Sahara Times
January 12, 2013
ON THE SHELF: Gray Wolves And White Doves
By John D Balian Tranquebar
Rs.295
GRAY WOLVES and White Doves is the compelling story of a young boy’s
quest for identity and belonging. It takes the reader on a journey
from a remote village in Anatolia to a dingy dark basement in Turkey
(Istanbul), a seminary in the little known Armenian quarter of
Jerusalem, through Bavaria, and Sweden and finally to Paris where the
boy watches the crowds at the Paris Orly international airport, in the
summer of 1978, awaiting their flights to catch what would be their
last and their future oblivious.
According to writer John D Balian: “It is an autobiographical novel
featuring unique experiences, a journey of a young boy to adolescence
from destitute beginnings in a turbulent and dangerous environment
with a storyline laced with tragedy and comic relief, intrigues and
betrayals, ancient rituals and historic depictions fused together by
the protagonist’s indomitable will to survive and live in freedom and
with dignity. It is a real-life action-packed thriller that moves the
reader with vivid imagery and emotional scenes, but ultimately very
uplifting and inspirational story with a clear message of “never
giving in and never giving up no matter how bleak the circumstances.”
When asked further, Balian points out the uniqueness of the title of
his book saying: “In addition to scenes and dreams involving wolves
and doves, there are the attributes like : connotations of matters
being “grey” in life; the struggle between the predator and prey and
good and evil; a character in the book is called “Soluk Kurt” which
means Gray Wolf; and, references to the century old secretive,
ultranationalist Turkish brotherhood that perpetrated crimes against
humanity (the Armenian Genocide) under the cover of WWI. Rooted in the
author’s own experience, this fiction is a powerful testimony to the
indomitable human spirit that triumphs despite all odds against a
retaliatory violence that threatens a life and even an entire race.
-Arijeet Dutta
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2013/01/20/book-gray-wolves-and-white-doves/
