The Virgin's Knot

by Holly Lynn Payne

She is called Nurdane, the famed weaver of Mavisu. From her remote mountain village in southwestern Turkey, she creates dowries for young dazzling rugs that are marvels of shape and color, texture and light. Her unique rugs possess remarkable healing qualities that have inspired local legend, but it is her hands that are at the heart of her mystery. An artist's hands. A virgin's hands.

An extraordinary series of events drives Nurdane to question the limitations of her faith and culture as she is caught between the cost of remaining pure in body and spirit...or risking everything for the chance to live a loving life.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Book Club, Asia, Middle East, Womens, Historical

303 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning, internationally published novelist in eleven countries. Her debut novel, The Virgin’s Knot, was named a Discover Great New Writers Book from Barnes & Noble. Her third novel, Kingdom of Simplicity, based on a true story of forgiveness, won a First Place Benjamin Franklin Award and Grand Prize for Writers Digest. She is the host and producer of the Page One Podcast and interviews the world’s master storytellers on the stories and struggles behind the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of their books. Notable guests include bestselling authors Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler), Dean Koontz, JT Ellison, Tess Gerritsen, Robert Dugoni, Alka Joshi and Yasmin Darznik among others.

She is the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup backed by a grant from the National Science Foundation that built a patented AI technology to aid book discovery for authors. She founded Skywriter Books, an award-winning small press, publishing consultancy and writing coaching service which she continues to serve. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her daughter and has volunteered as a producer for Litquake, the West Coast’s largest literary festival.

When she’s not writing, interviewing, or coaching other writers, she enjoys getting dirty on a mountain bike, surfing and hiking with her daughter and Labrador retriever, Lady Gaia. She holds a BA with honors from University of Richmond, where she received a distinguished Alumni Award, an MFA from USC, and MIM from the Academy of Intuition Medicine, bringing her healing gifts to her writing coaching clients. Payne has served on the faculty of the Academy of Art University, California College of the Arts and Stanford, and loves helping people reclaim their voice through storytelling. She has written for Huffington Post, Release Print Magazine, University of Richmond Alumni Magazine, MOCA+ magazine and Medium. She received her MFA from USC and can be found at www.hollylynnpayne.com and on Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.

Reviews

[Noel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I made it all the way through this book. Stubbornness I suppose. It was poorly written, I hated the style of not wrapping conversations in quotes and letting the reader know who the heck is talking. I found it annoying. The plot doesn't get going until the middle of the book and I found the cultural background uninspiring and underwhelming, and the end of the book just absolutely awful.

Nurdane is a young Turkish lady who lives in the remote hills with her father. She contracted polio as a girl and as a result, her leg movements are very limited. But she can weave a mean rug. Her ability is legendary and rumor has it that this virgin’s rugs, given to brides as part of a dowry, will guarantee happiness and the birth of a first son. Ironically, as beautiful as she is, with her crippling defect, Nurdane doesn’t have a chance in heck of being one of the brides lucky enough to receive a rug, yet she spends her days weaving and designing these coveted carpets. At the same time, she looks to Allah for guidance, as Allah took away her ability to walk and gave her the magical gift of weaving.

Nurdane’s character is well developed and easily likeable and parts of the story were quite good, however, the author just about totally missed her mark. Her writing was atrocious, the language she used was confusing and made it difficult to understand where Nurdane was coming from or what she actually felt or thought. It reminded me of how easy it is to read a well-written book and to lose myself in good writing – and how hard it is to write well.

I loved the idea of reading about Turkey, a country I have always wanted to visit, and about Turkish rugs – which I’ve always wanted to own. This just wasn’t the book to take me vicariously there.

