Overview

SHORT-LISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION. A timeless story of strife and hope set during the conflict in the Balkans in the early '90s—a searing debut novel about a woman who faces the war on her doorstep with courage, fierceness, and an unshakable belief in the power of art. “A reflective novel . . . that tells us life goes on, love stories develop, humanity remains in the most inhumane of times.” —Irish Independent Sarajevo, spring 1992. Each night, nationalist gangs erect makeshift barricades, splitting the city into ethnic enclaves. Each morning, the people who live there—whether Muslim, Croat, or Serb—push the barriers aside. When violence erupts and becomes, finally, unavoidable, Zora, an artist and teacher, sends her husband and elderly mother to safety in England. She stays behind, reluctant to believe that hostilities will last more than a few weeks. As the city falls under siege, everything she loves about her home is laid to waste, black ashes floating over the rooftops. Yet Zora and her friends find ways to rebuild themselves, over and over. Told with breathtaking immediacy, this is a story of disintegration, resilience, and hope—a stirring debut from a commanding new voice.

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9780593801857

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Reviews

“Lucidly and vividly written . . . Feels totally authentic . . . Zora’s paintings, like the existence of this book, are testimony to the way that wars come and go but art goes on forever.”—Phil Baker, The Sunday Times (U.K.)   “A moving, compelling, deeply human novel about love, hope, and resilience in a city under siege. Everyone should read it.”—Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters   “A timely love letter to a war-torn Sarajevo . . . Thoughtful and atmospheric . . . Beautifully drawn . . . This is a reflective novel about dark times that tells us life goes on, love stories develop, humanity remains in the most inhumane of times.” —Estelle Birdy, Irish Independent   “An astonishingly good debut . . . Zora’s story broke my heart, and I hope it will open the hearts of all those who read it, at a time when history is destined to repeat itself.”—Liz Nugent, author of Our Little Cruelties   “Black Butterflies is incredible, a must-read. There are few novels that stay with you after the final page is read, but this is one. Brutal yet also uplifting, immersive and real, it shows what the human spirit is capable of.” —Karen Angelico, author of Everything We Are   “If you want a story of hope persisting through hardship, read Black Butterflies.” —Katie Rosseinsky, Stylist   “An intensely evocative and deeply moving debut—I held my breath as I read.” —Ruth Gilligan, author of The Butchers’ Blessing   “Brilliantly evokes a world slipping, day by day, under the surface of the opaque waters of war. Dark yet starkly beautiful, Black Butterflies . . . is at once a testament to the victims and survivors of the Siege of Sarajevo, to the power of art, and to Morris’s skills as a storyteller.” —Aminatta Forna, author of The Hired Man

“The stirring story of a community’s heroic efforts to maintain its humanity during the siege of Sarajevo . . . Morris’s prose vibrates with love for the singular city, dotted with Hapsburg spires, Islamic arches, and the onion domes of Serbian Orthodox churches; and for its residents, [who] cling tenaciously to the ideal of a multiethnic metropolis. The world she crafts is perfectly rendered, and it amounts to a poignant love letter to Sarajevo and to the human spirit. This one is tough to shake.” —Publishers Weekly (starred) “A gripping, heartbreaking yet hopeful tale of human resilience, compassion, and the haunting devastations of war. A book that will stay with you for a long time.” —Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls “Lucidly and vividly written . . . Feels totally authentic . . . Zora’s paintings, like the existence of this book, are testimony to the way that wars come and go but art goes on forever.” —Phil Baker, The Sunday Times (U.K.)   “A moving, compelling, deeply human novel about love, hope, and resilience in a city under siege. Everyone should read it.” —Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters   “A timely love letter to a war-torn Sarajevo . . . Thoughtful and atmospheric . . . Beautifully drawn . . . This is a reflective novel about dark times that tells us life goes on, love stories develop, humanity remains in the most inhumane of times.” —Estelle Birdy, Irish Independent   “An astonishingly good debut . . . Zora’s story broke my heart, and I hope it will open the hearts of all those who read it, at a time when history is destined to repeat itself.” —Liz Nugent, author of Our Little Cruelties   “Black Butterflies is incredible, a must-read. There are few novels that stay with you after the final page is read, but this is one. Brutal yet also uplifting, immersive and real, it shows what the human spirit is capable of.” —Karen Angelico, author of Everything We Are   “If you want a story of hope persisting through hardship, read Black Butterflies.” —Katie Rosseinsky, Stylist   “An intensely evocative and deeply moving debut—I held my breath as I read.” —Ruth Gilligan, author of The Butchers’ Blessing   “Brilliantly evokes a world slipping, day by day, under the surface of the opaque waters of war. Dark yet starkly beautiful, Black Butterflies . . . is at once a testament to the victims and survivors of the Siege of Sarajevo, to the power of art, and to Morris’s skills as a storyteller.” —Aminatta Forna, author of The Hired Man

