Nissim Benezra was born in the Greek neighbourhood of Pasabahçe on the Anatolian side of Istanbul in 1911. His story is essentially that of the abandoned child. Born to a cold and distant mother and a father who lost his life at Galipoli in 1915, Benezra spent much of his childhood hungry, thirsty and in solitude, and he lived in an orphanage for several years. In 1929 he left Turkey in economic crisis for Paris never to move back. This memoir tracing his childhood years offers a vivid portrait of daily life in Istanbul between 1911 and 1929, and of life in the Jewish communities in particular. A personal account of a universe which has all but vanished, this book is a delightful read for both historians and general readers interested in life in Istanbul in this period. The book is introduced by Rifat N. Bali. It is written in French and dedicated to the victims of the famine in Istanbul during the First World War.