Fran's war is a heart wrenching book set in the Bosnia war. Sally Trench writes this book through the eyes of a child, Fran. Fran and her Family are forced to live in their basement by the war, one minute her town was normal and the next thrown into Havoc by a war of ethnic cleansing. The story shows just how strong one child can be just to survive alone, with no help or Family. To sum up Fran's war this is what i thought of it. It was a little bit sad, well actually really sad but in other parts of the book you are overcome with happiness and relief. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading real-life situations. I give Fran's war 10 out of 10.

This review is taken from a journal I kept while in training to work as a volunteer at the Center for Grieving Children here in Portland, Me. where I was fortunate enough to meet Sally and spend time with her.

...Even though they say everyone's story is important and has value in he telling (and I don't deny this) Sally's story put all others into perspective. It brought back a flood of memories, emotions, and intellectual challanges that I hadn't felt since working for mother Teresa in Calcutta eighteen yrs. ago and then finally meeting her in Nairobi in 1989. Suddenly, I was back at that place in my head while in college. It was a place I had almost forgotten about. Any sadness I ever had seemed insignificant as it quickly became blanketed by her words. I was overwhelmed with something I haven't quite found the words for. Perhaps there aren't any. I thought of a passage from Aztec Two Step....

"...My mind is a circus. My thoughts are surreal. There's no words for expressing the way that I feel."

Her story was filled me with memories, anger, ahhorrence, happiness, compassion, tears, warmth, joy and love. It is a truly powerful story about the hatred, misery, love and compassion that war brings. We who have our freedom are profoundly fortunate. This story reminds us that this privilege should never be forgotten nor taken away. I strongly urge everyone to read this novel for within the pages contains a deeply enlightening message that noone should live life without. Theresa Roelke

over 25 years ago this book was part of my school curriculum. I read it within a day, which was great for me as I have reading and retainsion problems, however this is one of the only book that I have read that has had a lasting effect on me. I lent my book to someone all those years ago, this person lost it or I lost contact with that person, and for years I was searching for a copy of this book as I would like to have a copy in my home. That was the effect this book havd on me.

My 18 year old daughter is now in reading what I read all those years ago.