Children of War – Blog Tour

Synopsis:

Hassanakis is a young Muslim boy of Turkish descent growing up on Crete during WWI. Fifteen generations of his family have lived on the island and until now he has never had any reason not to think he is a Cretan. But with the Great Powers tussling over the collapsing Ottoman Empire and the island’s Christians in rebellion, an outbreak of ethnic violence forces his family to flee to the Cretan city of Chania. He begins to lay down roots and his snappy dress earns him the nickname of Hassan ‘the mirror’. As WWI draws to a close and the Turkish War of Independence rages, he begins a heady romance with the elegant Hüsniye. There are rumours that the Cretan Muslims will be sent to Turkey but Hassanakis can’t believe he will be sent to a country whose language he barely knows and where he knows no-one. 

Book Details
Title: Children of War
By: Ahmet Yorulmaz
Published By: NeemTreePress
Publication Date: 26 March 2020
Pages: 140
Genre: Historical Fiction / WW I
Formats: Paperback 978-1-911107-29-3  £9.99 / $12.99 & EBook / Epub, Mobi, PDF 978-1-911107-30-9  £9.99 / $9.99
Rights World (English)
GoodReads

My Review

I can’t help being a history nut and well, this book tempted me off the bat with its historical setting and the fact that it was written based on true accounts.

Yorulmaz has a wonderful and distinctive writing voice and solidly blends fact and fiction. He breathes life into words left by those marked by time and I love the use of the historical accounts that brings us this story. It’s not often that we see books of Crete’s history, so this was a breath of fresh air.

This is definitely worth a read if you’re a fan of history or the story of a person’s journey.

It’s not a long read but it is impactful and enlightening. Informational and with heart.

I really loved reading this and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to a fellow history buff/nut.

I could go on, but, this is a novella, and a story as I’ve said of history and heart, so, if you’re interested in such things, it’s good to have this on your radar.

Thanks so much to Anne and NeemTreePress for a copy of this in exchange for my honest review as part of the blog tour!

About the Author

Author Details Ahmet Yorulmaz was a Turkish a journalist, author and translator. He was born in Ayvalik to a family of Cretan Turks deported to mainland Turkey as part of the Greek-Turkish population exchange decreed in the Treaty of Lausanne. He was fluent in modern Greek and translated novels and poems from contemporary Greek literature to Turkish. Most of his original works were written with the aim of making people learn about Ayvalık, the city where he grew up. He dedicated himself to Greek-Turkish friendship and rapprochement. 

**Translator Details Paula Darwish is a freelance translator and professional musician. She read Turkish Language and Literature with Middle Eastern History at SOAS in London graduating with a First in 1997. She is a qualified member of the Institute of Translators and Interpreter.**

The Rest of the Tour