TORONTO, April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In her debut novel "Wounded Dove in Honor and Disgrace" (http://www.booksbymarta.com), Marta Trklja presents a historical drama portraying a woman's struggle to save her family honor amidst the political and social collision between Muslim and Christian civilizations.

"Wounded Dove in Honor and Disgrace" (CreateSpace, December 2010, $19.99) begins in the 16th-century village of Grujica's Bridge in Eastern Herzegovina, near the Adriatic Sea. "Although the events in this novel took place centuries ago, I wanted to recreate true-to-life characters that reflect the reality of that time, where both Ottoman Turks and Christians were victims of the circumstances surrounding them," said Trklja.

The story provides an especially realistic depiction of the lives of women and their reaction to the oppressive conditions under which the Ottoman Turks made them live. When the Turks demand the seven-year-old son of the main character, Angelina, as a "blood tax," the stress of the separation causes her to miscarry. To make matters worse, her husband, Delimir, is imprisoned in the Ottoman Turkish dungeons, which no one has ever survived.

Angelina struggles to keep what is left of her household intact during the following year and a half of severe drought. Finally, she is presented with an opportunity to secure Delimir's release but is it at too high a cost? And will she ever see her son again?

"Angelina is prepared to take drastic measures by crossing the pre-set boundaries of convention and of natural law," explained Trklja. "Her situation, and the courage with which she faces it, will touch a cord within readers."

As a child in former Yugoslavia, Trklja loved to hear and read stories of the past. After migrating to Canada, she completed an undergraduate double major in English and Classical Studies and then a master's in English literature. "The Classical Studies courses provided lots of material, and my master's thesis on the concept of honor in Serbian oral poetry helped deepen my interest in the subject," she said. "After my formal studies, I wanted to understand this part of my birthplace's history a little better, and research for this book helped greatly."

"Wounded Dove" is available as an e-book and printed paperback from Amazon and LuLu.

Author Bio:

Marta Pravica Trklja was born in former Yugoslavia, and immigrated to Canada in order to escape the political instability Europe faced in the mid-60s.

In addition to teaching Business English at Sheridan College, Trklja has held a position as a career advisor at York University. She has written three novels, of which "Wounded Dove in Honor and Disgrace" is the first published work. For this project, Trklja was awarded the Toronto Arts Council Grant for Work in Progress.

About the Book:

Wounded Dove in Honor and Disgrace
By Marta Trklja
Printed by CreateSpace
Release: December 2010
(ISBN 10) 1453820000
(ISBN 13) 978-1453820001
Price: $19.99

Contact:

Marta Pravica Trklja
416-622-6178
marta@booksbymarta.com

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SOURCE Marta Trklja