By Gjekë Gjonaj
Tomë Berishaj, who lives in Detroit in the United States of America, recently published his sixth book “The shed blood of Arbër”. This work is divided into prose, poetry and folklore.
In the first chapter of the book the author writes about the historical past of the Albanians, about the creation of the Albanian state, about the crimes of the Serbo-Montenegrin army against the Albanians during 1912-1913, about the overthrow of the democratic Government of Fan Noli, the contribution of Serbs and Greeks in the overthrow of this government and for some injustices of Europe towards the Albanians.
In the second chapter Berishaj treats the resistance of the highlanders from the point of view of Father Anton Harapi. In the third chapter he tries to address the assimilation of Albanians, the stripping of national consciousness and the flight of Albanians from identity. In the fourth chapter
The fifth chapter of the book is with poems in which the patriotic motive dominates. In these poems the author expresses his preoccupation with the bitter fate of the Albanian people and their homeland.
Berishaj has dedicated the last four chapters to Albanian folklore. There are proverbs about the homeland from different countries and people, philosophical sayings about the homeland, sayings of Mother Twerza and Father Gjergj Fishta, folk creations, wedding songs, cradle songs and drink songs.
Tomë Berishaj is the author of six books, “Duhma e Cemit”, “Gurgullima e valëve të Cemit”, “Jazi i shumur”, “Rruga e lostur”, Journey through the shrubs! ” and “The Broken Blood of Arbër”.
