The Bastard of Istanbul

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Identity, family, and past connect in Istanbul.

"The Bastard of Istanbul" is a unique, beautifully complex novel that will take you on a journey of self-discovery. Elif Shafak has created a vibrant cast of characters who struggle with their identities, their histories, and their place in the world. Through humor and heart in equal measure, Shafak examines the complexities of family, tradition, and the connections between the past and present. This is a fascinating and engrossing read that will leave you pondering long after you've finished the last page.

  • Orange Prize Nominee for Longlist (2008)
  • Metų verstinė knyga Nominee (2010)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

The Bastard of Istanbul

Regular price
Unit price
per
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ISBN: 9780670038343
Authors: Elif Shafak
Publisher: Viking Adult
Date of Publication: 2007-01-18
Format: Hardcover
Related Topics: Literature, Asia
Goodreads rating: 3.87
(rated by 53620 readers)

Description

From one of Turkey’s most acclaimed and outspoken writers, a novel about the tangled histories of two families.In her second novel written in English, Elif Shafak confronts her country’s violent past in a vivid and colorful tale set in both Turkey and the United States. At its center is the “bastard” of the title, Asya, a nineteen-year-old woman who loves Johnny Cash and the French Existentialists, and the four sisters of the Kazanci family who all live together in an extended household in Istanbul: Zehila, the zestful, headstrong youngest sister who runs a tattoo parlor and is Asya’s mother; Banu, who has newly discovered herself as a clairvoyant; Cevriye, a widowed high school teacher; and Feride, a hypochondriac obsessed with impending disaster. Their one estranged brother lives in Arizona with his wife and her Armenian daughter, Armanoush. When Armanoush secretly flies to Istanbul in search of her identity, she finds the Kazanci sisters and becomes fast friends with Asya. A secret is uncovered that links the two families and ties them to the 1915 Armenian deportations and massacres. Full of vigorous, unforgettable female characters, The Bastard of Istanbul is a bold, powerful tale that will confirm Shafak as a rising star of international fiction.
 

Identity, family, and past connect in Istanbul.

"The Bastard of Istanbul" is a unique, beautifully complex novel that will take you on a journey of self-discovery. Elif Shafak has created a vibrant cast of characters who struggle with their identities, their histories, and their place in the world. Through humor and heart in equal measure, Shafak examines the complexities of family, tradition, and the connections between the past and present. This is a fascinating and engrossing read that will leave you pondering long after you've finished the last page.

  • Orange Prize Nominee for Longlist (2008)
  • Metų verstinė knyga Nominee (2010)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.