Ten Thousand Shells and Counting: A Memoir

by Nadija Mujagic

This riveting and true story about war and survival takes us to the siege in Sarajevo in the 1990s, where a young woman quickly learns how to adapt to the inhumane war circumstances. Despite her intentions to live normally in the besieged city, her life in war is often interrupted by many of the surprising obstacles she faces on a daily basis. She matures beyond her age in a matter of months and carries on as best as possible until she realizes that loss upon loss will have a strong impact and change her life forever.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

ebook

First published June 1, 2020

About the author

Nadija has written several psychological thrillers and a memoir series. In her spare time, she enjoys playing sports and electric bass guitar.

Reviews

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
Imagine being a fourteen year old girl living in despair whilst her home town of Sarajevo is ravaged by war. Of having to witness family, friends and neighbours dying in front of you. Of having to live with the reality of bullets and bombs etc and of wondering if you will be next. Imagine trying to survive without the basic necessities of food, running water, electricity and no heat. Ten Thousand Shells and Counting is a historical memoir of just that. A retelling of a that young girl and how a cold and heartless war shaped her life.
This heart wrenching tale will leave you an emotional wreck. Nadija Mujagics incredible yet heartbreaking true story takes us into the horrifying and shocking journey of being a young woman and her quest for survival during the Bosnian War. Imagine the hopelessness for a life you had no control over, and the effect of a senseless war left on people.
Nadija decided to tell the world her story in the hope that no one should have to go through what she did. That no one should have to live through the atrocities that she did, and that history would not repeat itself again. The crimes against others and especially the violence against women that go unpunished. She gives us an eye-opening insight into the aftermath of what a war does to people. The deep scars that will always bleed and the ghosts that live within one’s soul despite the healing.
The blood sweat and tears Nadija put into this story is palpable and (hopefully) it was a cathartic release of pain and torment. If she were here in front of me telling her story, I would have to scoop her up and hug her. It takes a strong woman to reveal your inner demons and share your story with the world and I applaud Nadija for doing so.
Make sure you have tissues on hand because you are going to need them and a few good stiff drinks just to get through this memoir. It is a hard read knowing what these people went through and to see firsthand what the leaders in a war don’t care about in all their greed.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant, honest, and well-written memoir of the author's experiences while living in Sarajevo, her childhood home, during the Bosnian War. Nadija Mujagic was a young girl in the early 1990s when the war suddenly broke out, forcing her and her family to flee their home to find shelter in another part of the city. The innocence and naivete of childhood are also left behind as the author witnesses the death of family members, destruction of her homeland, and learns how to survive under siege. She shares the details of how she and her family made do with scarcely available resources and learned how to move about while avoiding detection and shells. It is gripping!

Ten Thousand Shells and Counting gives the reader a peek into what day-to-day life is like during a violent and horrific war but it also allows you to witness the author's personal growth, humorous antics, brevity, and yes, even blossoming teenage attraction. It is at times frightening and at times inspiring. The author reflects the deep complexities of humanity's need for normalcy, human interaction, humor, and survival even through unthinkable terror. It is a reminder that war is not something that happens in the distant past, but sadly, something many live through every day. The author shows us the realities of the world, our world, where families are hostage to decisions of a few, and how quickly friends and neighbors can become an enemy. The speed at which the siege begins and then escalates is truly frightening and makes you wonder, can it happen here? What would I do? What can one do?

The perspective of war through Nadija's eyes as a young teen is as honest as it is complex. She bringing us on a horrifying and, at times, comical journey of survival through the worst of circumstances. You'll laugh while she gets stuck in a tree trying to sneak into her grandmother's house and, turn the page and find yourself holding your breath trying to stay quiet because making noise will announce your existence to the soldiers. I honestly couldn't put the book down! I recommend this book for both the enjoyment of absorbing the author's storytelling and gaining an understanding of the impact on survivors of violent conflict and genocide.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nadija Mujagic recounts her teenage years growing up in Sarajevo during the war in the 1990's. She tells of the harrowing days and nights when the shells kept coming and hearing the next morning of her friends who became casualities of this unnecessary war. The telling of the countless times she and her family had to move, often times seperated, just to stay safe. Nadija was denied an opportunity to attend school most of this time as well.

