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Time and Tide in Sarajevo

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Shortlisted for the 2023 Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction

Evelyn is teaching English in Sarajevo, a beautiful city still recovering almost two decades after the long and brutal siege in the 1990s.

Life in the city is tenuous yet welcoming. Dedicated to her work preparing high-schoolers for a scholarship that could change the course of their lives, Evelyn feels more herself here than at home in Australia. But when the teenage son of a local hero is stabbed and it seems like a cover-up will let the killer go free, Sarajevans take to the streets in protest.

When Evelyn discovers evidence that could ignite the volatile situation, putting both her students' ambitions and her friendships at risk, she faces an impossible decision.

Gripping and heartfelt, Time and Tide in Sarajevo asks: how do we find hope in a world that feels beyond repair?

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‘In Time and Tide in Sarajevo Birdsall constructs an intricate world, where old pain and contemporary frustration ignite and hope and despair are tightly woven. A tinderbox of
a novel. Finely-crafted and absorbing.’
Jessie Cole, author of Staying

‘A fine thread of tension and mystery binds this beautiful, gentle story. Time and Tide in Sarajevo is both fascinating and touching, encompassing lovely details of life in Sarajevo.’
Mirandi Riwoe, author of Stone Sky Gold Mountain

‘A vivid and compelling novel that goes right to the beating heart of modern-day Sarajevo.’
Marele Day, author of Lambs of God

‘Time and Tide in Sarajevo hooked me from page one. Bronwyn Birdsall has written a triumph of a book – a tender, careful, beautiful love letter to a city and its people that grapples with belonging and the possibility of repair. I couldn’t put this page-turner down!’
Sarah Sentilles, author of Draw Your Weapons

288 pages, Paperback

Published July 26, 2022

9 people are currently reading
168 people want to read

About the author

Bronwyn Birdsall

1 book19 followers
Bronwyn Birdsall grew up in Sydney. At the age of twenty-four, she moved to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and worked as an English teacher. The four years she spent there provided the inspiration for her first novel, Time and Tide in Sarajevo .

Her writing centres around contemporary life and finding meaning in the everyday. Bronwyn writes from her home on Bundjalung Country, in Northern New South Wales.

She loves to connect with readers on Instagram.

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5 stars
44 (38%)
4 stars
37 (32%)
3 stars
23 (20%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Bronwen Heathfield.
343 reviews3 followers
September 14, 2022
This novel transports you to another place and culture immediately. The observations of a young Australian teaching in Sarajevo provide an insight into a society that has experienced enormous trauma. She learns about herself, assumptions we make about places we live where we haven’t grown up and are visitors and the importance of connection. I enjoyed the politics, the journey of growing up and the tension of political unrest and citizen protests. I can’t believe this is a first novel!! Read it
Profile Image for Theresa Smith.
Author 5 books228 followers
September 13, 2022
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book from start to finish in a day. Time and Tide in Sarajevo unfolds over the course of just a few days and is atmospheric in the way that a story can only become when its author is intimately familiar with the time and place, as Bronwyn Birdsall is with Sarajevo. The Bosnian War is one that exists within living memory for me, and this is the first novel I have read about it, albeit, it is a post-war novel, set almost twenty years after the end of the war, but as we see within this story, twenty years is not a very long time ago, not at all for those who stayed.

‘The sound grew louder, reverberating again through Evelyn’s body, but causing none of the agony from the day before. She reached out to touch Aida’s arm, but Aida had squatted on the ground, her fingers in her ears.
Evelyn crouched down next to her, trying to tell her that it would be over soon, but Aida clearly couldn’t hear her, and her eyes were closed.’

Without being a novel about the trauma of war, Time and Tide in Sarajevo deftly unpicks post-war inter-generational trauma, weaving it into the narrative and the daily lives of the characters in a way that is startling for its normality. There were quite a few passages that had me pausing to reflect.

‘No one ever talks about the silence,’ Vesna continued. ‘It would be silent, and then gunshots, screams, footsteps. Imagine complete silence, but knowing at any moment a shell would hit, that someone you love…’

The main character is an Australian woman teaching English as part of an American scholarship program aimed at giving bright students the opportunity to study in the United States. She also teaches others for cash, including a prominent politician, and it is here where the plot points merged.

‘Evelyn could see them as those children in the photo Vesna had showed her, transfixed by a candle as relentless shelling would have been going on in the background. A targeted, huge mortar shell had just caused a massacre some five hundred metres from where they sang for Aida’s birthday, at the same market where they now bought their vegetables.’