[Sandy Reisenauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

this author needs to be discovered. I love both of her books, and I do not know why she has not hit it big yet. I know she will. i highly recommend this book. this was one of our Pulpwood queen picks, and it was one of my favorite reads of 2006. story takes place in turkey, and is the story of a disabled weaver.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

A dark story a a polio victim Muslim woman survivor with twisted legs and braces in small Turkish village. Her life is proscribed by her father that she must sit at a loom wearing rugs day by day.. travail that garners him, Ali, money bids from hopeful grooms who try to outbid ach other to obtain the best most praised rugs for their brides. The villagers are full of superstition, beliefs and adhering to their traditional actions. Nurdane matures knowing she will never marry. A doctor, Adam, from another community comes once per year bringing her newer improved braces that he has made. Once he comes with a traveler who is loooking to dig into past history to find proof that women formerly ran the world. Nurdane interacts with both men and a young villager throughout the whole dark depressing book. It was haunting; I guess that is why I kept reading but I would not recommend going at it unless you want hope for a while that does not last.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out strong for me, but ended not so well. It is beautifully written and I liked the characters. And perhaps I need a happy ending, or some ending. This left me confused and sad. Not all books can knock your socks off, sometimes you need a "down book". This was one of those for me.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting book. I struggled with this book because no quotations were used in conversations. Often it was difficult to determine who was talking and I had to do a lot of re-reading.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish the author had of used quotation marks.

[Stephanie Sussmeier · Rating 1 out of 5]

it was great-until the ending :(

[WhaTushaRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Virgin's Knot

A tale of a crippled, Turkish weaver girl, Nurdane, is quite a captivating read. She's led to believe throughout her life by her father, Ali, that she will continue to weave beautiful dowry rugs for brides, which bring fame to her globally for their healing capabilities, as far as she keeps her hands pure and remains a virgin. That this is Allah's gift to her in lieu of the loss of her ability to walk.

Albeit, how can such a burden not end in tragedy?

Plus: A compelling read, weaving magical, evocative images into a narrative full of beliefs, superstitions and wisdom. I always found fiction worthwhile since it let's you feel the culture and traditions of the subject community. Thankfully, this piece does justice to it. Also, while this book runs parallel stories across initial three parts focussing on the life of Nurdane, Dr Adam and anthropologist Hennessey, I really enjoyed how seamlessly Holly integrates those stories in the fourth and fifth parts of the novel. Love the depth in the characters too!

Minus: It's rightly said, 'You don't realise the importance of something unless it's gone missing'. Never thought something as basic as not wrapping conversations in quotes could make reading the book a nightmare. That was thoroughly annoying.

For the first novel of Holly Payne, and how she brings the culture of turkey to life on pages, I would rate this read a 4/5.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bitter sweet story of a goddess who escapes the pain of life believing that leaving it is her only choice. This book did not end the way I wanted it to and that was such a shock. The climax was joyful and hopeful and you imagine Nurdane breaking all the rules and finding lasting happiness. And maybe she does, but the author leaves you to decide for yourself. I am still pondering what I feel about that. Maybe expressing herself in the rugs was all the happiness she needed. And when she completed her mission she left. Also, I saw the religious beliefs to be stifling and kept people trapped into a life they didn't necessary want to create for themselves. Nurdane and the archeologist could have had a life together possibly, but belief and duty blocked her from every knowing that life. Adam, the doctor and the Father, Ali planning a wedding for her, with no consultation or permission, felt so wrong. I felt sad, angry, hopeless, amused, joyful, hopeful, lost, misunderstood. It is a little slow in the beginning but it is worth the read if you enjoy being tormented.

[Dal Cecil Runo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I don't know much about Turkey, so this was a little bit of a taste. I also know the author isn't Turkish, so I applaud the bravery of writing about such a rich and old culture. I assume it isn't perfect, but I couldn't put it down.

[Monique · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started out as an interesting story, but about half way through I had trouble remaining interested - had to push through to the end.

