"Set in nineteenth-century, Omer Pasa Latas tells the story of a bright boy who escaped his father’s financial disgrace by running away and converting to Islam to eventually become the commander in chief of the Sultan’s armies."

• Annual Best
• Historical Fiction

In the 19th century, Sarajevo is home to both Muslims and Christians who coexist with mutual resentment towards the distant Ottoman rule. Omer Pasha Latas is the commander in chief of the Sultan’s armies, known as the seraskier. He arrives in Sarajevo from Istanbul, tasked with bringing the city’s landowners under control, which he accomplishes with his ruthless efficiency. However, his trip to Bosnia is also a moment of self-reflection for him. Born as a Serb in the Balkans and raised under Austro-Hungarian rule, he fled his father’s financial problems and converted to Islam. Despite leading a diverse army of individuals from Europe and Asia, Omer remains an outsider wherever he goes.