This Was Not Our War: Bosnian Women Reclaiming the Peace
Review by N. N. Haanstad, Weber State University
Choice Magazine
June 2005

Hunt, director of the Harvard-based Women and Public Policy Program and former US ambassador to Austria (1993-97), features 26 Bosnian women engaged in the reconstruction of their war-torn society. The book conveys their insights and experiences during the breakup of Bosnia and its subsequent rebuilding. The women selected display impressive energy, talent, and humanitarianism. Most were highly educated and well placed in their pre-war societies. While the women reflect the Bosnian mosaic, they share a conviction that the horrific violence of the 1990s was not caused by ancient hatreds. As the title suggests, they tend to believe that women are vital to a successful peace process for a war they would not have started. Hunt intersperses direct quotations in chapters framing a narrative of the Bosnian story from their points of view. The valuable "Profiles" section includes a large photograph of each along with a biographic page making it possible to identify personalities. Hunt deftly creates a coherent and compelling narrative offering a valuable contribution to the scholarship reflecting the call in Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) for the full participation of women in peace processes. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels.