A historical fiction novel, The Cellist of Sarajevo, published by Steven Galloway, is based on the Siege of Sarajevo. Galloway is a Canadian author of three novels, and his works were translated into over twenty languages. Historically, this novel is based on the Siege of Sarajevo which resulted between three ethnic groups in former Yugoslavia: the Catholic Croats, the Muslim Bosnians, and the Orthodox Serbs. The Serbians desired to create their own nation while excluding everyone else, and, as a result, there was a vote concerning independence for the different ethnic groups. Subsequently, the EU considered Bosnia and Herzegovina as an independent state, which triggered the antagonism between the Serbian powers. The manifestation of their anger resulted in war, and before the Bosnians knew it, they were under siege. Sarajevo, once a beautiful city with deep history and culture, was transformed into a living hell, a place where you wouldn’t even want to go in your dreams.
In actual fact, several mortar shells were targeted at the market of Vase Miskina on May 27, 1992, where a group of people were waiting for bread. As Galloway describes, “It screamed downwards, splitting air and sky without effort… a moment of impact… then the visible world exploded”. Twenty-two people were killed and at least seventy were injured. In the beginning of the novel, the Cellist eyewitnesses the scene and is horrified by the fact that innocent people are massacred. He was previously the principal Cellist of the Sarajevo Symphony Orchestra. But now he is a devastated Cellist who plays “Albinoni’s Adagio in G minor”, at four o’clock, with his tuxedo, in the middle of those fallen mortar shells. This piece of authentic music brings the Cellist and others hope of possible change. 
People from within want to protect the Cellist, the “men on the hills” want to get rid of him, and the only way to keep him secure is to hire a skilled sniper, named Arrow. Arrow, a dangerous “weapon”, can make a bullet “do things that others can’t”. She is an experienced female sniper who works independently and does not kill blindly just because of an order. At first, when Nermain Filipovic approached her about becoming a professional sniper, she refused. However, Nermain persuaded her that accepting his offer would be saving many innocent lives. Eventually, as her new task is to defend the Cellist from the other snipers, she listens to the music and starts to question if her hate justifies the fact that she kills. In the beginning, she detested the men on the hills and believed that she had no alternative but to eradicate them. Yet, when she is forced to kill an innocent civilian, she is conflicted and hesitates as she aims and puts her finger on the trigger.
On the other hand, there are two ordinary Bosnians that struggle to hold on to hope. Kenan, who was once a clerical assistant, who worries day after day about keeping his family alive. He is worn out by the effort it takes to carry the burden of full responsibility of not only his family but also his neighbor, Mrs. Ristoviski. Every four days, Kenan risks his life to “travel down the hill, through the town, across the Miljacka River and up the hills into Stari Grad, to the brewery” to get water for both his family and neighbor. As the story progresses, Kenan finally succumbs to the misery and indifference of the war, and he leaves Mrs. Ristoviski heavy bottles of water. However, when he turns around to leave “he stops, takes another step, stops again”, then, he hears the Cellist’s “Adagio”. As he undertakes the journey back home to his family, he makes his choice.
Similarly, Dragan is an old man who lives in a world so numb and empty. He is alone because he sent his family away to Italy before the war began. Furthermore, he lives in the past, for he is petrified by the thought of facing the horror of “his only reality”. The reality is when he begins to recognize people as real; he will be vulnerable to the pain of losing someone he loves. But as the music of the Cellist travels through his barriers, his fear and indifference seems to melt away, and he makes a decision that moment “which lie he will tell himself”.
In introducing the three major characters, Galloway utilizes temporal distortion, meaning each character’s timeline takes a different amount of time but end at the same time. This shows so many diverse aspects of the character’s experiences and viewpoint of the war. Each character, with diverse reputations and circumstances, all come down to one thing, to hope or not to hope. These people with no hope are referred to as “the dead among the living... a ghost”. This created curiosity, if they will choose to live a life of a “ghost” or not, intrigues the reader, making it seem like a firsthand experience. Furthermore, Galloway’s usage of implied resolution, which is when the author implies the outcomes of the character’s choices but does not directly state it. The aftermaths for each of the characters are left up to the audience to decide, depicting the reality of life. In reality, life does not have a final resolution; it is full of complications and perpetual attempts to resolve them. As a result, this makes the novel exhilarating and vivid and lifelike. Because of the usage of implied resolution, you start to wonder how each of them will confront the troubles that approach them, especially if they will survive and be able to see the Sarajevo they’ve dreamed.