Stories From Izmir and Beyond

Following their harrowing Escape from Tirana in the first book, the young Prishtina family decides to leave Italy and begin a new life in the enchanting city of Izmir on the Aegean coast of Turkey. Hysen and Stella Velle Prishtina have quite a few adjustments to make, including learning the Turkish language, finding work opportunities, and acclimating to a new culture while maintaining their pride and identity as Albanians. As a young boy, the author recounts charming tales of childhood adventures and daily life growing up as the third of four children in Turkey. Bashkim Prishtina takes over the narrative as he matures, eventually leaving Turkey to attend university in Italy, his mother's native country, again adjusting to a new language and customs. He shares his firsthand experience as a young man living through European social reforms and experiencing first love during the Cultural Revolution of the Sixties. Economic opportunities and political activism lead the family on to Brussels, Belgium, then to Toronto, Canada. Eventually Bashkim establishes himself and his career in San Francisco, California. This memoir is a testament to the resilience of and successful passage made by the author and his family through Europe as they hold tightly to their family values and find a new home in the heart of North America.