Farewell My Beautiful Homeland

Taking place in Istanbul, Salonika, Paris and Macedonia between 1908 and 1926, Farewell, My Beautiful Homeland is the story of lives that have been turned upside down by rebellion, revolution and war. It is the story of the Greek declaration of independence, of the Jews of Salonika being forced into exile, of the Bulgarians fighting for their independence and of the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the struggle to create a new nation out of its crumbling ruins. It is also the story of one man’s search for his true calling amidst the chaos of a turbulent historical era, the story of a man caught between his love for his country and his love for his woman. Farewell, My Beautiful Homeland is a story of unfulfilled dreams and the call of history. And underpinning it all is one fundamental question, one fundamental struggle: which takes precedence – the state or the people?

Both long time devotees of the Guatemalan mask/dance culture and newcomers to the subject will be equally fascinated by this colorful and informative book. Hundreds of masks, many accompanied by contextual photographs, appear in full color and are identified in detail. The author also explains how to evaluate the age of a mask through an examination of patina and repair. Village rental agencies, calledmorarias,their walls and ceilings covered with costumes and masks, are also featured, as are masks used by life-size folk saints. Several original dance scripts have been translated, giving the reader the rare opportunity to view the relationship of the masked characters to their place in the ritual dance culture.