I am roughly the same age as Nadija and this book really put some things in perspective for me. While I was enjoying life in the US, she and her family were literally fighting for theirs. I had three meals a day while she was fortunate to get a crumb at times. This book will give the reader pause at times, in which time can be spent being thankful for the opportunities that have been experienced in a different place.

[Ronald Mackay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nadija Mujagic tells a harrowing story of what it is like to suffer through a civil war in the late 20th century. The appalling becomes commonplace at the expense of spiritual and emotional health. No summary in a short review can substitute for reading these experiences of a normal teenager suffer through an abnormal and lengthy period of fear and anguish.

The origins of civil wars tend to go back centuries. The roots of the Bosnian war go back to the mid 14th century when the Ottomans crossed into Europe to conquer the Balkans. As I read this heart-rending book, I could not avoid drawing a parallel with Northern Ireland. The roots of the “troubles” there go back to the 17th century and beyond when colonizing British landlords began to displace Irish landholders.

To her credit, the author relates her story with a detachment that makes the reader appreciate how she, and many, many more like her during the Bosnian in the early ‘90s, must have developed as a defense mechanism – the only way of coping with such trauma.

A carapace of detachment may get her through the war, but alas, it cannot protect her from deep, longer-term wounds that have gnawed at her since.

Nadija Mujagic’s story is an eloquent plea against war and praiseworthy testimony to the persistence of a strong and resilient young woman.

[SaviLeeLind · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will touch your heart and your soul. Your story, so devastating, heartbreaking, and yet so uplifting. The human spirit can endure immense tragedy, and still exist, and still thrive. The story that she tells is one that no child should live. But with all devastation there are still parts that you see the joy.
Nadija takes you to a time in her life I was unthinkable. She tells her story in a passionate way, and it leaves you on unable to do anything but listen. She shares a piece of her self with you, and it makes you wanna hug her as the child she was, and then hug and applaud the woman she became.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminds me of Diary of A Young Girl- different war, different circumstances, but the same incredible, amazing, and sad story. Despite living through wartorn Bosnia, Nadija survives teenagehood by experimenting with dancing, boyfriends, school, and family relationships, akin to todays' modern teenagers.

I enjoyed the book, abet with tissue in hand, because Nadija's innocent yet scarred voice shines through her memoir. The inclusion of war time recipes was also interesting, and the creativity of the refugees to make do with bare supplies was encouraging.

[Lorralei Hoerner · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book, the words as I read on each page, I couldn't possibly image what Nadija went through, but hearing her story, I can say Nadija is brave. This story recounts what Nadija went through when war break out and reliving death, bombings, loss, grief and just gut punching moments. Nadija's story needed to be told and she brought me into her world and what she went through.

This story is so well written and a must read memoir.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A first hand account of growing up in a warzone. The author tells her story of being a teenager in the midst of the Bosnian War. Well told by Nadija Mujagic in her second language, this story gripped me in a way that journalistic war stories never quite have.

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A teenager’s perspective- living through the siege of Sarajevo.

[Kathryn Spurgeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Transparent

The openness and honesty in this book is endearing. The main character appears to be a typical, troubled teen whose life has been severely interrupted by war.

[Luisa Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This memoir makes sad but compelling reading. Amid the backdrop of the Balkan war, a war very close to home for those in Europe, we enter into the life of a young adolescent as the sudden reality of war kicks in. The events are happening on her doorstep. Her family is forced to flee their home and live like refugees, where finding food and water becomes a daily chore. Amid constant fear of death, this plucky girl carries on, trying to do normal things. We meet her family and friends and observe her determination to struggle on. But war takes its toll. She becomes rebellious, disrespectful of her elders, and turns to alcohol and cigarettes. Her moods swing constantly as she questions the purpose of the war. Why do people who were friends and neighbours now act as enemies? Everything is confusion and violent death becomes something to get used to. This was such a pointless and destructive war. To grow up through such traumatic times has to affect the mental stability of those involved. The book is proof of this but it also shows how resilient humans can be and how the young can still find time for fun, for music and for making friends. Nadija makes things come alive as we accompany her from day to day, year to year, seeing how she develops, how she copes, and how she comes out on the other side. This was happened only yesterday, in terms of history and now that the war torn countries are encouraging tourism to their beautiful lands, it is good to not forget what happened here, not to push it into oblivion.

