Zora

Zora is the protagonist of the novel. She is an artist who lives in Sarajevo with her husband, Franjo. They have an adult daughter named Dubravka who is married with a child in England. As the novel begins, Zora does not believe any terrible war between nationalities could happen in Sarajevo because it is such a diverse city where Croats, Serbs, and Muslims live peacefully together. These original attitudes demonstrate how little people can imagine tragedy and chaos in their own lives. When her husband and mother leave for London, she is actually relieved for the time alone.

Zora gets stuck in Sarajevo during the siege, and she tries to maintain normalcy, still not believing it could last a long time. She continues to work in her studio until it is closed. She continues to teach as long as there are classes to teach. She does not want...