I liked the political and sociological focus of this novel very much. As it moved towards its conclusion, it got a little bit too ‘genre’ fiction for my tastes, deviating sharply from my expectations. I still enjoyed it, but I wasn’t entirely convinced on the plausibility of how it all wrapped up. All in all though, Time and Tide in Sarajevo is a compelling debut from an author with real talent. I look forward to reading more by Bronwyn Birdsall.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
Profile Image for Thomas Judd.
68 reviews
August 29, 2022
A good little Australian book. I loved getting to know Sarajevo
Profile Image for Cass Moriarty.
Author 2 books188 followers
September 13, 2022
Author Bronwyn Birdsall has given us a glimpse into a world that probably not many readers are familiar with, in her novel Time and Tide in Sarajevo (Affirm Press 2022). Birdsall lived in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and taught English for four years in her twenties and while this is a fictional story, her memories and experiences from that time have clearly informed the novel.
This book reminded me a little of the novella My Name is Revenge by Ashley Kalagian-Blunt, in that it is built on first-hand experience and set in a country which is unfamiliar to me (the latter concerns Armenia). Reading Time and Tide placed me firmly in Sarajevo, which previously to me really only meant war and disruption. This more contemporary story allows great insight into the Sarajevo of modern times. In a country besieged by conflict, hope and optimism are rare but resilient qualities of the population.
The story is well-crafted, with every sentence devised with care. Birdsall has a lovely way with words, and the balance between authentic dialogue, action, tension and introspection is well done. Every detail of life is observed, from the small things such as the coffee drinking and the greetings, to the larger themes of conflict, dispossession, politics and protests.
The main character Evelyn is teaching English in Sarajevo two decades after the brutality and trauma of the 1990’s. Her job involves readying extremely bright and talented high school students for a scholarship exam that has the potential to change their lives. But when the novel opens, an adolescent son of a local hero has been stabbed, and a political cover-up makes it appear likely that the killer will go free. People begin protesting in the streets and the atmosphere suddenly changes from a friendly, marketplace community to large mobs of mostly students, facing up to police and overrunning public buildings.
Evelyn inadvertently discovers a piece of evidence that, if made public, would inflame the situation further. This is her inner conflict: to share the truth, or to keep it hidden to protect her friends and to ensure that her students sit their important exam. The whole narrative takes place over only a few days, and this is where Birdsall’s literary skills really come to the fore. The story is tight and taut, the tension building quickly, hour by hour, as the situation on the ground changes rapidly. It takes talent to be able to sustain such tension over a short time period throughout an entire novel.
One of Evelyn’s students, 15-year-old Tarik, is involved in the protests and she is consumed with ensuring his safety. But she is a foreigner in a strange land, and despite her job and the friendships she has cultivated, ultimately she is still an outsider.
What I found most interesting about this novel is the intimate observations about life in Sarajevo, the customs, the food, the politics and the sense of community. Birdsall depicts all of this extremely well. I’m sure that for anyone who has ever lived or even visited this part of the world, this book would resonate even more deeply. But if you don’t read it for the exotic location, read it for the narrative – a tightly spun, spiralling story of a young woman out of her depth, attempting to navigate personal and work relationships while holding a crucial secret that could hurt those closest to her.
Profile Image for Anna Loder.
729 reviews46 followers
October 3, 2022
I would never have thought Sarajevo would be a bucket list destination for me, but oh my goodness its beautifully described, ‘the simplicity and grace’ The welcoming people who treat Evelyn as family who ‘call to make sure she was okay when the gas line to the city for temporarily cut off on one of the coldest days’. It’s a beautifully depicted landscape, although it certainly doesn’t shy away from the corruption of the society, and I could feel the PTSD of the people. It’s a novel that asks big questions but also such fast moving read; I was definitely on the edge of my seat! Loved it x
Profile Image for Lilly Mary.
212 reviews4 followers
September 27, 2022
Such a clever, well crafted storyline- enough twists,turns and emotion from start to finish. Put this Australian author on your list.
Profile Image for Alex.
5 reviews
January 30, 2023
Delicate and fast paced: this is not your typical book but it works
Profile Image for Karen P.
10 reviews
October 28, 2022
This book took me by surprise. My librarian recommended it and I don't know how to describe it other than to say: read it. Very tender and moving, very life affirming. It will make you look at the world differently. It made me think about my life a lot. I saw someone else say they can't believe it's her first novel, and I agree. Incredible debut.
Profile Image for Kate.
6 reviews
January 9, 2023
One of the best books I read in 2022 - I'm so surprised it seems to have slipped under the radar? Whip smart, electric prose, raises existential questions without being dull. And the characters! I want to be friends with them. Very evocative of being young and finding your place in the world.
1 review2 followers
August 22, 2022
Beautiful and thought provoking book. Elegantly written. Written from the point of view of an ‘outsider’ making her home in Sarajevo so the story feels authentic and not someone trying to write from the point of view of a Sarajevo native. I’ve sent it to many friends over the world just so I can talk to them about it! Perfect for book clubs and people trying to make sense of the world.
Profile Image for Lisa Walker.
Author 10 books66 followers
August 1, 2022
I loved this story about a young Australian in Sarajevo. It’s a well-paced and exciting coming-of-age story of sorts, which helped me to better understand Bosnia-Herzegovina and it’s people.
Profile Image for Lisa.
3,716 reviews488 followers
September 27, 2022
Time and tide wait for no man, attributed to Chaucer's Prologue to the Clerk’s Tale but probably a proverb older than that, is a warning against procrastination.  It's like seize the day, it commands us to be decisive and get on with things that need to be done.