[Tara Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten Thousand Shells and Counting is the heart-wrenching memoir of Nadija’s life as a fourteen- year-old living in war torn Sarajevo in the 1990’s. Her quiet life was changed forever when she watched tanks roll into the airport across the street from her home. From that moment forward Nadija’s life became a struggle to survive with shells going off all around her and with no safe place to hide. She watched in shock and horror as friends, family, and neighbors were killed right in front of her when shells landed nearby. When a sniper killed her neighbor, her family was forced to flee their home and try to seek refuge in another part of the city. Nadija and her family slept on mattresses on the floor so that stray bullets did not kill them in their sleep. Food was scarce and had to be rationed so she went to bed hungry every night. Nadija lived without the basics of running water, electricity, and heat. She lived in fear everyday wondering if she would be the next casualty of the war that ravaged around them.

This memoir was a testament to the author’s strength and resilience as she struggled to through the atrocities and horrors of war. Despite what was going on around her, Nadija attempted to be a normal teenager by staying out too late and smoking too much. Young Nadija learned that the conflicts were not limited to the war raging outside as bickering, arguments, and disagreements ran rampant through their home and within their family. War brought out the worst in people living in cramped quarters as squabbles started over things like toothpaste and wanting bigger rations. Through these experience Nadija learns to stand up for herself and used humor as a bit of a coping mechanism.

This story was real, raw, and honest. I was taken on an emotional rollercoaster ride of shock, horror, anger, and sadness at the destruction caused by war. It is heartbreaking to think of the senseless acts of violence against innocent people. How lives are taken, and homes destroyed without thought. How children must witness the violence and bloodshed. Thank you, Nadija, for sharing your experiences of living through war with us. Your strength, courage, and resilience are admirable.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-written and poignant memoir of a young-girl’s life in war=torn Sarajevo. It’s a first-person account of the horrors she went through. What a strong young woman. Her story of the run-In with the guys at the tanks and sitting in the basement to try to escape the bombing will sit with me forever now. This is information that is living history. I found this book to be a show of how strong people can be when needed. Being told in first-person POV makes it feel like they are telling it to you personally. A book that I would recommend to others just to get a real person’s view of their experience. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.This is a well-written and poignant memoir of a young-girl’s life in war=torn Sarajevo. It’s a first-person account of the horrors she went through. What a strong young woman. Her story of the run-In with the guys at the tanks and sitting in the basement to try to escape the bombing will sit with me forever now. This is information that is living history. I found this book to be a show of how strong people can be when needed. Being told in first-person POV makes it feel like they are telling it to you personally. A book that I would recommend to others just to get a real person’s view of their experience. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

[Kerry carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very heartbreaking and deeply moving story of a young teenager and the struggles she went through not only dealing with normal teenage issues such as friendships, boyfriends, family and rules but also with a war that is raging that could end her life or the life of the people she loves in a split second.
The author tells her story in a way that makes you feel like you are experiencing the things that she went through, like you've been transported back to that time.
One thing I took away from the author was how amazing she was at keeping her spirits up and not letting things drag her down. Even though there were moments where you can sense her fear ( and understandably so) the fear doesn't overwhelm her.
This story is an eye opening read because you really get a sense of how being in the middle of a war affects not only the people fighting in it but all the innocent people caught in the crossfire. And how the trauma that you experience during that period never leaves you even when the war ends you still live with that trauma and fear everyday.

This is a very emotional read so definately have tissues ready but what also comes through is the author's strength and determination to not allow the war and all the pain and loss to take over her life forever. It is a very inspiring story.

