Adem's Cross

by Alice Mead
Published in 1996 by Laurel Leaf Books
Subject: ethnic oppression, Balkans
ISBN 0374300577

Summary
Adem is sick of living with oppression--the terrorizing, tear gassing, beatings and killings. How he would love to fight back. But the power belongs to the Serbs, and the Albanians have adopted a policy of non-violent resistance. How can Adem hope to grow up in this war-torn country? In this graphic, intense novel, Adem bears the same figurative cross borne by all children of the Balkan republics, regardless of ethnic origin.

Kirkus Reviews:
"Mead shows dreadful aspects of the Balkan conflict by depicting the suffering of the people involved. The story is not a pretty one, but it makes some powerful points about innocent people caught up in ethnic struggles and the horrors of life under a totalitarian regime."

Booklist:
"Mead writes powerfully and eloquently about Adem's attempt to understand why people mistreat each other."

School Library Journal:
"The author of Junebug leaves the drug-infested projects for an even more harrowing setting: Kosovo, Yugoslavia. Fourteen year-old Adem, an Albanian, tries to survive despite the day-to-day random violence and cruelty of the Serbians... Mead preps her readers with a quick, efficient sketch of Yugoslavia’s recent history before jumping into this disturbing society. She is not taking a political stance. She passionately defends children caught in the cultural crossfire.