow closer than sisters as ethnic tensions escalate over three summers in 1980s Bosnia. They navigate the joys and pitfalls of adolescence on their family's little island in the middle of the Una River. When finally confronted with the harsh truths of the adult world around them, their bond gives them resilience.
| Added Entry - Personal Name: | Sullivan, Laura L |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (01/15/24)
School Library Journal (+) (00/04/24)
Booklist (03/01/24)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/04/24)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 04/01/2024 Gr 3–7—Sabic-El-Rayess's memoir captures the lives of five cousins and the adventures they encounter over the course of three summers in 1980s Bosnia. Suffering the loss of her older brother, Amra slips into a womb of depression only to be revived by these glorious summers with Zana her sister-cousin; after all, cousins make the best sisters, according to Amra's mom. The turmoil of life in war-torn Bosnia is dismal enough compounded with memories of Amar, the brother who passed away from complications due to Marfan syndrome. Sabic-El-Rayess's prose transforms teenage memories into a unique multisensory experience filled with the awkwardness of first love, beach wake-ups, breakups, family indifference, and all the comfort of Bosnian food. The text leads readers over hills and mountains filled with loss, joy, and haunting tragedies that sought to destroy but only prove the resilience of hope and family. The author's note and time line of events documenting the history of war and genocide in Bosnia provide readers with background on the life and musings of a young girl. VERDICT An insightful and solemn yet hopeful memoir that will hook readers. Fans of Ji-Li Jiang's Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution will find this memoir just as remarkable.—Mitzi Mack - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