[Heidi Sturgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life as a teenager is tough enough . There’s nothing kind about war . Having to deal with both at the same time can’t be easy ……

Where most teens are thinking about fashion , hanging out at the local hotspots Nadija is having to concern herself with loosing the roof over gears , stray bullets , friends that became enemies
survival , having to steal to survive but despite her dire circumstance she still manages to make you laugh at times and being humour to a tragic and traumatic time 🥲 it shows me the power of hope because without hope we have nothing …


I value and appreciate vulnerability and transparency, you know where you stand and Nadija put herself , her experiences and emotions on the line and shared her story and fir that I want to say thank you ! It’s so sad when innocents suffer at the hands of politicians and or leaders and every war has always been for that reason 🥲

I’ve just taken a deep shaky breath and said thank you again for the freedom I so often take for granted 🙏

[Brandy Jo Rymer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nadija Mujagic's voice is so memorable in this memoir that I felt I was right there with her during the Bosnian War in Sarajevo. I was in tears as I read the true tales of her sorrowful experience. I cannot even imagine having to grow up so fast, due to all of the horrors she had to see and live through. What a fantastic job she has done in putting her experience into her own words as if she is right here retelling me the woes of her experience. I was in awe that someone so young could live to tell her story. This is absolutely a must-read tear-jerker tale of a fantastic woman coming of age in the most unexpected circumstances who grew well beyond her years. The tragedies that she had to live through are just so heartbreaking, this is the type of story that will stay with you and leave a lasting impression. The descriptions of everything is so realistic, and the development of the characters are beautifully portrayed, you will grow attached and then have to say goodbye so many times.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Ten Thousand Shells and Counting (Teenage War Survival Book #1) by Nadija Mujagic is a poignant memoir of life in war-torn Sarajevo. This book is brave, confronting, inspiring, and a testament to the author’s resilience and strength of character to have survived such a horrific situation.
Her story is eye-opening and emotive. Reading of all the challenges, violence, frightening situations, trauma, loss, grief, and her strength and bravery as she recounts her experiences made for quite a heart-wrenching read for me. Sprinkled with quiet insights, and a little humour, this proves to be an inspiring tale.
A thought-provoking and memorable account of survival and the long-lasting effects of the war on her, and her family…
Ms. Mujagic continues her story in “Immigrated” (Book #2)…
Well worth the read!

Thank you, Nadija Mujagic!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten Thousand Shells and Counting
By: Nadija Mujagic

This is an amazingly well written memoir about the author’s experiences living in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War. This book gives the reader a first hand look of what it was like to live during a war. It shows the absolute atrocities that the author faced and saw but it also shows how she did not lose her sense of humor or the fact that she is still a normal teenager with hormones. This book is so much more than a memoir of living during a war. It is really a coming of age story. A tale of how the author found who she was while living in a war. This is a story of persistence, of how hope endures, and all in all I believe that this is a must read for everyone, young and old, because I believe there is something in Nadia’s story that we all can learn from.

[Jessica Condra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazingly compelling, emotional memoir recounting the authors experiences as a teenager living in Sarajevo during the Bosnian war in the 90s. I was captivated by her story. The writing style, in her voice, is relatable and easy to read. I was shocked by how relatable she was though from a completely different background from me and the experience of war she recounted; however, this relatability made the story come to life even more and better illustrated the shock of the events that changed her life forever. The story comes to life through the pages and the reader is transported to that time and can’t help but imagine and feel like it is happening to them. This is a riveting coming of age story in unimaginable circumstances. I’m not generally a huge fan of memoirs, but this one is well worth the read!

[Jennifer Reimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly don’t know if I can put into words or how to explain this book. This book is written from a teenager’s point of view on what she went thou during the war. This book was filled with so much emotion from pain, fear, love, protection, horror, survival, and so much more that you could feel these coming from the pages of the book. The author is such a strong will woman and telling her story really makes you praise her for her strength to be able to tell her story of everything she has gone thou. This book made me really think about the mundane things in life that I never would have taken for granted while she was fighting to survive this war. This book had me turning pages in anticipation to know what was going to happen next and to see how they were going to get thou the whole situation.

[Tausha Treadway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten Thousand Shells and Counting: A Memoir (Teenage War Survival Book 1) by Nadija Mujagic. This is such a moving Memoir of a young girl living in Sarajevo during its 1990s war. Living as a teenager in this war torn Country causes her to grow up much differently than other teens. She is thrown into the Country's political differences and how the war cause neighbors to go against neighbors. Her family eventually has to flee her home and find shelter across town. She shares how her family and herself went without food and clothing for a long time and the struggle of trying to find food. We in American take so much for granted never having to go thru turmoil like this. She also shares how she did normal teen things too like sneaking cigarettes and staying out to late. This is a very sad but moving story that I think we all should read to realize how good we have it here!

