The Bastard of Istanbul
by Elif Shafak
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Book Summary Information
Author: Elif ShafakEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-01-29
ISBN: 0143112716
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Reviews of The Bastard of Istanbul
Book Review: A Pleasant Book About A Different Point Of View
Summary: 4 Stars
I live in So California where we have a sizable Armenian community. I have come to hear tales of the Armenian genocide and the evil Turks from people I've met in the community and from people I work with. That entire part of history has been interesting to me. So, when I found this book, I picked it up and began reading.
The novel revolves around the lives of 4 sisters living in Istantul: one is very religiously observant, one is a Turkish history teacher, one is developmentally delayed, and one is a rebel, who has given birth to a child out of wedlock. This child, Asya, has grown up a bit of a rebel herself, in Istanbul. There is also a brother who has immigrated to America and married a woman who has a daughter (Arnoush) whose father is Armenian. As Arnoush grows she desires to learn more of her Armenian roots and plots to travel to Turkey to meet her stepfather's family.
What I found most interesting about this novel was discovering the Turkish point of view surrounding the Armenian genocide. I had been told the Turkish government denied it ever happened, but this novel goes into detail on the viewpoint of ordinary Turkish citizens.
In general, the novel is well written and very easy to read. The author stayed on track and kept me engaged. The ending was a little.....odd, but I was okay with it. I liked the author's style, and would look forward to reading other works she has written.
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