Fiction Pick of the Week: The Cellist of Sarajevo

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Stephen Galloway 2008

A chilling read of the heartache of civil war and how it tears a city, Sarajevo, apart. Actual historical events related to the Siege of Sarajevo 1992-1996 are woven into this work of fiction by B.C. author Stephen Galloway. He writes about a cellist from the Sarajevo Symphony who, upon witnessing the mortar attack through his window that killed 22 residents queuing for bread during the height of the siege, vows to play Albinoni’s Adagio on his cello on the same spot that the killings occurred for 22 days - one day for each of the residents who were killed. Other characters such as Arrow, a female sniper charged to guard the cellist, Kenan, who has to dodge snipers to get water for his family, and Dragen, who works just to get a free meal, also contribute to this moving, harrowing description of war. Long-listed for the 2008 Giller Prize.