A general reader not that steeped in history is aware of the general story of WWII as in the broad strokes etched in films and literature generally, which tells more about the west, some about Russian, and very little about how the war affected the smaller nations caught willy nilly in the conflict that killed millions in war and genocide. From Scandinavia to Poland to Central European smaller nations to Balkan theater, people were affected in ways that left little hope or escape for them - and of these the role of Turkey isn't much known. This story fills in some of the gaps, although it uses historic facts to tell about characters not claimed here to be historical. Which is no deterrent to the learning of history of the time and place, and about what people went through.
Turkey had sided with Germany in WWI, and since become a republic; the nation had been broken into over half a dozen parts since, from a claim to landmass covering from central Asia to Egypt and Arabia, to a small rectangle across the straits that divided Asia from Europe. Turkey was desperately trying to retain its dual character then as now, to keep the best of east and west as people saw fit, and too to keep neutral in the war. This last was not that easy, with both sides pressuring her to join them, but neither promising help in actually fighting, in terms of weapons and ammunitions.
The story here is about people navigating the safety of their lives while France is occupied, and the people who had taken residence or citizenship in France for one reason or another having to escape again to Turkey.
For Turkey took the position that she did not discriminate its citizens on basis of faith or race, and must and shall save all she can, despite German insistence about extermination of all Jews.
Turkey had officials in place in France who arranged for a carriage to take such people from Paris to Istanbul, and the tale gravitates towards this event, while relating the personal stories of various characters and the history of Jewish diaspora in Turkey that were refugees from Spain when in 1492 the supposedly just and fair couple, Ferdinand and Isabella, expelled them and ordered them executed if not gone, and furthermore ordered them to liquidate their properties in Spain and leave the money, gold and all else behind.
Turkey had then specifically invited them to come to Turkey, where they lived in peace and prospered, until the turn of century when many relocated to France. They had kept their language, cuisine and so on as they had brought it from Spain, and found a cultural resonance in France. Until the German occupation.
This story is about the train journey of those people, returning from France to Turkey.
For those unaware about the general widespread nature of colourful variety of eyes and hair outside Europe, perhaps there are surprises. For those more aware of the world and that light coloured hair and eyes are not unknown, even relatively less infrequent than thought in Europe or US, through Asia albeit not far east, - not that much surprise in that respect.
