Bosnia, summer 1992. In a small village on the banks of the Drina River, war arrives at night. An entire community is wiped out, overwhelmed by violence, rape, and bloodshed. Only one child survives: Zijo, eight years old, who emerges from a mass grave where his family members were also thrown.

A powerful “civic noir”, the novel blends the fast-paced rhythm of a thriller with the force of historical testimony. Real people and documented events intertwine in a gripping narrative. It is a raw, harsh, and deeply moving novel that challenges the reader’s conscience and restores a voice to those who were silenced. Because remembering is not only a duty: it is the only way to move beyond hatred.
Preface by Carlo Lucarelli.

Zijo Ribić is now 41 years old and survived the Skočić massacre of July 12, 1992 (three years before the genocide of Srebrenica). His struggle for truth and justice, and his choice to forgive and not to hate, have opened new perspectives in the difficult process of dialogue and confrontation with the past.