A Girl From Neret

By Lefa Ognenova-Michova & Kathleen Mitsou-Lazaridis

A Girl From Neret is the first book about the picturesque mountain
village of Neret in Aegean Macedonia, which since 1912 has been part of northern Greece.

Written in English, the book is an autobiography by Lefa Ognenova-Michova and her daughter Kathleen Mitsou-Lazaridis, telling of Lefa's childhood in her village and capturing many of the details and characters of family and village life in the 1940s.

It also tells of life during the Macedonian War of Independence that was part of the Greek Civil War, and how Lefa, at the age of nine, becomes a child refugee. Along with thousands of other Macedonian children she leaves her village and homeland and begins a long journey that takes her through Macedonia and eastern Europe to Hungary. Living with other Macedonian children, she is educated and grows into a young woman before finally being reunited with her family in Australia over seven years later.

The family builds a new life in Manjimup in the south west of Western Australia where Lefa marries and she and her young family later move to Melbourne and Perth.

A Girl From Neret is a first hand account of a childhood in an old Macedonian village, and a child's view of a War that has affected many thousands of Macedonian families. It is also a strong story of how Australia has allowed its troubled immigrants to rebuild their lives and flourish in a land free from poverty, war and political oppression.

A Girl From Neret is the eighth Macedonian book published by Pollitecon Publications. It is available in Australia for $15, which includes postage and GST. Overseas airmail is A$20.

A Girl From Neret, Paperback, 124 pages, Four colour celloglazed cover, ISBN 0 978-0-9586789-9-5

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Radio Interview with author, Kathy Mitsou-Lazaridis