The Balkan Air

(Paperback)

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Alexander starts his life in a pre-birth Heaven where souls wait to be assigned an identity and sent to Earth. As a lousy student, he struggles to follow the heavenly authorities' formal instructions. By a strange turn of luck, he is sent to a town in Bosnia and Herzegovina called Herontown (Capljina). He falls in love with the beauty of Herzegovina and meets Ronnie, who offers him a way to stay even though he is supposed to return to Heaven. Alexander is born to a Muslim family as Ahmet. And the adventure begins...

Reviews

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Balkan Air is a work of fiction in the fantasy, adventure, and cultural genres, intended for the young adult reading audience. Penned by author Aydin Kavara, the plot follows Alexander, a soul in pre-birth Heaven, as he struggles with formal instructions from heavenly authorities. Through luck, he is sent to Herontown in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he falls in love with the region's beauty. Meeting Ronnie, he's offered a chance to stay on Earth despite being meant to return to Heaven. Born as Ahmet into a Muslim family, Alexander embarks on an adventure in Herzegovina.

Author Aydin Kavara has a unique concept for this novel that offers a truly captivating journey into the realms of pre-birth Heaven and earthly existence. There's an interesting mix of spiritual beliefs and fantasy concepts, which combine with the rich cultural tapestry of Bosnia and Herzegovina when Alexander arrives on Earth, creating a narrative that is both thought-provoking and educationally valuable. Alexander's struggles are well-realized with strong speech and thought presentation to allow readers access deep into his psyche and feelings, offering a unique perspective on identity, fate, and the human experience. The vivid descriptions of otherworldly locations and real-world vistas are highly atmospheric and evoke a sense of wonder and nostalgia that really matches the overall tone of the work. Alexander grapples with questions of purpose and belonging, yet everything is balanced so that young adults and adult readers can get something poignant from the work. Overall, The Balkan Air is a captivating blend of fantasy and cultural exploration that I would not hesitate to recommend.

Author Bio

Aydin Kavara is a PhD chemist with a focus in biotechnology. He was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a part of Yugoslavia, and lived there until he was 13. During the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s, he moved to Turkey, where he spent four years before moving to the United States. Issues of war, immigration, alienation, and identity have shaped Aydin's life. Having experienced the East, the West, and the in-between while growing up, he feels uniquely qualified to write on these topics. While he enjoys the world of chemistry and science, he believes objective scientific reality has limits. He chooses to write from a fantastical point of view as an act of exploration and discovery. Aydin is the author of numerous publications in chemistry. He studied British literature at Grand Valley State University and currently lives in New England.