"But the country could not accept the bridge and the bridge could not accept the country." This quotation, from the short story "The Bridge on the Zepa," by the 1961 Nobel laureate Ivo Andric, whose story, "Thirst," is included in this collection, reflects the essence of the state of human relations in the Balkans. Here Andric observes that while bridges are built to connect and not divide, human nature, as it is, can lead to discord and...