AN EXTRAORDINARY TALE FROM A MAJOR STORYTELLER BRINGS THE KHAZARS TO LIFE

Marek Halter's Novel The Wind of the Khazars to be
released in November 2003

"With love for each of his characters, Marek Halter deftly mixes history and fiction."
                                                                                                     - LE FIGARO

"An entrancing story on a Jewish Atlantis that has lain dormant for centuries."
                                                                                                     - L'EXPRESS

"It would be an immeasurable gift to receive a sign from the Almighty."

That is precisely what happened to Bulan, mighty King of the Khazar warrior nation. In an extraordinary and unprecedented step for a ruler in the eighth century - and indeed, in any age - Bulan converted himself and his people to Judaism. The story of the Khazars comes to vivid, unforgettable life in Marek Halter's latest novel, an epic saga that spans a thousand years.

When writer Marc Sofer is invited to speak at a conference, he is approached in turn by a strange man bearing an ancient Khazarian coin, and a beautiful, elusive woman who challenges him to find a cause worth writing about. Intrigued, Sofer finds himself investigating the enigma of the Khazars. The beautiful Khazarian princess Attex and her story spring to life in his imagination, and we are drawn into their world - but it is the face of the elusive beauty that Attex wears. Why did these Steppe warriors decide to become Jews? Why, after centuries of power and prosperity, were they totally effaced from history? And what is the connection between this ancient people, and the terrorist group attacking oil installations in the Caucasus who call themselves the New Khazars? Is the mysterious woman who fills Sofer's thoughts day and night linked to them? Will he find her again?

Interweaving the fascinating story of the Khazars with contemporary political intrigue that stretches from England and France to Azerbaijan, THE WIND OF THE KHAZARS (Toby Press, November 5, 2003, $19.95) is an absorbing, dramatic tale-part historical novel, part thriller-blending reality and fiction in a powerful exploration of history and identity.

Marek Halter is one of the world's most compelling storytellers. His Book of Abraham, soon to be reissued by Toby Press, sold more than five million copies worldwide. Halter was born in Warsaw in 1936. He escaped from the Nazis with his family by crawling through the sewers under the Warsaw Ghetto. He has lived in France since 1950. In addition to being a writer, Halter is also an artist and a human rights activist.