The Towers of Trebizond, by Rose Macaulay (1956)
The Towers of Trebizond, by Rose Macaulay is a very amusing book that is partly autobiographical. It follows the adventures of Laurie, the narrator; her eccentric Aunt Dot; an Anglican Priest; and a camel. They trek from Istanbul to Trebizond, partly by vehicle, partly by foot and camel. Aunt Dot’s primary focus seems to be converting the women she meets along the way to Anglicanism, believing this will liberate the women from the confines of Islam.
Along the way, they meet all sorts of interesting characters, including Seventh Day Adventists, Billy Graham on tour, Turkish policemen and British travel writers. In their travels, they come perilously close to the Russian border. The priest is hesitant to cross into Russia on the grounds that it would be perceived as condoning a country that persecutes Christians. Aunt Dot convinces him otherwise, noting that even in Britain there are elements of the government that one need not agree with.
While Aunt Dot and the priest explore Russia, Laurie remains in Turkey with the camel. While on her own, Laurie begins her search into her Anglican faith. She is left alone with her thoughts of faith and the conflict about her love affair with a married man.
Having traveled through Turkey, albeit not a camel, I found the author’s descriptions of places fascinating. Despite there being 50 years between when this book took place and my visit to the country, I still recognized facets of Turkish life.
Read: December 2019
4 Stars
