Inspired by the intimate diaries of a refugee family, Children of War is an evocative novel that seamlessly intertwines the allure, complexity, and scars of Crete's storied past to tell the intimate tale of an ordinary man caught in the vortex of extraordinary times.For fifteen generations, Hassanakis's family has called Crete home, and he's always seen himself as a true Cretan. Yet, as the world around him is engulfed in the chaos of collapsing empires and simmering conflicts, Hassanakis finds himself at the crossroads of identity. In the face of escalating ethnic violence, his family's flight to Chania becomes a poignant journey of survival.Amid the turmoil, Hassanakis weaves new roots, donning distinctive attire that earns him the nickname'Hassan the mirror'. As World War I reaches its crescendo and the Turkish War of Independence rages on, a profound romance ignites between him and the graceful Hüsniye. But soon the prospect of being uprooted to a foreign Turkey becomes a chilling reality. Can he fathom leaving behind the life he's built for a land where he's a stranger?

Ahmet Yorulmaz was a Turkish a journalist, author and translator. He was born in Ayvalik to a family of Cretan Turks deported to mainland Turkey as part of the Greek-Turkish population exchange decreed in the Treaty of Lausanne. He was fluent in modern Greek and translated novels and poems from contemporary Greek literature to Turkish. Most of his original works were written with the aim of making people learn about Ayvalk, the city where he grew up. He dedicated himselfto Greek-Turkish friendship and rapprochement.