A review by serendipitysbooks
Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris

emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

 Black Butterflies is set in Sarajevo in 1992. When ethnic tensions spill over into violence, Zora sends her husband and elderly mother to safety in the UK. She believes the violence will soon subside but if not she will join them. However, by the time she makes the decision to leave she is unable to do so and is trapped in a city under siege. I loved many things about this book. It did a great job showing how quickly the veneer of civilisation disappeared, how fast a sense of normality could change. Food scarcity, stepping over dead bodies in the street, and trapping pigeons on a windowsill in order to eat them went from being unimaginable to standard practice in such a short space of time. At times it was a hard and brutal read, especially after learning that much of it was based on different aspects of the author’s family history. The realities of living in a war torn city were starkly yet not gratuitously portrayed. And the author also balanced the darkness by also focussing on friendships and community, the way neighbours helped and supported each other. The prose was mostly simple and unadorned which I think suited the subject matter. There were two beautiful examples of imagery that caught my attention - one was the bridges painted by Zora and the way they symbolised connection; the other was the black butterflies referenced in the title. I also liked the way the author folded in some mythology as well as accounts of pre-war Sarajevo, a great way of reminding readers that the city was once beautiful, vibrant and harmonious. Finally I appreciated the author highlighting the important role the arts, in this case painting and literature, can play in helping nourish people’s spirits through tough times.

I’m sure I’m not the only reader whose mind travelled to the Ukraine while reading this book. For one country in Europe this book is historical fiction; in another what is portrayed is the current reality.
 
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