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Ali and Nino would be a quite convential written love story apart from a few facts. Firstly, the book is set in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, oil-reach trans-Caucasian country which many people would not be able place on the map. The time frame is the turbulent beginning of the last century, the first oil boom, the Russian revolution, the Young Turks and the fall of Osman empire are just a few cataclysms affecting the region. Secondly, the author of the book is unknown. The book is written from the perspective of Ali, the young and rich Muslim Prince. But the most likely author is a Jewish exile in Europe Lev Nisselbaum who has converted into Islam during his time in Germany and was known there as Essad-Bey. And lastly, the book was first published in 1937 in Germany - very unusual place and time for such a novel.

I would recommend to read this book if you are interested in the atmosphere and the history of the place. The book is brilliant in describing the Caucasian region at the beginning of the last century. I could not stop but feeling that the destiny of Caucasus falling under the Soviet rule was not inevitable at all. Instead it was the one of the cruel cards served to the region in geopolitical games between the big powers. Obviously a bit idealised, but Baku is described as a cosmopolitan vibrant rich city where Muslims, Christians and foreigners live together in a relative piece. It was the fringe of the Russian Empire before the revolution. However, strong case for the independence of the region really existed when the Empire has started to crumble. Apart from Azerbaijan the main characters take us to Iran, Georgia and Dagestan. The sense of place is always vivid: Georgian hospitality, Persian sleepiness at the time, the simple life with the elements in a mountain village in Dagestan. One can learn a lot of history in this slim novel. There is also a powerful insight into a Muslim’s male mind. The main character is in love with the Georgian girl who is obviously Christian, cosmopolitan and does not want to compromise her identity beyond a certain measure. She, for example refuses, to cover her face. He, on the other hand, is trying to understand better where are the limits of his faith.

This is very ancient enigmatic region. Armenia and Georgia existed well before any concept of Europe. There predated the Byzantine Empire as well and were the ones of the first places in the world adopting Christianity. Azerbaijan was the part of Persia, I believe. That is why they are Shiite Muslims. The book and the stories within it have resonated with me on personal level. It reminded me the well forgotten trip of my youth. The one of my first ever trips in fact. When I was 16, the group from my school, has travelled on the train from Kiev to Baku. The train journey took 70 hours one way. When we arrived in Baku I felt that the ground literally moved under my feet for a day after that train’s vibration. But before we arrived, we experienced a lot of cultural shocks. The group contained around 6 girls. On the last day of our journey, two things happened. First, we have seen the desert and proper caravan of camels travelling behind the windows of the train. I had an impression the caravan was going quicker than we. Secondly, our group leader, the young man of around 25 was approached by the group of Azerbaijani looking men with the business offer to sell us (6 girls) for a good price. Fortunately, we did not know what the men were talking about. But they look very amiable and smiling. Again, fortunately for us, our group leader has rejected their proposition saying he needs us for other things. The simple word of our leader seemed to be more powerful than the legal aspect of the suggested proceedings. So we were left alone, at least for a time being. The city, when we arrived seemed empty, the powerful winds were blown alone the streets. So when Baku was mentioned as a city of winds in the novel, it brought back a vivid memory. We’ve seen the Maiden tower - beautiful medieval construction which is as well mentioned in the book. We did not venture far enough without our sympathetic young local guide. But he took us into very weird places like an illegal leather shop. It was the time when the shelves of the proper shops were totally empty anywhere in the disintegrating Soviet Union. So he probably wanted to please us. But we did not have money anyway. We’ve also visited a Chikhana - the place where men only were having tea from very small cups while biting sugar stones. What was also striking how friendly the people were towards each other. One might stop a trolleybus anywhere by just raising a hand. It was the end pf 1989 I believe. We left and in a few months Baku has become a centre of the bloody events . I could not believe the news. The last time something similar took place was the time of Ali and Nino.

Ok, back to the book. The life story of its alleged writer, Lev Nisselbaum was so dramatic that it was become the subject of the book itself The Orientalist: Solving the Mystery of a Strange and Dangerous Life. The american journalist Tom Reiss has followed the traces of Lev from Baku to Berlin and later to Italy were Lev died prematurely in 1942. Someone called "Ali and Nino� Azerbaijan’s “Doctor Zhivago�. There are certainly a lot of similarities. However, the Pasternak’s book is much stronger work of literature. “Ali and Nino� is a profound document to the time and place, very moving, but the storytelling is relatively straightforward and a bit of overdramatising sometimes. However, it contains a lot of interesting details about the cataclysms in the region and a moving love story. I personally was also grateful for the opportunity of re-living some moments of my 16-year old self which the book has dogged out from my memory.