Flowers for Sarajevo - by John McCutcheon (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Young Drasko is happy working with his father in the Sarajevo market. Then war encroaches. Drasko must run the family flower stand alone.

One morning, the bakery is bombed and twenty-two people are killed. The next day, a cellist walks to the bombsite and plays the most heartbreaking music Drasko can imagine. The cellist returns for twenty-two days, one day for each victim of the bombing. Inspired by the musician's response, Drasko finds a way to help make Sarajevo beautiful again.

Inspired by real events of the Bosnian War, award-winning songwriter and storyteller John McCutcheon tells the uplifting story of the power of beauty in the face of violence and suffering. The story comes to life with the included CD in which cellist Vedran Smailović accompanies McCutcheon and performs the melody that he played in 1992 to honor those who died in the Sarajevo mortar blast.

Review Quotes

"Moving. . . A bittersweet account of the power of art in dark times."--Booklist

★ "Text and illustrations work together to remind readers of the power of beauty in the face of human suffering. . . . A highly recommended book that highlights the capacity for empathy and humanity, even in a society faced with violence and war."--School Library Journal, Starred Review

★ "Beauty will always find a way to rise from violence, but this is a reminder all readers need."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"[A] powerful story of a musical performance that defied the horror of combat."--Publishers Weekly

About the Author

A Wisconsin native, John McCutcheon is an accomplished instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter who has produced over forty albums. He has received multiple Grammy nominations and numerous other awards, and regularly appears on National Public Radio. The author of several picture books, he lives in Georgia.

A Louisiana native, Kristy Caldwell received an MFA in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts and has illustrated several picture books and graphic novels. She lives in New York with her partner, theater director Kelly O'Donnell.