“Stunning. . . . An unforgettable portrait of an artist and her community under siege. . . . This astonishing novel will linger with readers long after the last page. Morris’s exceptional storytelling marks her as a writer to watch.” —Rebecca Hopman, Booklist (starred)   “A powerful, gripping portrayal from within the siege of Sarajevo of how war first encroaches upon, then obliterates, the perimeters of daily life. In Black Butterflies, Priscilla Morris uses beautiful, tightly-calibrated prose and deep empathy to portray the disbelief, reckoning, resilience, and will to keep living of the besieged inhabitants of Sarajevo and the novel’s fierce, unforgettable protagonist, the painter Zora, who survives with art in the midst of unexpected love and unfathomable loss.” —Aube Rey Lescure, author of River East, River West “The stirring story of a community’s heroic efforts to maintain its humanity during the siege of Sarajevo. . . . Morris’s prose vibrates with love for the singular city, dotted with Hapsburg spires, Islamic arches, and the onion domes of Serbian Orthodox churches; and for its residents, [who] cling tenaciously to the ideal of a multiethnic metropolis. The world she crafts is perfectly rendered, and it amounts to a poignant love letter to Sarajevo and to the human spirit. This one is tough to shake.” —Publishers Weekly (starred) “A gripping, heartbreaking yet hopeful tale of human resilience, compassion, and the haunting devastations of war. A book that will stay with you for a long time.” —Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls “Lucidly and vividly written . . . Feels totally authentic . . . Zora’s paintings, like the existence of this book, are testimony to the way that wars come and go but art goes on forever.” —Phil Baker, The Sunday Times (U.K.)   “A moving, compelling, deeply human novel about love, hope, and resilience in a city under siege. Everyone should read it.” —Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters   “A timely love letter to a war-torn Sarajevo . . . Thoughtful and atmospheric . . . Beautifully drawn . . . This is a reflective novel about dark times that tells us life goes on, love stories develop, humanity remains in the most inhumane of times.” —Estelle Birdy, Irish Independent   “An astonishingly good debut . . . Zora’s story broke my heart, and I hope it will open the hearts of all those who read it, at a time when history is destined to repeat itself.” —Liz Nugent, author of Our Little Cruelties   “Black Butterflies is incredible, a must-read. There are few novels that stay with you after the final page is read, but this is one. Brutal yet also uplifting, immersive and real, it shows what the human spirit is capable of.” —Karen Angelico, author of Everything We Are   “If you want a story of hope persisting through hardship, read Black Butterflies.” —Katie Rosseinsky, Stylist   “An intensely evocative and deeply moving debut—I held my breath as I read.” —Ruth Gilligan, author of The Butchers’ Blessing   “Brilliantly evokes a world slipping, day by day, under the surface of the opaque waters of war. Dark yet starkly beautiful, Black Butterflies . . . is at once a testament to the victims and survivors of the Siege of Sarajevo, to the power of art, and to Morris’s skills as a storyteller.” —Aminatta Forna, author of The Hired Man

“Stunning. . . . An unforgettable portrait of an artist and her community under siege. . . . This astonishing novel will linger with readers long after the last page. Morris’s exceptional storytelling marks her as a writer to watch.” —Rebecca Hopman, Booklist (starred) “Black Butterflies is a story of how art sustains and gives purpose in moments of desolation and terror. It is a story of art as a connector and community maker... This novel is both devastating and beautiful, infused with a sense of hope.” —BookPage “A powerful, gripping portrayal from within the siege of Sarajevo of how war first encroaches upon, then obliterates, the perimeters of daily life. In Black Butterflies, Priscilla Morris uses beautiful, tightly-calibrated prose and deep empathy to portray the disbelief, reckoning, resilience, and will to keep living of the besieged inhabitants of Sarajevo and the novel’s fierce, unforgettable protagonist, the painter Zora, who survives with art in the midst of unexpected love and unfathomable loss.” —Aube Rey Lescure, author of River East, River West “The stirring story of a community’s heroic efforts to maintain its humanity during the siege of Sarajevo. . . . Morris’s prose vibrates with love for the singular city, dotted with Hapsburg spires, Islamic arches, and the onion domes of Serbian Orthodox churches; and for its residents, [who] cling tenaciously to the ideal of a multiethnic metropolis. The world she crafts is perfectly rendered, and it amounts to a poignant love letter to Sarajevo and to the human spirit. This one is tough to shake.” —Publishers Weekly (starred) “A gripping, heartbreaking yet hopeful tale of human resilience, compassion, and the haunting devastations of war. A book that will stay with you for a long time.” —Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls “Lucidly and vividly written . . . Feels totally authentic . . . Zora’s paintings, like the existence of this book, are testimony to the way that wars come and go but art goes on forever.” —Phil Baker, The Sunday Times (U.K.)   “A moving, compelling, deeply human novel about love, hope, and resilience in a city under siege. Everyone should read it.” —Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters   “A timely love letter to a war-torn Sarajevo . . . Thoughtful and atmospheric . . . Beautifully drawn . . . This is a reflective novel about dark times that tells us life goes on, love stories develop, humanity remains in the most inhumane of times.” —Estelle Birdy, Irish Independent   “An astonishingly good debut . . . Zora’s story broke my heart, and I hope it will open the hearts of all those who read it, at a time when history is destined to repeat itself.” —Liz Nugent, author of Our Little Cruelties   “Black Butterflies is incredible, a must-read. There are few novels that stay with you after the final page is read, but this is one. Brutal yet also uplifting, immersive and real, it shows what the human spirit is capable of.” —Karen Angelico, author of Everything We Are   “If you want a story of hope persisting through hardship, read Black Butterflies.” —Katie Rosseinsky, Stylist   “An intensely evocative and deeply moving debut—I held my breath as I read.” —Ruth Gilligan, author of The Butchers’ Blessing   “Brilliantly evokes a world slipping, day by day, under the surface of the opaque waters of war. Dark yet starkly beautiful, Black Butterflies . . . is at once a testament to the victims and survivors of the Siege of Sarajevo, to the power of art, and to Morris’s skills as a storyteller.” —Aminatta Forna, author of The Hired Man

Author Information

Priscilla Morris is a British author of Bosnian and Cornish parentage. She grew up in London, spending summers in Sarajevo, and studied at Cambridge University and the University of East Anglia. She teaches creative writing and divides her time between Ireland and Spain. Inspired by real-life accounts of the Siege of Sarajevo (1992–96), Black Butterflies is her debut novel. It was short-listed for the RSL Ondaatje Prize, the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award, the Wilbur Smith Prize, the Nota Bene Prize and the Women’s Prize 2023.

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