Children Of The Bird Goddess: A Macedonian Autobiography
by Kita Sapurma and Pandora Petrovska
Children of the Bird Goddess: A Macedonian Autobiography of Kita Sapurma
is an oral history that spans over 100 years and explores the lives
of four generations of Macedonian women from Aegean Macedonia (northern
Greece).
Commencing in the 19th Century when Macedonia was under the Ottoman
Empire, the family’s story is interwoven with the upheavals of
the Balkan Wars, the Greek takeover and colonization of half of Macedonia,
the two World Wars, and the Macedonian struggle for independence during
the Greek Civil War.
Amid this historical turbulence, the book is a detailed portrayal of
Macedonian village life and culture as practised over the centuries.
It offers a personal account of Macedonian women’s culture, giving
a women’s perspective on the Macedonian lifestyle, its spirituality
of the land, and many of the most important Macedonian customs and rituals
which have been passed from mother to daughter down the generations.
The story is also a moving account of political and cultural oppression
and the tragic effects on the family’s lives and fortunes. This
legacy becomes an integral part of Australia’s history as the family,
along with thousands of other Macedonians, eventually flees Greece and
must manage the joys and difficulties of setting up anew in Australia.
One of the first autobiographies in English of a woman from Aegean
Macedonia, Children Of The Bird Goddess will intrigue and enlighten.
Its telling is about healing, and breaking the silence and invisibility
of Macedonian women.
The book is A$20. The prices below include postage in Australia and
overseas airmail.
Children of the Bird Goddess, Paperback, 168 pages, A5 size, Four colour
celloglazed cover. The book was first published in 1997 and sold out
and was reprinted in 2019. Published by Pollitecon Publications, ISBN
978-0-9586789-1-9
Prices below include postage, and in Australia GST.
To download a form that you can mail, email or fax, Click
Here.
