The first book is a historical
novel, Escape from Smyrna. I wanted to write the kind of book I enjoy
reading on a trip or on vacation – a puzzle, a good mystery with drama,
colorful characters, vivid settings, and a touch of humor. It took me a long time, but I’m happy with
the result – and so is everyone who has read it so far.
Escape from Smyrna unveils the intertwining histories of three families, Anglo-American,Turkish, and Greek, bound together by an ancient necklace that incites violence yet has powers of healing and redemption.
It is 1982. Four Swiss hippies steal a gold locket from a chapel on a barren Greek island. Soon after, it appears for sale in Istanbul's Covered Bazaar. Oran Crossmoor, a 26-year-old American, buys the locket, recognizing it as part of a lost family heirloom, a necklace of four medieval reliquaries. When he shows it to Leyla Aslanoglu, a rich, witty octogenarian friend of his mother, she claims it as treasure of her family. Neither Oran nor Leyla has any idea that the answer to their conflict over the necklace lies in a dramatic escape from Smyrna decades earlier ...
The
second book, Anatolian Images, is a
collection of short articles about Turkey that my late friend, Toni Cross,
wrote for the newsletter, “Ankara Scene.”
Ancient, medieval, modern; history and archaeology but also tips for shopping
and quick getaways – Toni’s Turkey was
rich, varied, fun, and sometimes deeply moving.
As co-editor (with Patricia Ülkü), I have read the articles countless
times, but every time I pick up the book and start to read I can still hear
Toni’s voice. I love the pictures,
too. A wonderful book, both for those
new to Turkey and for those familiar with it.
"Toni Cross's work informs, delights, and captivates. Her knowledge of Turkey transcends time and place, but is always presented with wit and affection. Readers will share her enthusiasm, see Turkey through her sharp and gleaming eye, and come away with a truly unique perspective and an in-depth knowledge of Turkey past and present."
Robert Finn, Visiting Scholar, Columbia University
Charles Gates, Escape from Smyrna. Winchester, UK: Top Hat Books, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-78099-849-7 (www.tophat-books.com)
Toni M. Cross, Anatolian Images. Edited by Charles Gates and Patricia
Ülkü. Istanbul: Libra Books, 2013. ISBN: 978-605-4326-77-8. (www.librabooks.com.tr)
