Zlata's Diary: 2a Child's Life in Sarajevo

Sheesh...this is the product of a child, not the work of a Pulitzer prize winning journalist. It is an excellent diary, an excellent primary source and an excellent text for a better understanding of the Yugoslav wars. Yes...it does only tell one point of view - hers - it is her diary! Some readers are offended because of the comparison to Anne Frank; a comparison that Filipovic and others make in the book. The comparison is totally fair. Both are intelligent children caught up in situations they have no control over during wars of ethnic cleansing and extermination. It is a testament to Zlata that she can make the connection to Anne Frank...obviously the rest of the world couldn't. They (We) abandoned the Jews sixty years ago and abandoned hundreds of thousands of Croats/Bosniaks/Serbs to genocide forty years later. Zlata remembered Anne Frank's words...the world didn't.

I remember reading this book as a child and picked it up again as an adult. It was a quick read, but really showed how a child deals with war. It made me think of how children in Iraq are feeling right now. Very interesting.

The plot of "Zlata's Diary", by Zlata Filipovic, is interesting because it is very detailed of the war in Sarajevo and the life of the people there.I liked this book because i'v learnd about the war in Sarajevo in 1991 and about the life of a girl who lived in the war. She talks about her feelings of the war, what she does in her spare time, and everything about what went on during the war. I liked this book because Zlata is always talkind\g about how she worries about all the innocent people in the Sarajevo war. I liked the part when Zlata said NO ONE AND NOTHING HERE IS NORMAL!I also liked it when she said,"I will try to get through all this, with your help Mimmy[her diary], hoping that it will all pass and... that I will be a child again, living my childhood in peace.I liked the way Zlata was concerned about everyone elses lives and not just her own. I would recommend this book to everyone ages 12 and up.

This chilling book reminded me just how lucky I am. I forget and take it forgranted that I am so lucky and able to live wholeheartedly. I forget that in many places, children must suffer and abandon their childhood because of cold, angry war.

The book Zlata's Diary is a touching and in- depth portrayal of the life of a scared and innocent child during the war. The details of the day to day living and the suffering they endured are eye opening and frightening. The story is one that should be read throughout schools across the world to bring light to the realities of war. Maybe books like this should also be required for politicians to read when they are sworn ito office. This might create a concern for the people of the world and broaden the politicians' visions on life. The concern for any and everyone's life should come before the selfish political concerns of world leaders. All in all, Zlata's Diary is a clear and detailed portrayal of the life of a helpless family and young girl during the war.