Littéraires - The Footnote Princess - Basheer Hadi

UNITED KINGDOM – Having stumbled upon the true love story of Princess Azzah and Tassos Charalampis completely by chance, Basheer Hadi put his time during the Covid lockdowns to good use – and penned The Footnote Princess.

Set in Italy, Greece and the Middle East, this stunning first work of fiction, brings to life the story of an Iraqi princess that gave up everything for love, but ended up with a broken marriage, rejected by her family and living in poverty in a world stalked by the spectre of war.

Not only showcasing his eloquent writing and aptitude for storytelling, this newly found hobby also highlights the author’s meticulous attention to detail,  which is honed daily in his job as a lawyer.

Beautiful and tragic in equal measure,The Footnote Princess is an unputdownable novel that wraps a true story in a fictional cocoon, whilst ensuring that one of the twentieth century’s saddest love stories isn’t forgotten in the annals of history.

Synopsis:

When Dr Nadia Harris inherits a London property from an unknown benefactor, her academic research skills take on a forensic precision. She uncovers the tragic details of the real-life love affair between Tassos and Princess Azzah: a love that spanned the decades and had its roots in a war-torn Europe and a Middle-East that, though clinging onto tradition, was battling against a painful, imposed identity crisis.

Her research provides Tassos Charalampis with a life-changing revelation, while he - now an old man - becomes increasingly eager to share his epic love story with her. Nadia also comes to view and understand her own enigmatic childhood and heritage from a new perspective.

“For all the love that could have been…” So runs the novel’s dedication. The wasted potential, the cruelty of fate, together with the ruthless machinations of global politics, are set against the backdrops of a Baghdad palace, an Italy in turmoil under Il Duce, and the beauty and simplicity of the Dodecanese; an azure island home with its enchanting history of sponge-fishing and its equally enchanting readiness to embrace 'the footnote princess’.

If you loved Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Hadi's wonderfully-researched, lyrical novel will steal your heart.

Garnering five-star reviews, Amazon customers say of this compelling and touching novel:

“Fantastically well written book. Basheer tells a story that will leave you struggling to put the book down. A great version of a very interesting love story. I would definitely recommend buying the book.” – Cameron Scott

“Nicely adapted tale of true historical events written in the form of a gripping yarn.
Meticulously researched, and the events are beautifully weaved into the international intrigue and plots of that era.” – M Jamil

“Extremely well written, riveting and engaging novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it opened my eyes to a tragic true story that very few are aware of. Highly recommend.” – F Zak

“A very interesting, intriguing and well researched novel. It is amazing that very few people in Iraq have heard of this princess. One thing though, I didn’t like putting the princess’s letter to Tassos in such a small frame, at my age I needed a magnifying glass to read it. Excellent first work” - Laith A Naaman – Amazon US

About the author:

Born in Kingston-Upon-Thames, England, Basheer grew up in England with parents of Iraqi origin. He graduated with a degree in politics, philosophy and law from King’s College, London in 2018.

 Working as a lawyer, he continues to divide his time between London and the Middle East, and remains actively interested in history, politics and journalism. At the age of 25, during the global pandemic lockdown of 2020, Basheer was inspired to write his first fiction novel when quite by chance he heard of the story of Princess Azzah. The author researched the events extensively and this book is the outcome. He is planning to publish his second novel soon.

Editeur : Huge Jam 

Nombre de pages : 253 pages

Prix : 12,99 euros