Almost embarrassing to admit, but I learned nothing about any type of history in high school. We had one required class to take and it was taught by the football coach. So, instead of learning about events that shaped the world, we were taught pretty much about football. Fridays were free days because he was too busy worrying about that night's game to teach. (It was the early 90s - no one seemed to care about curriculum.) So I learned nothing about the World Wars, Vietnam, Cambodia, and certainly not the Yugoslav wars. Over the decades, I've educated myself about the major conflicts, but I'm like you - I still don't know much about the Balkans. I've put this book on my list, along with Rebecca West's (clocks in at 1200 pages!!). Thank you for sharing this - it sounds so interesting!
I also feel embarrassed admitting I have to Google a lot of these things but I’m trying to embrace and share it here, so glad you’re admitting to it as well! Sounds like we had similar high school learning experiences.
If you want to keep going on the self-education track, I've got two for you. I read Black Butterflies in June and Googled my way through the entire thing, so a Things I Googled on it is coming soon. It's set during the siege of Sarajevo, and it taught me a ton while still keeping me pulled in the whole way through, which is the thing historical fiction does that a history book just can't, at least for me.
And since you mentioned Vietnam, The Women by Kristin Hannah is the one I'd hand you first. It follows an Army nurse who serves in Vietnam and then comes home to a country that wants to pretend the women who served were never there. Same trick as Girl at War, it drops you into the human cost without making you study for it first. Devoured that one.
I've got a few more like these on my own TBR I'm working through, so I'll report back as I read. Can’t wait to hear what you think of Girl At War!
I actually bought The Women back in April, but then I got sick (for three weeks - yay, fun) and just have not gotten around to reading it yet. But it’s there in my TBR pile. I have a trip to the library planned for the end of the week, so I’ll see if I can pick up Girl at War and Black Butterflies. Thank you for all these recs that my TBR pile does not need (but I do!). :-)
Three weeks of sick is not fun, ugh. Glad it's behind you. And ha, the TBR pile never needs more, but that's never stopped any of us. If you do grab Girl at War and Black Butterflies at the library this week, tell me which one you start first and what you think. I'm nosy about reading order. Fair warning: Black Butterflies hits harder, so maybe don't save it for a rough day.
Girl at War cracked open a part of history I'm a little ashamed to say I knew almost nothing about. It sent me deep into the Yugoslav Wars, the pattern of cyclical violence, and the uncomfortable question of how I got this far having never read a single book about any of it. That's where all the Googling in this post came from. Were you taught any of this growing up? I somehow wasn't, and I keep thinking about why.
Almost embarrassing to admit, but I learned nothing about any type of history in high school. We had one required class to take and it was taught by the football coach. So, instead of learning about events that shaped the world, we were taught pretty much about football. Fridays were free days because he was too busy worrying about that night's game to teach. (It was the early 90s - no one seemed to care about curriculum.) So I learned nothing about the World Wars, Vietnam, Cambodia, and certainly not the Yugoslav wars. Over the decades, I've educated myself about the major conflicts, but I'm like you - I still don't know much about the Balkans. I've put this book on my list, along with Rebecca West's (clocks in at 1200 pages!!). Thank you for sharing this - it sounds so interesting!
I also feel embarrassed admitting I have to Google a lot of these things but I’m trying to embrace and share it here, so glad you’re admitting to it as well! Sounds like we had similar high school learning experiences.
If you want to keep going on the self-education track, I've got two for you. I read Black Butterflies in June and Googled my way through the entire thing, so a Things I Googled on it is coming soon. It's set during the siege of Sarajevo, and it taught me a ton while still keeping me pulled in the whole way through, which is the thing historical fiction does that a history book just can't, at least for me.
And since you mentioned Vietnam, The Women by Kristin Hannah is the one I'd hand you first. It follows an Army nurse who serves in Vietnam and then comes home to a country that wants to pretend the women who served were never there. Same trick as Girl at War, it drops you into the human cost without making you study for it first. Devoured that one.
I've got a few more like these on my own TBR I'm working through, so I'll report back as I read. Can’t wait to hear what you think of Girl At War!
I actually bought The Women back in April, but then I got sick (for three weeks - yay, fun) and just have not gotten around to reading it yet. But it’s there in my TBR pile. I have a trip to the library planned for the end of the week, so I’ll see if I can pick up Girl at War and Black Butterflies. Thank you for all these recs that my TBR pile does not need (but I do!). :-)
Three weeks of sick is not fun, ugh. Glad it's behind you. And ha, the TBR pile never needs more, but that's never stopped any of us. If you do grab Girl at War and Black Butterflies at the library this week, tell me which one you start first and what you think. I'm nosy about reading order. Fair warning: Black Butterflies hits harder, so maybe don't save it for a rough day.
What a fantastic post!
Thanks Elle. Very much appreciate you taking the time to read it and comment.
I really liked it! Excited to see more posts from you, Charlie :)
Girl at War cracked open a part of history I'm a little ashamed to say I knew almost nothing about. It sent me deep into the Yugoslav Wars, the pattern of cyclical violence, and the uncomfortable question of how I got this far having never read a single book about any of it. That's where all the Googling in this post came from. Were you taught any of this growing up? I somehow wasn't, and I keep thinking about why.