Status Updates From Black Lamb and Grey Falcon:...

Travnik

Dinner with a Sephardic Jewish couple at their home. The author really loves Sephardic folks. Another snowy, calm winter evening. Speculations about the local Muslims, but not as racist as it seems like she has been. I am curious about the spread of Islam through the Balkans, and if it really was so local to Bosnia.

Treboviche

A lovely escape into the country land around Sarajevo. Sounds serene and beautiful and quiet and cozy. I am sure it has changed dramatically. Great pondering on outside perception of Yugoslavia and the fact that the World War was inevitable, at least for South Slavs craving independence.

Ilidzhe

Curious if this village still exists as a time capsule for when the Turks, and then the Austrians, ruled their land. Sounded very interesting. A good way to showcase the differences between the Bosnian culture and that which their oppressors attempted to force on them.

Sarajevo 7

All about the post-assassination trials and the deaths of the co-conspirators. She touches briefly on WWI, acknowledging that it had to happen for the Balkans to claim independence from Austria - even if it did result in tragedy for the West. I should like to see this gravesite.

Sarajevo 6

Immediate aftermath of Franz Ferdinand's assassination. The story of his funeral and burial is pretty interesting. The author's musings on the "whodunnit" are good. It really seems like everything was stacked against Princip.

Sarajevo 5

Incredible personal histories of both Franz Ferdinand and Gavrilo Princip. As Americans, I feel like we don't receive a sufficient education on WWI simply because we didn't play as big a role. I can't believe Balkan nationalism was the catalyst for "The Great War", we never learned about the politics of it all in school.

Sarajevo 4

Lots of reflection here. I'm mostly fascinated by the feminism she seems to have - at least white feminism... because sometimes she's weird about Muslim women. I suppose this is post-suffrage in the U.S., so timing makes sense, but her musings on it are interesting. I like her observations of the Bosnian highland women, she seems to admire them greatly.

Sarajevo 3

Very important government visitors from Turkey and... they seem to regard the Bosnian Muslims with disgust(?) and disappoint the crowds of people eagerly awaiting them. Very strange, I should actually read up on this visit because I'm curious about its context.

Sarajevo 2

Café chat about current Turk/Bosnian relations. Though the locals are content to live in harmony with the Muslims, they do not appreciate the Turkish government being paraded in their faces as if they did not just oppress them in the past centuries. Interesting. I had no idea Bosnia was so culturally diverse like this.

Sarajevo 1

Bosnia, baby! Learning about the history of Bosnia (and at times specifically Sarajevo) and its entanglement with the Turks. I need to learn more about Bogomilism and the Janizaries, they sounded interesting and quite important in Bosnian history (maybe).

Mostar

Made it to the city where the bridge on the book cover was (is... sort of) located. Lots more speculations about Muslims, and much less racist this time. I need to look up this clothing the narrator is talking about, because I cannot believe her currently. Anyway, next up: Bosnia!

Trebinye

First venture into Herzegovina. Narrator and husband are a bit racist towards the Muslims and Turks they meet, so I don't like that. I would like to see this city, as well as the river Ombla that she makes seem as if it goes underground for part of its journey? Interesting. As always, many musings on the peoples' past and how it shapes their current character.