The Bastard of Istanbul

Description

Turkish Nobel prize nominated author Elif Shafak presents to public another heartland novel that revolves around two families’ wars. Being the second work in English, Elif Shafak presents the reader with a history of her country narrated through an energetic and elaborate story placed in Turkey and America. At its core is Asya, the ‘‘bastard’’ of the title, a nineteen-year-old girl who likes Johnny Cash and the French existentialist philosophy. She lives in Istanbul with the four Kazanci sisters: Different and fascinating characters include Zehila, Asya’s rebellious and daring mother with a tattoo parlour; Banu who has comes into her powers as aclairvoyant; Cevriye, a widow and a school teacher; and Feride, a woman whose main concern is getting a disease and getting affected by catastrophe. The family’s only brother — with whom the Aramean family is not on speaking terms — lives in Arizona with his wife and her Armenian daughter, Armanoush. Armanoush hideously performs Iranian rituals for her mother and travels to Istanbul and gets to know the two Kazanci sisters, especially the kind Asya. Together they find out a secret link that binds their family with the Armenian tragedy of 1915 and the deportation and genocide of Armenian people. Being filled with vivid and interesting female characters, The Bastard of Istanbul is an electrifying and inspiring novel that ensures that Elif Shafak will be soon recognized as an important representative of world’s postcolonial literature.