Why a Booktrail?
1979: Eight-year-old Miro knows the real reason why his family moved.
The People We Were Before
What you need to know before your trail
Yugoslavia, summer 1979. A new village. A new life. But eight-year-old Miro knows the real reason why his family moved from the inland city of Knin to the sunkissed village of Ljeta on the Dalmatian Coast, a tragedy he tries desperately to forget.
The Ljeta years are happy ones, though, and when he marries his childhood sweetheart, and they have a baby daughter, it seems as though life is perfect. However, storm clouds are gathering above Yugoslavia.
War breaks out, and one split-second decision destroys the life Miro has managed to build. Driven by anger and grief, he flees to Dubrovnik, plunging himself into the hard-bitten world of international war reporters.
There begins a journey that will take him ever deeper into danger: from Dubrovnik, to Sarajevo, to the worst atrocities of war-torn Bosnia, Miro realises that even if he survives, there can be no way back to his earlier life. The war will change him, and everyone he loves, forever.
Locations
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Croatia – history through the pages of a book!
This novel is a really good guide to the places within. It’s also a great way of learning about the history of the country and Yugoslavia.
After World War II Yugoslavia was set up as a federation of republics with borders drawn along ethnic lines. There is a map in the book detailing the borders of the countries.
Miro is your guide to discovering history and culture in the country over the years. His story starts in Knin and then we see Ljeta which is based on Cavtat. Hvar is based on Trst and there is a spot in the novel here that is really special!
In Dubrovnik, the story takes on a new angle.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: The People We Were Before
Destination: Croatia, Ljeta, Knin, Dubrovnik, Stari Grad Author/guide: Annabelle Thorpe Departure Time: 1980s, 1990s
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