Feride and Nilüfer lead a elegant and comfortable life in Turkish aristocratic society until their lives are turned upside down by Atatürk’s fight for independence after WWI. Finding strength and courage they didn’t know they had, the women become pioneers for the freedom of their countrywomen.
When their husbands leave to join general Atatürk in the fight for a new Turkey, Feride and Nilüfer dress in disguises and follow them. Through rain and mud and past glittering snowy peaks, the inexperienced women are plunged into hardships they had never dreamed of – living with the roar of Greek guns, fearing the horrors of military disaster. The magnetic Atatürk, having led his forces victoriously against the Greeks, proceeded to cajole and bully his people into trading the fez for hats and adopting a new alphabet. Almost overnight, Atatürk- with the help of courageous women like Feride – turned Turkey into a 20th-century nation.
“Absorbing reading…There’s color in the rich tapestry of Turkish custom and thought; there are vivid scenes and live characters.” – Kirkus
