Children of War

Fifteen generations of Hassanakis's family have been Cretan. After WW1, amidst rumours that Cretan Muslims will be sent to Turkey, Hassanakis worries he will have to leave behind his great love, the Greek widow Marigo, and his beloved homeland. He can't believe he will be sent to a country whose language he barely knows and where he knows no-one.

Inspired by the intimate diaries of a refugee family, Children of War is an evocative novel that seamlessly intertwines the allure, complexity, and scars of Crete's storied past to tell the intimate tale of an ordinary man caught in the vortex of extraordinary times.

For fifteen generations, Hassanakis's family has called Crete home, and he's always seen himself as a true Cretan. Yet, as the world around him is engulfed in the chaos of collapsing empires and simmering conflicts, Hassanakis finds himself at the crossroads of identity. In the face of escalating ethnic violence, his family's flight to Chania becomes a poignant journey of survival.

Amid the turmoil, Hassanakis weaves new roots, donning distinctive attire that earns him the nickname 'Hassan the mirror'. As World War I reaches its crescendo and the Turkish War of Independence rages on, a profound romance ignites between him and the graceful Hüsniye. But soon the prospect of being uprooted to a foreign Turkey becomes a chilling reality. Can he fathom leaving behind the life he's built for a land where he's a stranger?

Pages: 140

Translator: Paula Darwish

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