Stolen Voices: Young People's War Diaries, from World War I to Iraq by Zlata Filipovic, Olara A. Otunnu, Melanie Challenger (Editor), Melanie Challenger (Editor), Olara A. Otunnu (Foreword by)

From the Publisher

From the author of the international bestseller Zlata’s Diary comes a haunting testament to war’s brutality.

Zlata Filipovic´’s diary of her harrowing war experiences in the Balkans, published in 1993, made her a globally recognized spokesperson for children affected by conflict. In Stolen Voices, she and co-editor Melanie Challenger have gathered fifteen diaries of young people coping with war, from World War I to the struggle in Iraq that continues today. A profoundly affecting look at shattered youth and the gritty particulars of war in the tradition of Anne Frank, this extraordinary collection – the first of its kind – is sure to leave a lasting impression on young and old readers alike.

Publishers Weekly

This inspiring collection of children's war diaries provides a compelling window into life during conflict. Heartfelt voices detail the fear, longing, hatred and angst we associate with war, but also the banality of daily life, as the 14 authors struggle to interpret their changing societies and cling to normalcy. Russian Nina Kosterina, aged 15 at the outbreak of WWII, describes the desire she feels for a boy in her class as she grapples with a decision to defend her state. At the same time, Austrian Jew Inge Pollack, who was separated from her parents at age 12, writes of homesickness and her burgeoning love for her foster father. Filipovic, aged 11 when the war in the Balkans broke out, describes playing dressup in the one room available to her, amid the perils of sniper fire and without electricity or water. Through these myriad voices, Filipovic and Challenger create a gripping historical narrative whereby war stories are told not through facts and dates but through the honest impressions of youth. Many of the diarists have not survived, but we are fortunate that their stories-many previously unpublished-still remain. (Jan.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Some books can be classified as highly recommended, but this work goes beyond that to be considered required reading. Filipovic's Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime Sarajevo, which chronicled her life during the Bosnian war from 1991 to 1993, catapulted her to international fame. Now, with the help of poet Challenger (Mostar Fdn.; Galatea), she has compiled 14 diaries that were kept by children during wartime, from World War I to Iraq. Their poignant voices will break your heart. One diary is by a young New Zealand soldier: when he dies in the sands of World War II Africa, the account is taken up by a young German soldier who continues his own story, in German, on the blank pages. Most of the diaries (many from out-of-print sources or never previously published) show young people trapped in camps, ghettos, and prisons; we share their losses as they cope with their circumstances. An Israeli teenager and her Palestinian Christian counterpart each write during the Second Intifada, unaware of the other, but echoing each other's experiences. The book is arranged chronologically but holds power no matter in what order the pieces are read. An essential purchase.-Suzanne Lay, Perry, GA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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