This excellent book makes a significant contribution to this renewed attention to return migration, based on an in-depth case study of return to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The author characterises ‘decided or chosen migration’ as a freely made decision to return to the country of origin without the assistance of a public authority and against the background of a viable alternative of remaining abroad. Based on evidence collected from 35 in-depth interviews with returnees in various locations in BiH, including with participants who identify as Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats, the book asks why BiH migrants choose to return to their home country. Unlike the original decision to emigrate – driven by poverty (labour migrants) or ethnic-political violence (refugees) – the return decision is inherently complex and possibly irrational in economic terms. Ibričević finds that, whilst the returnees are concerned to ‘satisfy an economic minimum’ for livelihood survival, the main reasons to return voluntarily to the unstable post-conflict society of BiH are overwhelmingly emotional. Deploying well-chosen interview quotes, Ibričević explores several emotional dimensions of return – ‘giving back’ to the country of origin, processing the trauma of forced exile, getting closer to non-migrant family and to religious traditions, and expressing a post-materialist lifestyle. Yet there are serious obstacles encountered in return and reintegration, chief among which is endemic corruption and other types of unethical behaviour such as bribery, nepotism and ethno-religious discrimination. Self-reliance and resilience, including ’dark humour’, are required to overcome these and other challenges, notably the country’s economic stagnation and deficient infrastructure. Overall, this is a valuable text for return migration scholars and for those interested in the complex realities of post-Yugoslavia. (A longer review of the book by the same author can be found in Ethnic and Racial Studies 2025, 1–2, https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2025.2470895.)