Quiet Flows the Una is the story a man trying to overcome the personal
trauma caused by the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and
1995. Through an induced trance, the main character of the novel takes
the reader through three time periods: the hero's childhood before the
war, the battle lines during the war, and his attempt to continue with
normal life in a post-conflict society. Through poetic, meditative
prose, Sehic attempts to reconstruct the life of a man who is bipolar in
nature; being both a veteran and a poet. At times, he manages to pick up
the pieces of his life, but at other times it escapes him. With the help
of his memories, he uses his mind and strength to look for a way out of
the maze in which he is confined, acting as both archivist and
chronicler of the past - roles that allow him the opportunity to rebuild
everything again. In parallel to this story, the book's passages on the
city next to the river Una take on mythical and dreamlike dimensions.
Here, the novel expands into a poetic description of nature, seasons,
flora and fauna, as well as childhood memories not yet tainted by all
that will happen after 1992. Quiet Flows the Una is a book is
dedicated to people who believe in the power and beauty of life in the
face of death and mass destruction.
