02905cam a22003853u 4500 66019 UtSlPG 20260610134526.0 m cr n 260607r20211914utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 DR PS Vaka, Demetra, 1877-1946 A Child of the Orient Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2021 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Release date is 2021-08-09 The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) "A Child of the Orient" by Demetra Vaka is a semi-autobiographical novel written in the early 20th century. It chronicles the life of a young Greek girl growing up in a world deeply marked by cultural tension and the legacy of historical conflict between Greeks and Turks. The book explores themes of identity, heritage, and the complexities of friendship against the backdrop of nationalistic fervor. The protagonist's relationships, particularly with her Turkish friend Kiamelé, serve to illustrate the duality of her upbringing and the strife between her cultural allegiance and personal affections. The opening of the novel introduces us to the protagonist on her fifth birthday, where her grand-uncle presents her with a small Greek flag, symbolizing her heritage and the weight of history that accompanies it. Their conversation highlights the expectations of hatred toward Turks, which clashes with her innocent attachment to her Turkish attendant, Kiamelé. As the chapters progress, we see the girl's growing awareness of the political and cultural divides that shape her world, alongside her innocent friendships with Turkish children, which complicate her understanding of loyalty and hate. This introduction sets the stage for a rich exploration of her internal conflict and the interplay between love and prejudice as she navigates her childhood amidst a politically charged environment. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Originally published: UK: John Lane, The Bodley Head, 1914 Women -- United States -- Biography Immigrants -- United States -- Biography Vaka, Demetra, 1877-1946 Greeks -- Turkey -- 19th century -- Biography Girls -- Turkey -- 19th century -- Biography Christians -- Turkey -- 19th century -- Biography Turkey -- History -- Ottoman Empire, 1288-1918 https://archive.org/details/childoforient00vakarich https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/66019 106841 106841