This is an interesting, but sad time in history. This book had such a slow start for me, and I had a difficult time getting into it. I did learn a part of history that I had never read about before, and I enjoyed that part. However, it seemed to jump around a little too much for me. I don't know if there were some problems because of the translation, but I wanted to just find out how it ended halfway through. I think someone who enjoys a slow burn and learn a part of history will enjoy this book. Don't let my review stop you from reading it.

The first half was a little harder to read, the flow of things. The second half seemed to flow much better and I found myself emotionally attached much more. The emotional connections I formed with both Mileva and Marko kept me completely invested in their story and worried for their safety as the fighting gets worse. By the end, the disintegration of Yugoslavia into warring Balkan states has completely destroyed the ideal of brotherhood and unity that shaped Mara's childhood and her friendship with Marko. Neighbours have killed neighbours for no other reason than being Serb or Croatian - with the approval of the community. Humanity has disappeared.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An interesting story set in a little known place and time that is not usually covered in historical novels. I liked the writing, in particular the voice. The story was very like an autobiography which the reader may like or dislike depending on their taste.
A good read.

Books like this one can be a bit of a hard sell. Not only is it a foreign, historical setting, the time spans over a decade. We follow this character from early childhood all the way to her college years. So her early concerns seem trivial, her later ones a bit intense. NOw we're looking at huge cultural shifts in a relatively short time period, which is certainly fascinating. But the actual moment to moment changes are fairly slow.

This story was a griping and hard read for me. I loved the writing style of Marina Poljak. She has a way about her style that is so sophisticated yet easily flows from chapter to chapter. I felt I knew each and ever character within a few pages.

There is so much history in The Courtyard Children that I cant begin to fathom. Such heartbreak and unfair treatment of so many. War is hard. Reading about it sometimes evokes those feelings. Marija did that for me.

I loved the family ties shown throughout Mara’s story. Family was always there for each other. When Mara’s aunt needed to escape her abusive husband, family was there. When Mara needed to escape a city that was to be enveloped in war, family was there. When Mara’s mom lost her job and needed a place to stay, family was there. When Mara went to find Mario, family was there. This is something we can all learn from.

I wanted badly for things to work for Marko and Mara. I felt the heartbreak when Mara discovered the last letter from Marko. Picking up pieces of herself and moving forward had to be excruciating.

While I loved the writing style, I sometimes was lost with all of the names of towns and Yugoslavian words. Geography is not one of my strengths. I do wish the book had a map at the beginning that showed where all the cities were in relation to each other. It would have helped immensely!

Overall, this book was moving and I enjoyed it. Not my normal go-to, but still enjoyable. 4 out of 5 stars for me.

Sadly my phone which I was using to read this book screen had broken and so sadly I couldn't finish the book because it was past the archive date and I couldn't download it onto a different device. I only got a chapter or so read but the storyline was hooking, I really wished I could of finished this book.

I always enjoy historical fiction because I learn about a different time/place. In this case, it is in the 1990's and in Yugoslavia. Perhaps because I knew so little I found it harder to imagine. The times are so randomly chosen in the beginning that while the author was intent on relationships, I found it rather boring. I almost stopped midway but at that point some conflict ethic cleansing was added to the story so I did finish it. I never could relate to the characters until halfway through when I began to have empathy for Mara and best friend/boy friend Marko. Gives a personal look at the civil war in Yugoslavia.

Yugoslavia, late 20th century. As the story begins Mileva is seven-years-old. She recalls how she becomes close friends with Marko, Ana and Nikola. She talks about her community where they live. About family members. How she spends her summers. How her schooling progresses.

The historical background comes in the second half at a time when Yugoslavia is crumbling as a nation. Mileva is a Serb living in Croatia, but she always recognized herself as Yugoslav. Now, people are divided, taking sides, creating a drift and social unrest.

This is a story of Mileva, which sounds like a memoir. The story of Mileva and historical background make the story interesting. However, the narrative is a bit too monotonous. I didn’t find it compelling.

I have to point out that I do not like reading memoirs. If you don’t mind this format and are not familiar with the history of Yugoslavia, then it’s worth giving it a try.

The Courtyard Children by Marija Poljak
4/9/2020
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Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Courtyard Children via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Courtyard Children is a well written piece of historical fiction examining an area in history uncommon to the genre. Following our protagonist in post WWII Yugoslavia through the Yugoslav wars, this is a classic 'slice of life' war story.

Mara, our protagonist and perspective character grew up attached to the hip to her best friend and first love Marko, but with the arrival of a war where Marko decision to enlist to fight for Croatia's independence and Mara's Serbian background separate the two, nothing will ever be the same.

While the books writing was compelling and the setting was unique and interesting to explore (although to be fair, my grandparents are Croatian so I'm probably biased), this story and narrative style appear time and time again in historical fiction. This isn't the type of story that will change your life, but it was an interesting read nonetheless.