The Ghosts of Smyrna is a historical novel which tells the story of the events leading to the great fire of Smyrna (Izmir) in 1922, through the trials and tribulations of a Levantine family caught up in the turmoil. The fire, which destroyed not only a beautiful and ancient city but also a multicultural way of life that had blossomed there over centuries, occurred at the end of the war of independence led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk against the occupying European countries. The story takes place in the period between World War I and the great fire that destroyed the city.