Thea Halo

More like 2.5. I wanted to like this book more than I did but it did not meet my expectations. The book was framed with the author's mother, Sano, returning to Turkey after many years to see if the house and village in which she had lived as a child were still there, how things had changed, and finally her visit. Then the author recounts her mother's story through the years, from childhood, the Greek villagers' expulsion by the Turkish government, and a death march of the Pontians [Greeks living in the Black Sea area]. We read of Sano's subsequent life with an Assyrian family in south Turkey--they even change her name from Themia to Sano; with an Armenian couple in Aleppo; and eventual marriage to a man decades older than she, Abraham. Finally, the two come to America and they raise their own family. Much of Sano's life was horrendous and heart-breaking.

I may be wrong but I felt this novel was really more fiction than biography; I fault someone for possible misrepresentation. To me much sounded implausible, and how could an old woman remember SO many details? The photos added to the book but there were no acknowledgements even. The book did move along smoothly; the book was written in a simple, childlike manner. The history the author included was fascinating. And I did enjoy reading about the customs and culture of the peoples in that area. The author's mother turned out to be a wise, loving person and I am so glad she did not hate the Turks of years past and those of today. In fact, a pleasant young Turkish man helps her find the location of her village.… (more)