Yank on the Hill

About the Book

Yank on the Hill is about growing up.

A young American attempts to leave the Plains behind as the 60s end on Long Island with on-campus lunacy and off-campus opulence. The bookworm is turned on his head by the militant faculty, the police raids, and the needy Turkish girl who abandons him. Steeped in counterculture, looking to renew the adventure beyond graduation, he takes his act on the road to Istanbul as a teacher of English literature. His idealism is smashed against the battle scars of his elder brother throughout their asynchronous journeys. Spun across three continents along the whims of the governments, and the diverse women of the prairie, the continent and the exotic east, the tale slowly unravels the two brothers' emotional baggage through sex, war, drugs, patriotism, and upbringing. The women in their lives represent the liberation saga of opinionated daughters, rich and poor at the same time, trekking without taking any prisoners when given the chance.

The mayhem of student demonstrations, sensual excesses, living with an oil embargo, Nixon's last days, and the Bicentennial sobering provide the background. The calm of the prairie provides the abyss.

This is a raw political novel which examines the 20th century through the eyes of an activist.

About the Author

Levent Gulari is an Istanbul-born New Yorker.