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We were a very mixed lot, we forty schoolboys who were having a Geography lesson one hot afternoon in the Imperial Russian Humanistic High School of Baku, Transcaucasia: thirty Mohammedans, four Armenians, two Poles, three Sectarians, and one Russian.The multi-ethnic Baku, it seems, stands at a crossroads between West and East, and, as the smug Russian professor informs his pupils, it is their responsibility to decide "whether our town should belong to progressive Europe or to reactionary Asia." For Ali Khan Shirvanshir there is no doubt--he belongs to the East; his beloved Nino, however, is "a Christian, who eats with knife and fork, has laughing eyes and wears filmy silk stockings."
Far away, to the West, there are rumblings of war. When the Russian Revolution begins, Ali Khan chooses not to fight; the Czar's fate is of little interest to a Muslim living in far away Transcaucasia. But the young man senses that another, greater danger is gathering on his country's borders--an "invisible hand" trying to force his world into new ways, the ways of the West. He assures his worried father that, like his ancestors, he is willing to die in battle, but at a time of his own choosing. In the meantime, he courts Nino and eventually marries her in the teeth of scandal and opposition. This union of East and West is at times a difficult one as Ali Khan finds himself lured further and further into European ways. When Soviet troops invade, however, he must choose once and for all whether to stand for Asia or Europe.
One of the many pleasures Ali and Nino offers is Kurban Said's lovingly rendered evocations of Muslim culture. Another is his compassionate portrait of the protagonists' difficult but profound relationship. Modern readers coming to this novel in the wake of the fall of Communism, outbreaks of sectarian violence, and the rise of religious fundamentalism will find disturbing parallels in its cautionary chronicle of cultures colliding and a way of life brutally destroyed. In the end, however, it is not historical accuracy, but rather the charm and passion of the title characters that lifts Said's only novel into literature's highest ranks. --Alix Wilber
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. The passionate story of the love between a Muslim boy and a Christian girl - a gripping, romantic novel set during Azerbaijan's fight for independenceAli Khan and Nino Kipiani live in the cosmopolitan, oil-rich capital of Azerbaijan which, at the beginning of the twentieth century, is a melting-pot of different cultures. Ali is a Muslim, with his ancestors' passion for the desert, and Nino is a Christian Georgian girl with sophisticated European ways. Despite their differences, the two have loved each other since childhood and Ali is determined that he will marry Nino as soon as she leaves school. But there is not only the obstacle of their different religions and parental consent to overcome. The First World War breaks out. As the Russians withdraw, the Turks advance, and Ali and Nino find themselves swept up in Azerbaijan's fight for independence. Ali Khan and Nino Kipiani live in the cosmopolitan, oil-rich capital of Azerbaijan which, at the beginning of the twentieth century, is a melting-pot of different cultures. As the Russians withdraw, the Turks advance, and Ali and Nino find themselves swept up in Azerbaijan's fight for independence. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780099283225
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9780099283225
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Book Description Condition: New. Ali Khan and Nino Kipiani live in the oil-rich capital of Azerbaijan at the beginning of World War I. Despite their religious and cultural differences they have loved each other since childhood, but their own tolerence does not protect them from others. Num Pages: 240 pages. BIC Classification: FRH. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 198 x 130 x 15. Weight in Grams: 174. Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # 9780099283225
Book Description Condition: New. Ali Khan and Nino Kipiani live in the oil-rich capital of Azerbaijan at the beginning of World War I. Despite their religious and cultural differences they have loved each other since childhood, but their own tolerence does not protect them from others. Num Pages: 240 pages. BIC Classification: FRH. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 198 x 130 x 15. Weight in Grams: 174. Seller Inventory # 9780099283225
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 240 pages. 7.80x5.08x0.59 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0099283220
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Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. Ali Khan and Nino Kipiani live in the cosmopolitan, oil-rich capital of Azerbaijan which, at the beginning of the twentieth century, is a melting-pot of different cultures. As the Russians withdraw, the Turks advance, and Ali and Nino find themselves swept up in Azerbaijan's fight for independence. Seller Inventory # B9780099283225
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