Vesna Maric left Bosnia the beginning of the war, at the age of 16, on a convoy of coaches carrying refugees to Penrith, in the north of England. Bluebird is Vesna's funny, vivid and immensely readable memoir of the experience, from the beginning of the war through to her eventual return to Bosnia, years later. Unlike many books on Bosnia, and refugees in general, Bluebird is never self-pitying, never grave. It's refreshing to read an account of these experiences filtered through the eyes of a teenager with attitude - written with brilliant comic timing, and a great storytelling gift.