Publisher's Synopsis
"I call heroes those who sacrifice themselves for others, not those who sacrifice others for themselves." This is one of the many lessons gleaned from the autobiography of one of Albania's foremost national heroes.
Sevasti Kyrias-Dako, known in Albanian as Sevasti Qiriazi, was the first Albanian girl to receive a higher education. She grew up in Monastir (Bitola), Macedonia, attended Protestant mission schools in Monastir and Istanbul, then went to Korça, Albania in 1891 to help establish the Albanian Girls' School with her brother Gerasim. She taught the Albanian language in the face of strong opposition. She witnessed Albania's progression from its last years under Ottoman rule, to independence and successive governments, and through world wars and occupations, until the beginning of the communist era. She wrote her memoirs in English but they were never published until 2016. Mini Reviews:"In telling the story of the Kyrias sisters, we are telling the story of the educational movement in Albania, a story of achievement and romance."
-HESTER JENKINS, educator and biographer "Never should we deny or forget the great service done by a 'national nest' that became a hub and a fortress where national feelings and sparks both gathered and spread. This "nest" was the Girls' School in Kortcha."
-MIHAL GRAMENO, Albanian writer, publisher, and warrior "The school of the Kyrias sisters has elevated us in the eyes of the world as people of progress for the Albanian Idea. It revived the idealism of our Renaissance. Among Albanian mothers, the school awakened feelings for the preservation of our nation, as Carmen Sylvia has expressed so well: 'The woman weaves the future of the nation.'"
-ASDRENI, Albanian poet, patriot, and author of the Albanian national anthem "One of the first apostles of the Albanian language who embraced the holy but extremely dangerous idea of writing the Albanian language within Albania.... When we speak of her bold actions, brave resistance, and unrivaled patriotic service, the name of Miss Sevasti Kyrias is revered as a heroine."
-PANDELI EVANGJELI, two-time prime minister of Albania "Pure inspiration, poetry and song. Sevasti's work is a call to the younger generation. It is the symbol of liberty and progress. It is a call to restore Albania's honor to new heights, as every Albanian employs their knowledge and efforts so that Albania may one day be listed among the most developed European nations."
-DHIMITER DISHNICA, Albanian scholar, in "Motrat Qiriazi" ("The Kyrias Sisters")
