Magpie's Tale

Anna Odland Portisch has taught at the School of Oriental and African Studies and Brunel University.

“What starts as an account of cultural encounters unfolds as a highly informative, entertaining, self-reflexive narrative told with a great measure of empathy and humanism that demonstrates the ultimate unity of humanity.” • Ildikó Bellér-Hann, University of Copenhagen“I very much enjoyed reading this book. It is both insightful and touching to follow the story of one extended family over the years, and well into the past. In my view, this adds a significant piece of knowledge and reflection on a very little-known part of the world, to which the author had a unique access.” • Peter Finke, University of Zurich

• List of IllustrationsNotes on TransliterationFamily TreeMap of Central and Inner Asia TodayIntroductionPart I: First IntroductionsChapter 1. BeginningsChapter 2. RelationsChapter 3. Ölgii TownChapter 4. Drive to SoghakhChapter 5. First Days with the FamilyChapter 6. Two HorsemenChapter 7. Nighttime and Morning RitualsPart II: TransitionsChapter 8. The Young AccountantChapter 9. The LetterChapter 10. The First House in the First StreetChapter 11. Thinking about the PastChapter 12. The Age of the MarketChapter 13. Thick as CreamChapter 14. Saving GracesPart III: DecisionsChapter 15. Living ArrangementsChapter 16. The People Who MoveChapter 17. The Winter SlaughterChapter 18. Silver FlowerChapter 19. French ExtraordinairesChapter 20. Daughters-in-LawChapter 21. The Young UnclePart IV: Into the PastChapter 22. The Shaman’s SonChapter 23. The Closure of the SteppeChapter 24. The Mongols of the WestChapter 25. New Year’s EveChapter 26. Kazakhs and Western MongolsChapter 27. Night-time WalkChapter 28. Cossack Warriors and Settler PioneersChapter 29. A People Frozen in TimeChapter 30. Four BrothersPart V: New FuturesChapter 31. Across the BorderChapter 32. A Scar NecklaceChapter 33. A New HomelandChapter 34. Family TiesChapter 35. Kazakh Rebel Fighters of the AltaiChapter 36. One Hundred Percent KazakhChapter 37. The Red TerrorChapter 38. Kurban AitChapter 39. Mongolia’s Rich CradlePart VI: Broken TiesChapter 40. StuckChapter 41.The Strong-Willed GirlChapter 42. Dimpled BakhytbekChapter 43. A Short BreakChapter 44. Broken CrownChapter 45. The VisitorChapter 46. Journey to KazakhstanPart VII: New Worlds, Old TiesChapter 47. Two WorldsChapter 48. Brave New WorldChapter 49. A First WeddingChapter 50. Elnara’s JourneyChapter 51. An Autumn WeddingConclusion: A Magpie’s TaleBibliographyIndex