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir was a little disjointed to me, with seemingly random thoughts and words mixed in which made little sense. I felt like the author is telling this story in an oddly detached way. Maybe things were lost in translation. Despite this fragmented feeling, I found myself connecting to the author, Nadija, and her family. Going from relative normalcy to an all out war in such a short time, Nadija's life is changed so drastically. Being so young and having to experience such horrific events would have been extremely difficult; my heart broke for the innocence left in young Nadija that was so quickly ripped away. So much death, hatred, fear, and many, many bombs. This book shows the strength of the human spirit, the devastation along with the innocence, and the toughness to endure hardships and war. Overall, a good, nonfiction read.

[Tammy Horvath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never been in a war and had to pray for my life.

Even though it only happened once, fourteen-year-old Nadija learned the power of praying and fasting. I, too, know that praying will get me through anything. In the middle of the war, Nadija got to see a miracle happen. God gave me my miracle, too, when He gave me the strength to give my son’s eulogy after his murder. Nadija also used alcohol to try and deal with her anxiety, which we both now know doesn’t work.

Nevertheless, Nadija is very strong. I couldn’t wait to read what would happen. Her details are so vivid that I don’t think I would’ve survived all she went through. This book is an excellent read for anyone who’s ever wondered what it’s like to find strength while living in trying times.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a huge struggle for me. The story seems disjointed at times and filled with displaced random thoughts. I struggled to stay focused and did a lot of skimming as the book moved along. I could not become invested in her life as a result of this. I don’t read a ton of memoirs and maybe thats the problem with my struggle to connect. I expected a timeline and not just randomness.

I did enjoy the last line or so at the end of each chapter. They seemed thought provoking. Chapter 23 was my favorite because it was written with feeling and it evoked feelings in me. The pictures at the end were a nice addition.

[Katie Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten Thousand Shells & Counting by Nadija Mujagic is a true story recounting the experiences of a young teenage girl in Sarajevo during wartime in the 90s. I could hardly put this book down once I started reading. This story invoked so many emotions for me. My heart ached so much for all the grief and pain Nadija endured during this time while still just trying to live life as normally as possible. As time goes on, she turns to acting out and taking to adult habits as her morale struggles to shatter under the weight of these confusing and saddening times. If memoirs on war interest you at all, I highly recommend taking this journey with Nadjia.

[Alison Risher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book to read because of the title. To be frank, I knew it was a war memoir, but I was thinking seashells, not mortar shells. Once I recovered from my chagrin, I devoured the book. It is quite poignant and timely since we have the war in Ukraine going on presently. At one point, the author was sent to live with her grandmother, who was born in the same year as my grandmother. This memoir brings to life the daily details of living through a war to those of us who haven't had the misfortune to experience such tragedy.

[La Toya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten Thousand Shells and Counting: A Heart-wrenching and Riveting War Memoir (Book 1) by Nadija Mujagic is a story about the author and her family living their lives in Sarajevo as it is besieged by war. This story is potent and heart-breaking as it shows how people have to go on with some semblance of life as they navigate death, destruction, and loss all around them. The author takes right along with her as she retells the story of her childhood that was stolen from her by the senseless violence of war. This is an amazing story of survival that everyone should read at least once.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an emotional read. I remember the war in Sarajevo - I was a teenager. It made reading this hit close to home. The take on the war from a teens perspective is interesting - having to stay home, often inside without windows and doors open, not being able to see friends and family, wondering where the next meal will come from is not something most teens have had to face. I appreciated the candor and realistic view of this story.

[Kerry Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew this book was going to be emotional when I started reading it. From the moment you start reading you really get a sense for this character. Her story, her journey, is incredible and even though it isn’t something the reader has experienced it is easy to imagine the life being lived. The book creates a vivid picture of what the author has lived through and it really makes you respect her experience. I thought this book was really well written and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

[Steffi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nadija Mujagic writes an incredible heartwrenching memoir about her tumultuous life as she survives the Bosnian war. The book was well-paced and well-written. It really opened my eyes to the impact the war had on the people. It was an honest portrayal pf the experience of the citizens within Bosnia as neighbors turned against each other and their worlds were torn apart. I would highly recommend this book.