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The Cat I Never Named

A True Story of Love, War and Survival

Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
2 of 2 copies available
The stunning memoir of a Muslim teen struggling to survive in the midst of the Bosnian genocide—and the stray cat who protected her family through it all.
*Six Starred Reviews*
A YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist
A Capitol Choices Remarkable Book
A Mighty Girl Best Book
A Malala Fund Favorite Book Selection
In 1992, Amra was a teen in Bihac, Bosnia, when her best friend said they couldn't speak anymore. Her friend didn't say why, but Amra knew the reason: Amra was Muslim. It was the first sign her world was changing. Then Muslim refugees from other Bosnian cities started arriving, fleeing Serbian persecution. When the tanks rolled into Bihac, bringing her own city under seige, Amra's happy life in her peaceful city vanished.
But there is light even in the darkest of times, and she discovered that light in the warm, bonfire eyes of a stray cat. The little calico had followed the refugees into the city and lost her own family. At first, Amra doesn't want to bother with a stray; her family doesn't have the money to keep a pet. But with gentle charm this kitty finds her way into everyone's heart, and after a few near miracles when she seems to save the family, how could they turn her away?
Here is the stunning true story of a teen who, even in the brutality of war, never wavered in her determination to obtain an education, maintain friendships, and even find a first love?and the cat who gave comfort, hope, and maybe even served as the family's guardian spirit.
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    • AudioFile Magazine
      Beginning in 1992 and spanning the years of the Bosnian War, this affecting audio memoir is unified by a central figure: the stray cat who became a guardian angel to Amra Sabic-El-Rayess and her Bosnian Muslim family amid the horror, deprivation, and dehumanization of war. Dubbed "Maci" (Bosnian for "cat"), the titular feline is a reminder that hope, however small, can be vital. Narrator Leila Buck delivers the bulk of Sabic-El-Rayess's account in a youthful, evenly paced American accent interspersed with a lilting Bosnian accent for certain names, phrases, and characters. While Sabic-El-Rayess's resilience may evoke recognition in listeners who have survived traumas of their own, Buck's narration provides emotional immediacy for teens who might not otherwise grasp how real and how recent the Bosnian War truly was. R.A.H. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from October 19, 2020
      In her memoir about the transformative power of love, connection, and education, Sabic-El-Rayess revisits her life during the Bosnian civil war beginning shortly after her 16th birthday in 1992, and the ethnic cleansing of Muslims that she, her brother, and her parents survived at the hands of Serbs. Sabic-El-Rayess communicates the horrors of war—violence, starvation, and death—with frank detail. She also describes the community-building and connections borne amid the suffering, including the creation of a community garden and a makeshift school that allowed children a sense of normalcy and an opportunity to continue learning despite bombs and constant threats to lives. Central to Sabic-El-Rayess’s story is the titular “cat never named,” a stray who showed her reluctant family unconditional love, indirectly saving their lives multiple times. At once a story of an individual surviving horrifying circumstances and an unflinching exploration of the political and societal forces that breed ethnic hate and discrimination, Sabic-El-Rayess’s memoir is as timely as it is effective. Ages 12–up. Agents: Rob McQuilkin and Jason Anthony, Massie and McQuilkin.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

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