From USA Today Bestselling author Kathryn Gauci-A haunting story of a deep friendship between two women, one Greek, one Turk. A friendship that transcends an era of mistrust, and fear, long after the wars have ended.“Springtime and early summer are always beautiful in Anatolia. Hardy winter crocuses, blooming in their thousands, are followed by blue muscari which adorn the meadows like glorious … muscari which adorn the meadows like glorious sapphires on a silk carpet.”
Aspasia and Saniye are friends from childhood. They share their secrets and joy, helping each other in times of trouble.
When WWI breaks, the news travels to the village, but the locals have no idea how it will affect their lives.
When the war ends the Greeks come to the village, causing havoc, burning houses and shooting Turks. The residents regard each other with suspicion. Their world has turned upside down, but some of the old friendships survive, despite the odds.
But the Greeks are finally defeated, and the situation changes once more, forcing the Greeks to leave the country. Yet, the friendship between the villagers still continues.
Many years later, in Athens, Christophorus tells his grandson, and his daughter, Elpida, the missing parts of the story, and what he had to leave behind in Asia Minor.
A story of love, friendship, and loss; a tragedy that affects the lives of many on both sides of the Aegean, and their struggle to survive under new circumstances, as casualties of a war beyond their control.
If you enjoyed Louis de Berniers’ Birds Without Wings then you will love Kathryn Gauci’s The Carpet Weaver of Usak. “As she weaves her poignant story and characters with the expert hands of a carpet weaver.”
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Who wants Gauci to reproduce a cooking book based on her novels? I do.
Seriously, Gauci is an amazingly accomplished author who writes seriously accomplished novels. I have read and immensely enjoyed all of Gauci’s works, and was equally impressed with The Carpet Weaver of Usak, her latest full length novel. Just like Gauci’s other works, it effortlessly immerses the reader in a time and place with important lessons for our times.
The Carpet Weaver of Usak is a true page turner and kept me reading, even when the subject matter was dark and brutal. I love Gauci’s use of the five senses – her descriptions of food always make me so, so hungry – her adroit, sensitive construction of character and place, her obvious love and knowledge of art, and the crafts, which have been important to civilizations since the beginning of time, and how I always escape into her works, and emerge satisfied and enriched by a wonderful storyteller.
Set in a village called Stavrodomi not far from the town of Usak, Anatolia, a Greek couple, Christophorous and his young bride, Aspasia live an idyllic life, side by side with their Turkish neighbours who call their half of the village, Pinarbasi. Christophorous works for the Anatolian Carpet Manufacturers Ltd as a carpet manager and Aspasia is a carpet weaver who weaves the most sought after pieces with her long time Turkish friend, Saniye. The demand for quality carpets is high and life is good in early 1914.
But their bliss is shattered with the onset of World War 1 when the men of the village are forced to fight in horrific conditions for a cause they don’t understand. Not long after the end of the war, another conflict starts up when Greece invades in 1919. The two nationalities are pitted against each other and as the war progresses the Greek population are sent back to Greece despite the fact that they and their ancestors had lived there for generations. The two wars are particularly pivotal in shaping modern day Turkey and Greece, despite some testing years since.
It’s a fascinating time and is a particularly enlightening read. The description of the carpet weaving is a lesson in how it was done and reminded me of my visit to Turkey a few years ago when I witnessed first-hand, the intricacies of weaving. Indeed, weaving and spinning was one of the few skilled occupations dominated by women giving their families a solid and reliable income. It’s not surprising that the detail is so fascinating as the author herself worked in Greece for a number of years as a carpet designer.
Throughout the story, the reader is immersed in the daily lives of the three main characters, particularly the women and we learn how they live – their fears, their loves and their superstitions. Indeed, the description of food so very central in their lives, was mouth-watering – lamb koftes, stuffed aubergines, goats cheese and black olives ‘… she threaded pieces of meat that had been marinating in olive oil, lemon and herbs onto skewers and place them over the coals.’
The atrocities of war and its toll on Christophorous and Aspasia is heartbreaking but out of war comes hope and strength as ordinary people who care for each other stand up in support of what they know is right. It’s a beautiful story of love and adversity and the power and sacrifice for friendship.
The Carpet Weaver of Usak is the third book where Kathryn Gauci writes about Greece and Turkey. For more check out her webpage
Wow, what an unforgettable, atmospheric read! From page one I was immersed into a world of two cultures – Greek and Turkish – which coexist peacefully in one village until the Great War breaks out and brings death and devastation to the region, uprooting populations and tearing families apart. Christophorus, a manager of a thriving carpet manufacturing and trading company, thinks himself to be blessed beyond measure with a job he loves and a new wife, Aspasia, he adores. However, he soon finds himself fighting a war that isn’t his own and where former friends and neighbors turn on each other and suspicion fills the very air they breathe. What follows is a tale of epic proportions that will leave you spellbound long after you close the book. I can guarantee you will feel as though you personally know the characters, which will make their plight even more personal.
The descriptions – clothes, scents, magnificent carpet designs, and culture, in general, are absolutely breathtaking. I rarely come across books which can so fully transport me into the world I’m reading about, but “The Carpet Weaver of Usak” did just that. I felt like I was watching a movie and not just reading a book, and I can only applaud Ms. Gauci for her writing talent. I truly can’t recommend this historical novel highly enough. Just like Aspasia’s carpets, it truly is a masterpiece.
A powerful and deeply touching story
The Carpet Weaver of Usak grabbed me by the head and heart from the first page and refused to let go. In a clear and instantly captivating narrative, Gauci tells the story of the hostility that occurred between the Greek citizens of the Ottoman Empire and the Turks, similar to the old and never-ending animosity between the Turks and Armenians. Based on real events and meticulously researched, the scenes of the conflict are chilling to the bone. Set against the backdrop of political feuds, in the center of the novel, there is the moving story of two young women, Greek Aspasia and Turk Saniye, and their selfless friendship and sacrifice. I’m not giving away more—read this fascinating and humanity-oriented novel from an amazing author, Kathryn Gauci. I can’t help mentioning the author’s knowledge of the weaving craft that augmented the already fascinating narrative. I loved everything about this masterfully told, with a rich sense of time and place, book, even the tears I shed at its ending. Highly recommended.
An exceptionally moving and compelling read by one of my favourite authors.
This story takes the reader on an incredible journey to war ravaged Turkey from 1914, through World War I, the Asia Minor Catastrophe and beyond.
So brilliantly written and researched, this book is hard to put down, and one which stays with the reader long after the finish.
I cannot recommend it highly enough.