Books Set in Asia and Europe, Turkey and London, England

Honor, by Elif Shafak (2011)

The novel opens as Esma, British-Turkish woman, goes to pick up her older brother, Iskender, from prison after serving a term for murdering his mother Pembe.  He was just 16-years-old when he stabbed his mother to death after hearing rumors that his mother was having an affair.  Adem, Pembe's husband, had abandoned the family for another woman, and Iskender felt it was his responsibility to protect the families reputation.

The novel bounces around from the 1940s to 1991, so the family history  slowly peeled back as the events come into focus.  In the 1940s, Pembe and her identical twin sister, Jamila, were born to a poor family in Kurdish Turkey.  Pembe married and ultimately moved to London with her husband and children, hoping for a better life.  Jamila remained in their village.  As a child, she had been abducted, so her virginity was question and she never married.

Life in London, wasn't the golden life as expected.  Does the family adhere to its old traditions, or try to fit into English life?  When Adem moved out, the stage was set for a clash of cultures.  The novel described, in part, the immigrant experience, as well as age-old tradition.  There are a number of twists and turns in this book which make the ending a gift.

Read: July 25, 2026

4 Stars

Books Set in Asia: Turkey

The Sultan’s Seal, by Jenny White (2006)

 

The Sultan’s Seal is a novel that takes place in the 1880’s, the final years of the Ottoman Empire.  When the body of a young English governess washes up on the shore of the Bosporus Strait, north of Istanbul, Kamil Pasha, a magistrate in the secular courts, wonders if there is a link between this death and a similar death of an Englishwoman that occurred 8 years earlier.  Kamil believes this will be a simple murder case.

 

Kamil’s first stop in the investigation is at the English Embassy, where he meets the Ambassador’s daughter, Sibyl.  Although she is English and he is Muslim, they form a friendship.  He tells her details of his investigation, and, because he is unable to meet with the women of the Sultan’s harem, Sibyl attempts to aid in the investigation.

 

The story line is rather convoluted and is far from a simple murder.  The novel is told through the voices of many characters.  The novel is more of a historical fiction than a mystery novel.  The author provides many details of daily life in Ottoman Turkey at this period of history, when there is clearly a tension between the Western influence in the country and the political area of the sultanate.

 

This novel is the first in the Kamil Pasha series.  I enjoyed the first part of the book much more that the final third.  As noted, the story line was convoluted and ultimately, I was not satisfied with the ending.  I learned about Ottoman culture but will probably not seek out other books in this series.

 

Read:  March 4, 2021

 

3.5 Stars

 

 

Books Set in Europe and Asia: Turkey

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

Books Set in Turkey: Istanbul

The Oracle of Stamboul, by Michael David Lukas (2011)


Read: April 11, 2011