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OF UNDYING HUMAN SPIRIT, HOPE
New Indian Express
December 4, 2012 Tuesday
India
BANGALORE, Dec. 4 -- War is nothing but a continuation of politics
with the admixture of other means," one of the great writers of
realpolitik Karl Von Clausewitz once said.
Not many in the present day generation know about the blood-tainted
history of Armenian genocide, Ottoman government's systematic
extermination of its minority Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks in the
early decades of the 19th century. The never-ending cycle of conflicts
and tumultuous events in the Middle East had ruined or destroyed the
lives of millions of people. The human sufferings followed by these
clashes were immeasurable and it has become fodder for a few books in
the past. The latest among is Gray Wolves and White Doves by debutant
novelist John D Balian.
Gray Wolves. is a less-known tale of the history of Armenian Christians
who try to defend their identity in a very complex world. A young boy's
search for truth and his journey from a remote village at Anatolia in
Diyarbekir, Turkey, to a grimy dark basement in Istanbul, a seminary
in the Armenian quarter of Jeruselam, the holy city through Bavaria
and Sweden and finally to Paris and the United States where he starts
a new life.
The author's coming-of-age story also deals with the minefield
of politics in the Middle East, the cycle of retaliatory violence
that threatens to extinguish a life, a family, and even an entire
race at the altar of political exigency. Rooted in the author's own
experiences, the book is a powerful testimony to the triumphing human
spirit, despite all odds.
The story, in the early chapters, throws light on the ancient rituals
and generation-old traditions of an Armenian family living in a rural
setting. Destiny can be cruel sometimes; the harvest season turns
gory for them; children lost their mother when they try to cross the
Syrian border. The family barely recovers from the tragic loss, but
finally unconquerable human spirit has the last laugh, no matter how
difficult the circumstances. The protagonist, Jonah is a family man;
the fate forces him to shift to the holy city of Jerusalem with his
brothers for seminary studies. Scattering of the family worries Jonah,
but he didn't lose hope for a better tomorrow and the hope comes in
the form of sponsor, a generous US woman. With an engaging storyline,
the book hints that persecution of minorities anywhere in the world
was carried out in the name of 'justice'. The book interweaves the
complexity of the politics and common human dilemma. Gray Wolves and
White Doves may remind the reader many real-life tales of oppression
and onslaught and the ongoing Palestinian -Israel conflict, Arab
Spring and the civil war in Syria. An interesting read for those who
like fiction woven around history. Published by HT Syndication with
permission from New Indian Express.
New Indian Express
December 4, 2012 Tuesday
India
BANGALORE, Dec. 4 -- War is nothing but a continuation of politics
with the admixture of other means," one of the great writers of
realpolitik Karl Von Clausewitz once said.
Not many in the present day generation know about the blood-tainted
history of Armenian genocide, Ottoman government's systematic
extermination of its minority Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks in the
early decades of the 19th century. The never-ending cycle of conflicts
and tumultuous events in the Middle East had ruined or destroyed the
lives of millions of people. The human sufferings followed by these
clashes were immeasurable and it has become fodder for a few books in
the past. The latest among is Gray Wolves and White Doves by debutant
novelist John D Balian.
Gray Wolves. is a less-known tale of the history of Armenian Christians
who try to defend their identity in a very complex world. A young boy's
search for truth and his journey from a remote village at Anatolia in
Diyarbekir, Turkey, to a grimy dark basement in Istanbul, a seminary
in the Armenian quarter of Jeruselam, the holy city through Bavaria
and Sweden and finally to Paris and the United States where he starts
a new life.
The author's coming-of-age story also deals with the minefield
of politics in the Middle East, the cycle of retaliatory violence
that threatens to extinguish a life, a family, and even an entire
race at the altar of political exigency. Rooted in the author's own
experiences, the book is a powerful testimony to the triumphing human
spirit, despite all odds.
The story, in the early chapters, throws light on the ancient rituals
and generation-old traditions of an Armenian family living in a rural
setting. Destiny can be cruel sometimes; the harvest season turns
gory for them; children lost their mother when they try to cross the
Syrian border. The family barely recovers from the tragic loss, but
finally unconquerable human spirit has the last laugh, no matter how
difficult the circumstances. The protagonist, Jonah is a family man;
the fate forces him to shift to the holy city of Jerusalem with his
brothers for seminary studies. Scattering of the family worries Jonah,
but he didn't lose hope for a better tomorrow and the hope comes in
the form of sponsor, a generous US woman. With an engaging storyline,
the book hints that persecution of minorities anywhere in the world
was carried out in the name of 'justice'. The book interweaves the
complexity of the politics and common human dilemma. Gray Wolves and
White Doves may remind the reader many real-life tales of oppression
and onslaught and the ongoing Palestinian -Israel conflict, Arab
Spring and the civil war in Syria. An interesting read for those who
like fiction woven around history. Published by HT Syndication with
permission from New Indian Express.