Overview

As a teenager in Bosnia, Aida S ibic witnesses the horrors of war. She and her family leave loved ones behind as they flee religious persecution and ethnic cleansing, escaping to refugee camps, then fleeing to America. They must live on government assistance while learning to communicate and support themselves. Aida soon discovers her love of technology, which paves the way to her financial independence and successful career in cybersecurity. But Aida's personal dreams-a happy family, a loving husband-often feel out of reach. In the U.S., she laughs again, experiences romance, and travels. With war seemingly behind, Aida recounts the long-term effects trauma left on her family. As a domestic and emotional abuse survivor, Aida fights to provide safety and stability for her two children. She writes about the tragic loss of a close family member to suicide, sharing vital information about suicide prevention and helping other survivors feel less alone. Aida's story demonstrates Bosnian Inat, a term for stubborn and determined desire to persevere despite all obstacles. Ultimately, she lifts up her family, celebrates her Islamic heritage, and lives a life of strength and joy. Readers will be amazed by this profound, heartwarming portrait of courage. If you like inspirational stories of strong women, Luck Follows the Brave tells a triumphant story of surviving and thriving amid extreme adversity. FRONT FLAP: Young children are filled with wonder. As children in Bosnia, we all had our hopes and dreams. We believed in magic with childlike innocence and created grand plans for the future. Like kids everywhere, my Bosnian friends and I aspired to be teachers, athletes, artists, astronauts, entrepreneurs, engineers, doctors and scientists. None of us ever dreamed of becoming genocide and abuse survivors, Muslim refugees in America and single parents raising two kids on their own, with no family to lean on, while coping with the grief of suicide loss. Yet here I am. That has been my life in a nutshell. But my life has also been so much more. Along with tragedy and trauma, I've experienced love and laughter, great friendship, and career success. I have two beautiful children whom I love more than life itself. I've traveled to many beautiful parts of the world, eaten and prepared delicious foods, listened to great music, and danced with friends. In short, I've lived life in all its sadness and glory, and I'd like to think I've learned a few things along the way. In 1995, my family and I became Refugees from Bosna i Hercegovina (Bosnia and Herzegovina). If sharing my story helps even a single person find their way out of darkness, it will have been worth writing. -Aida Sibic BACK FLAP: For anyone struggling with abuse-substance, physical, emotional, or verbal-I hope you find strength and inspiration to persevere and fight the good fight. National Domestic Violence Hotline TheHotline.org or 1-800-799-3224 For anyone struggling with mental health issues, I hope reading my story helps you find your way out of darkness. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline SuicidePreventionLifeline.org or 1-800-273-8255

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9781957232065

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Reviews

This sensitive memoir about the war in Bosnia in the 1990s will quickly make readers think about the current conflict in Ukraine: stories of families torn apart by the horrors and atrocities of war; the miracle of love finding new hope in mountains of despair. Aida Sibic's war tragedy, Luck Follows the Brave, recalls another Bosnian writer, Nobel Prize winner Ivo Andric, who, in fiction, crafted sensitive portraits from the galleries of Bosnian history. Sibic draws deep from her own well of experience to paint an accurate portrait of contemporary Bosnian history. Read it to weep. Read it to learn. Read it to find your own pathway through life's trials to dreams of hope. --B. William Silcock, PhD, Emeritus faculty and former Assistant Dean for International Programs at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University Luck Follows the Brave will remind readers of frightening current events now repeating themselves in Ukraine. As an immigrant myself, I deeply felt Aida Sibic's pain, cried alongside her over losing loved ones, and laughed at the crazy immigrant jokes. Despite being robbed of her childhood, getting divorced, being a single mom with two young children, and losing her mom, she still managed to make peace with the past, becoming grateful for the life she lives today. There are no knights in shining armor that will ride in and rescue the princess in distress, she writes. The princess rescues herself and writes her own happy ending. --Maria Jones Esq., Founding Attorney and CEO of Maria Jones Law Firm, author of Deportation Impossible, Former Chair of the Immigration Section of the State Bar of Arizona It's unimaginable that one woman could not only survive multiple traumas but also rise above her experiences with courage and resilience. As a fellow survivor of suicide loss, I could identify with Aida's story. It resonated with me. By telling our stories, we can heal and, in turn, inspire others to not give up, regardless of the circumstances. Aida's love for her children reminded me of my own motivation to keep going, despite the emotional turmoil. I highly recommend Luck Follows the Brave. You will be touched, moved, and inspired. --Cathie Godfrey, author of Your Suicide Didn't Kill Me: Choosing to Love and Live Again After Loss Aida Sibic's Luck Follows the Brave is a well-written book that includes important life events from the genocide in Bosnia, though difficult to read at times. Anyone like me, and the millions of others who have survived genocide or violence in any form, will find it comforting to read about someone who has gone through a similar experience. Aida's memoir proves that life doesn't have to be only about pain. While sorrow is essential to human life, it can, and should be, overflowing with joy. Aida's life is a living witness to that possibility. --Oksana Kushaliieva, from Ukraine, Crimea; BA in international studies with a minor in French from Brigham Young University Idaho

Author Information

Aida Sibic survived the genocide in Bosnia to become a Muslim refugee in the United States where she earned a degree in computer science and is finishing a degree in computer information technology. While working her way up the corporate ladder, she became a certified project management professional, eventually responsible for implementing multimillion-dollar strategic integration initiatives with a Fortune 500 FinTech company. Currently, Aida works as Senior Director of a corporate cybersecurity program. She lives with her two teenagers in Phoenix and volunteers for organizations that provide education and services to the homeless, veterans, single moms, children, and domestic abuse survivors. Because Aida and her family lived for five months in two different refugee camps before getting placed in the United States by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), she knows what it's like to rebuild a life after tremendous loss. Once in the US, she has also had to cope with domestic abuse and the grief of losing a loved one to suicide while balancing a full-time career and becoming the sole provider for her children, with little-to-no family support. As a result of challenges in her own life, Aida seeks opportunities to serve others. For example, she has helped clean and remodel a veteran's home for House of Heroes, and she was a guest speaker for Children's First Academy on the importance of education. Aida has led a team of volunteers to organize a toy warehouse for W. Steven Martin 911 Toy Drive, and she has served meals to the homeless at St. Vincent De Paul. Aida's book is another act of service. She wrote it for two main reasons: (1) to seek truth and justice for the victims of genocide in Bosnia, ensuring their story is not forgotten; (2) to help remove the stigma surrounding mental health and death by suicide. Specifically, Aida's writing seeks to normalize the topic of mental health awareness and suicide prevention. By telling her family's story, she hopes others who have lost loved ones in this manner will feel less alone. She also wants to encourage readers to learn and recognize the early warning signs of suicide, helping to prevent others from experiencing such grief.

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