Description
Book Synopsis: Winner of the Bernard J. Brommel Award for Biography & Memoir (Midland Authors Book Award)
Finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award
A historical tapestry of border-crossing travelers, of students, wanderers, martyrs and invaders, The White Mosque is a memoiristic, prismatic record of a journey through Uzbekistan and of the strange shifts, encounters, and accidents that combine to create an identity.
In the late nineteenth century, a group of German-speaking Mennonites traveled from Russia into Central Asia, where their charismatic leader predicted Christ would return.
Over a century later, Sofia Samatar joins a tour following their path, fascinated not by the hardships of their journey, but by its aftermath: the establishment of a small Christian village in the Muslim Khanate of Khiva. Named Ak Metchet, “The White Mosque,” after the Mennonites’ whitewashed church, the village lasted for fifty years.
In pursuit of this curious history, Samatar discovers a variety of characters whose lives intersect around the ancient Silk Road, from a fifteenth-century astronomer-king, to an intrepid Swiss woman traveler of the 1930s, to the first Uzbek photographer, and explores such topics as Central Asian cinema, Mennonite martyrs, and Samatar’s own complex upbringing as the daughter of a Swiss-Mennonite and a Somali-Muslim, raised as a Mennonite of color in America.
A secular pilgrimage to a lost village and a near-forgotten history, The White Mosque traces the porous and ever-expanding borders of identity, asking: How do we enter the stories of others? And how, out of the tissue of life, with its weird incidents, buried archives, and startling connections, does a person construct a self?
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Immerse yourself in a mesmerizing journey through the ancient Silk Road with "The White Mosque: A Memoir". Winner of the prestigious Bernard J. Brommel Award for Biography & Memoir, this book is a historical tapestry of border-crossing travelers, wanderers, martyrs, and invaders. Discover the strange shifts, encounters, and accidents that combine to create a fascinating identity, woven together in this prismatic memoir.
Join author Sofia Samatar as she traces the steps of a group of German-speaking Mennonites who traveled from Russia into Central Asia over a century ago, guided by the charismatic prediction of Christ's return. Walk in their footsteps and witness the establishment of a small Christian village, Ak Metchet, "The White Mosque," in the Muslim Khanate of Khiva. Marvel at the resilience of a village that thrived for fifty years, defying the odds in a land of cultural juxtaposition.
Dive deep into a world of captivating characters whose lives intersect along the historic Silk Road. Encounter a fifteenth-century astronomer-king, an adventurous Swiss woman traveler of the 1930s, and the first Uzbek photographer. Explore captivating topics such as Central Asian cinema, Mennonite martyrs, and the author's own complex upbringing as a Swiss-Mennonite and Somali-Muslim, raised as a Mennonite of color in America.
The White Mosque is not just a book – it is a secular pilgrimage to a lost village and a near-forgotten history. Embark on an unforgettable journey of self-discovery as you navigate the porous and ever-expanding borders of identity. Learn how the tissue of life, with its weird incidents, buried archives, and startling connections, contributes to the construction of one's own self.
Don't miss out on this extraordinary memoir that illuminates the rich tapestry of human experiences. Enter the stories of others and be inspired by the remarkable resilience of the human spirit. Purchase "The White Mosque: A Memoir" now and embark on a captivating literary adventure.
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