BALLAD OF FORGOTTEN YEARS by Abish Kekilbayev

Here is a novella of ancient times, of savage retribution - of torture and hostage-taking - between the feuding Kazakhs and Turkmen. It tells of crude chieftainly honour and vengeance. Its material is drawn from the oral tradition and folk memory of today`s Kazakhs, whose nomadic way of life was sacrificed to Communism generations ago. It is a product of meticulous research. The single redemptive theme is that of music, specifically the lute in the hands of a young Turkman heir to the chieftaincy, Daulet, who strives to end the vendetta by the beauty of his art. The consequences of Daulet`s endeavour and sublime gift are gruesome. Yet in the end this is a story with a most powerful moral.