In Bronwyn Birdsall's compelling debut novel, however, decisive action is not a simple matter.  Time and Tide in Sarajevo is set in a city still recovering decades after the siege by Serbian forces during the Bosnian War and the Bosnian Genocide (1992-1995). After these years of atrocities the Dayton Accord was negotiated but that was not the end of the matter.  Wikipedia tells us that
The agreement has been criticized for creating ineffective and unwieldy political structures and entrenching the ethnic cleansing of the previous war.

In Birdsall's story the city is suffering under the weight of the Accord and there is widespread distrust of politicians. Politics is an everyday concern, and the issues are very complex.  For an outsider, this means treading a careful path not to alienate the people on whom she depends for company, friendship and advice about negotiating everyday life.

Into this city fraught with tension enters Evelyn, a twenty-something woman escaping the tedium of her Australian job in admin by taking up a job teaching English overseas.

The blurb offers a spoiler-free summary of the novel's trajectory:
Life in the city is tenuous yet welcoming. Dedicated to her work preparing high-schoolers for a scholarship that could change the course of their lives, Evelyn feels more herself here than at home in Australia. But when the teenage son of a local hero is stabbed and it seems like a cover-up will let the killer go free, Sarajevans take to the streets in protest.

When Evelyn discovers evidence that could ignite the volatile situation, putting both her students' ambitions and her friendships at risk, she faces an impossible decision.

Evelyn's circle includes some young men and some after-hours drinking pals, but the most important friend is the feisty Aida, a journalist in new media.  Aida is still suffering some PTSD after effects of the war, struggling to cope with home alarms that jolt them out of their sleep and remind her of the sirens warning of Serbian attacks during the siege.

To read the rest of my review please visit
Profile Image for Sonja Elpitelli.
34 reviews1 follower
February 22, 2025
I just finished the book, and I don’t know how to articulate my feelings towards it as someone who was born in Sarajevo but I will do my best.

I loved this book as it took me back home, for someone who doesn’t cry very often - any mention of home and the rituals we have in the way we drink coffee, our mentality, our emotional bruising post-war - had me in a chokehold.

It made me wonder whether other readers would enjoy it as much as I did for that it brought a sense of nostalgia for me.

Birdsall did a fantastic job for it is an extremely difficult culture to articulate and capture at times as it can be … messy to say the least - but also needs a lot of sensitivity, which she achieved beautifully.

To put it profoundly it’s a juxtaposition of emotions, nostalgia and melonchony which push and pull the people of this region towards one another.

I appreciate someone making a story around our region which is respectful and full of insight. If I’m being completely honest thought - at times I did feel like I wasn’t sure who/what the true problem was within the story - as it was very socially and ideologically focused I lost track of who the antagonist was. It could have been the post war environment/ corruption itself.

Would recommend this book to many of my Slavic friends
4 reviews
February 6, 2023
I am an australian living in the US, I have for most of my adult life. My friend sent this book to me and it brought back all those younger years of being an Australian in a different place. The way she writes about Australia from a distance was so truthful to me:

"While she waited for Nedim to say something, Evelyn found an unexpected item in the corner of her coat pocket – a rough, crumbling, dried-up eucalyptus leaf. Her mother had sent it in a letter, along with some articles she’d cut out from an Australian newspaper about mining in north-eastern Bosnia and a drawing by her sister’s younger son. She’d put them all by her bedside and cracked the then-fresh leaf like she used to as a kid, overcome by the rush of familiarity as the scent burst out."

