The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak resonated deeply on many different levels. I found myself unable to put it down! The text weaves a sintilating tale, alternating between past and present narravtives in order to ultimately divulge a horrific family secret.
I found it interesting and compelling that Shafak was in fact arrested and put on trial for "violating Turkisness." In the novel, several of her characters made reference to the WWI genocide of Armenians. (This is apparently an event that must not even be mentioned even though it in fact took place.) She could have been sentenced to three years in prison! Eventually, Shafak was acquitted. One Turkish paper printed a particularly memorable quote: "Are we going to be the type of country that prosecutes fictional characters?" It is amazing to me that this country is so affraid of its past that it is willing to prosecute its citizens for mere mentions of its infractions in the present.