[Milena Meja · Rating 1 out of 5]

Anadolija sama po sebi je mistična i magična. Nakon čitanja ove knjige znam da su i žene sa tog podnevlja, između legendi i isceljenskih moći, posebne i svoje.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a surprise. I'd never heard anything about this book or the author. I picked it because it was recommended as a read through Reading Group Choices and it sounded like it might fit the topic that we'll be discussing at my book club next week. At this particular book club they give you a genre or topic and each participant chooses their own book. The story is about Nurdane who lives in a small Turkish village. As a girl, Nurdane contracted polio and she now gets around with the help of braces. Her recovery has been very slow and painful and she doubts it will ever be a complete recovery but she passes her time by weaving carpets. They are the most exquisite of carpets and are highly sought after by the young women soon to be married in the village. They are, in fact, considered almost magical. Each family believes that a child conceived upon the carpet will be blessed and extremely healthy. Everyone in the village loves her. As she works on her current carpet, the bidding is high and everyone is excitedly awaiting the announcement regarding who will get this one. But this time the extremes to obtain the rug have gone over the edge. Additionally her father is withholding information from her and a stranger from outside the village has appeared and taken an interest in Nurdane. All of these factors lead her to question her faith and her culture. I just thought this book was beautifully written. I loved Nurdane's character and loved all the interesting details of her life in the village.

[Natacha Pavlov · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story. There was something calm and peaceful about the narrative that pulled me in and which I’ll always recall when thinking of the novel. Even the lack of quotation marks—frustrating and confusing at times—was not enough to distract me from the storyline. The setting of Mavisu provided a rare view of the Southwestern Turkish countryside, its very existence testifying to all the history it witnessed. Amidst it all is Nurdane, who can arguably be said to embody the concept of the Goddess herself.

In my opinion, it is particularly due to the novel’s calm tone that the ending seems harsh and abrupt. However, when I think about it, the ending makes sense to me. Yes, the irony remains that if better communication had been a factor, perhaps another ending would’ve taken place. But of course things are never that simple, for there would also be the issue of multiple loyalties and the theme of true love to deal with as well. The spiritual/religious is clearly a theme throughout the novel, and if particularly looked at from a spiritual angle, it can be seen as coming full-circle. I personally like to think that at least one person—if not more—got exactly what they were looking for.

There are of course several interpretations which I believe make this novel a powerfully memorable read.

[Janelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book contains a mixture of themes that strongly attracted me: it's set in 20th century Turkey, one of the main characters is a weaver, an American archaeologist pops in to help interpret local culture for the (Western) reader... but what a flop!

The author used a risky narrative technique that eshews quotation marks. Since she didn't present speakers in a uniform way, it was often difficult to determine who was speaking, which disrupted the narrative flow. Rookie mistake that an editor should have pushed back on. But worse, the narrative read like a sappy soap opera. I could not believe the motivations of these fairly flat characters. When Nurdane cut off her hand at the very end, I literally threw my book on the floor. How irritating and unnecessary!

Why did I even finish this book? I wanted to know more about weaving but didn't learn very much. I should have recognized that earlier and just stopped. I doubt the author did much research at all on her subject.

Steer clear.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm definitely torn with this book. On the one hand, the description in the book was very beautiful and I would love to have seen the rugs that were weaved. It was also interesting to glimpse the Turkish culture and traditions of the time. On the other hand, the lack of quotation marks was very distracting and made it difficult to follow conversations. Also, the ending was really lame. The novel started out a little slow, became interesting towards the middle, and I kept wondering where it was going to go and what purpose the archeologist served, but then the end felt more like a cop out than a plot twist. I could think of ten different ways that the novel could have ended that would have been better than the one that was written. Oh well, it was interesting enough to hold my attention, but I am glad that I only paid $2 for it at a used book store rather than the full price. Definitely not worth the money.