I would really recommend this book
5 reviews
November 27, 2022
I have a personal interest in the former Yugoslavia and this book gave me fresh new insights into Sarajevo despite my years of research and many trips there. (My friend lived there in the 2000s). The author cements her perspective as an outsider but then takes you right into the intimate world of people's homes, offices, and hearts. The war is not the focus, this is twenty years after - however, you feel the legacy in just about every scene. The author also does a lot of unexpected things in the story, there seems to be a lot of skill to genuinely surprising you and yet, it all is completely logical. I think many people will be introduced to this beautiful part of the world through this book.
Profile Image for Marilyn.
624 reviews4 followers
Read
September 7, 2022

Despite being moored at my wheelhouse, this is a DNF.

Set in the Bosnian capital 20 years on from the civil war. Freezing weather, poor infrastructure, struggling locals, foreign helpers, locals angry Ruth resentment snd unfinished business, great recipe for a story.
But it wasn’t, a great story.
Slow, stilted, overdone.
I gave it my best shot, to abandon a book at half way, you know it must be ordinary.


5 reviews
February 27, 2023
I've just finished reading Time and Tide in Sarajevo for the second time and I must admit Bronwyn Birdsall has done an incredible job. The first time I read it I simply devoured it-I was so excited to read a contemporary Australian novel set in Sarajevo where the central theme is not the suffering and tragedy of the 1990's. The second time I read it, I savoured every single moment until the very last word and took the time to appreciate her world building, her attention to detail, her characters and the way she captures the personality and mentality of the country and its people. I loved Bronwyn's use of Bosnian words throughout the novel and her nod to us Yugoslav nostalgics through her reference to 'Das is Valter' on the banners in the protest.
The characters and dialogues are authentic and the ending is definitely plausible- I lived there during the 80's and nothing much has changed in terms of how people relate to each other and to the world around them. I loved the Evelyn character and could personally relate to her in so many ways, I hope one day we see what happens to Evelyn once she returns to Australia! Like Evelyn I had a couple of Aidas in my life (and still do), had many Irmas and Tariks during my teaching years over there and even after living there for ten years and being from that background- I was always an outsider to some extent.
I would definitely recommend this novel not only because of the captivating story telling and its authenticity but also because it is ultimately about the things that matter to us humans- growth, friendship and overcoming adversity set against the backdrop of a hidden gem - the city Sarajevo.
801 reviews
May 7, 2023
A tale set in a city twenty years after long siege during a war. The death if the child of a soccer player sees tensions arise in certain areas of the city, and protests lead to violence.
A naive Australian English teacher becomes caught up with two families, and a variety of other characters central to the story. It is an interesting read.
Profile Image for Rebsbails.
19 reviews
August 1, 2022
Beautifully crafted and fast paced story. I loved spending time with Evelyn and getting to know Sarajevo through her eyes and friendships. Political commentary, mystery, drama and adventure story all in one. A must read and great for book clubs.
Profile Image for Joan.
313 reviews2 followers
October 1, 2022
An interesting story about an Australian woman teaching English and coaching students for American scholarships in Sarejevo
The politics of Bosnia Herzegovina is revealed through the cover up of a teenager who is mudered.
Profile Image for Gavan.
664 reviews21 followers
October 21, 2022
An interesting book yielding some insights into living conditions in Sarajevo. I liked the literary thriller construct, but found the pacing a bit variable (there were sections that seemed to just drag out). Interesting characters.
Profile Image for Emma J.
5 reviews
November 10, 2022
I read this book in a day, up until way after I should have been sleeping. This writer has a way of keeping you reading! I was so sad when it ended because I was so attached to them all. Really beautiful book, will watch out for her next one.
4 reviews
July 31, 2022
Beautifully written story which gave me an insight into the aftermath of the seige, while highlighting the importance of community and friendship.
1 review
September 21, 2022
We read this in my book club and really loved it. It's a captivating story & a real page turner. Highly recommend!
2,021 reviews9 followers
January 30, 2023
This was an okay read if not predictable.
The setting certainly made it more engaging .
Profile Image for Brad Y.
3 reviews
March 8, 2023
Such a vivid and emotionally rich novel, I loved reading it and getting to known the characters as well as Sarajevo. Definitely recommended
Profile Image for Aidan Shaw.
4 reviews
April 24, 2023
give this to the young person in your life going through an existential crisis
(or the older person for that matter)
soothing and gripping
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews

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