Nana's Shoes: A Bosnian War Refugee's Memoir
Aisa Softic is a Bosnian war refugee. In addition to being brave, strong and courageous, she is also an engaging storyteller.
Aisa felt compelled to document the experiences of her life in Bosnia before, during, and after the war. In her memoir, Nana’s Shoes, Aisa chronicles her journey of growing up on a family farm and working tirelessly to obtain an education despite facing economic challenges. After earning a college education, and working as both a teacher and a principal, Aisa and her husband raised two children together and cared for her ailing mother-in-law in their home. When the war in Bosnia broke out, Aisa was separated from one of her children and her husband. Relying on her own resources and the personal connections she nurtured over a lifetime of hard work, Aisa is able to secure the safety of her mother-in-law and son. After her mother-in-law passed away, Aisa managed, under harrowing conditions, to escape Bosnia with her son. Ultimately, her family was reunited in America.
Aisa sought to tell her story so the world will remember what happened in Bosnia. She also wanted to share the story on behalf of those who could no longer share the story themselves.
In addition to doing an edit of Aisa’s memoir, Marce also helped Aisa promote her book with a variety of promotional activities. Marce helped Aisa obtain an interview with NPR’s Story Corps. The interview was sent to the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and has become an official part of the Story Corps Archive. Marce also guided Aisa regarding how to articulate her experiences in reaction to media coverage of the Bosnian war. When the New York Times Magazine did a cover story on the “Ghosts of War” focusing on the aftermath of the Srebrenica massacre, Aisa submitted a comment to The 6th Floor — Eavesdropping on the Times Magazine. Her comment was featured prominently next to the Ghosts of War cover page. Marce also helped Aisa secure a speaking engagement with a sympathetic audience where she could tell her story in person and where she could also sell her books.
Here is what Aisa had to say regarding working with Marce on her memoir:
“I am very thankful Marce is editing my memoir. It is not an easy job, because English is my second language and I am still struggling with a sentence structure, the articles and spelling some words. Marce gently corrects my mistakes and emphasis what is good in my writing and our ability to learn and be better. Marce is a great encourager and without her help I couldn’t go forward. She did extra work recommending me to call StoryCorps to schedule an interview and shared all of my excitement about my story. I thank Marce from bottom of my heart for helping me with a social media and making my work visible. I highly recommend her editing and her work for other writers.”