[Althea Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1950's (?) Turkey, in a remote village, a young woman, Nurdane, hand-weaves traditional rugs that are rumored to be like the rugs of no other weaver. One of Nurdane's rugs, as a dowry gift, will supposedly bring the bride luck and fertility. However, Nurdane herself, painfully afflicted by polio, seems doomed never to be a bride herself. Superstition holds that if ever a man touches her, she will lose the gift that Allah has placed in her hands.
However, not one but two men are fascinated with the weaver - a western anthropologist in search of a rug to take back home, and the educated doctor who has treated Nurdane's crippled legs for years.
This book is Payne's first novel, and the characters and the twists of the plot are well-crafted and effective. However, the writing can seem a bit awkward or overdone at times. I feel that future books by the author may be even better....

[Nurul · Rating 4 out of 5]

For illiterate women of Anatolia, weaving is composition of feelings and emotions. Nurdane has been blessed with a gift of weaving rug for dowry. Any bride's father would bid for her rugs - 'a virgin's knot', hoping that their daughters will have a chance of happy marriage, of having a baby boy.

Because of this gift, unlike any other women Nurdane can go anywhere alone in this village but at a cause. People respect her. The virgin's knot is how Allah speaks through her hand, her pure hand. So, what if something takes this purity?

Nurdane's father believe that When Allah takes something from you, He gives you something in return. Does Nurdane believe it? Do you believe it?

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers fascinating details on the intricate patterns of Turkish rugs, their importance in the dowry culture, and the traditions that surround it all. I was able to picture Nurdane's masterpieces and loved how she expressed so much of herself through the patterns in her rugs and that she knew and remembered each one so well as she would her own child.
The ending, however, soured me. It seemed to be a bit over the top dramatically - since Nurdane's action of cutting off her own hand, thus dying in the process was too severe for me. Not that I expected a "happily ever after" ending, but I could perceive some saner alternatives.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would call this an average book. It has a really beautiful story behind it, but to me, the author was trying to do too much at once. It seemed like it was cramming too many plot elements together at a time -- it felt cramped. Furthermore, the writing wasn't nearly good enough to make up for the lack of quotation marks. I've seen it done well (McCarthy's [All the Pretty Horses]), but this just left me re-reading many of the conversations to try to understand who was talking. The narrative voice worked well, though, and the storytelling was enjoyable.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in all The Virgin's Knot is a tightly written and powerful story. Two things distract from an otherwise beautiful and bitter tale of Nurdane and her knots, namely the melodramatic ending and the lack of quotation marks for dialogue. Having to stop and reread an area to decypher if something is being said and if so by whom detracts from otherwise beautifully orchestrated flow of this novel. Then at the very end, the carpet (excuse the pun) gets yanked out from under everyone just to close everything on a down note.

[Emily Decobert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an interesting look into the culture of Islam and women. In a religion where women have been stripped of their power, how can a woman find security? In most cases, they hope for a good arranged marriage, but Nurdane would never wed due to the after effects of polio. Instead, she weaves dowry rugs and women are desperate for one, sure that the virgin's knots will assure them happiness in their powerless world. But where can Nurdane find happiness? This is the heart of this great story, taking the reader through a differnt world all the way to the twist ending.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well researched look into Turkish culture and customs, the areas and characters where very captivating and inviting. The novel does not hit you with a plot right away, and because of this, the final chapters seem forced and take on a more Romeo and Juliet quality. For some reason the author forgoes the use of quotation marks, I’m not sure if this is some trend or an indie “I’m unique” thing but all it does is make you look like you can’t grasp basic writing and that you want your reader to be confused every now and again.

I liked this book but I wouldn’t read it again.

[Liliflaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is called Nurden and the famous carpet weavers. Living in this remote mountain village in southwestern Turkey and makes marvelous carpets that are a strange combination of shapes, colors, textures and lights. Her unique rugs have incredible healing qualities that are becoming widely known.
But she was unhappy because of his handicap, has a sick foot, it can not be married, although this is her greatest desire. Its a tragedy at the end of the book I was so stunned that I could not even to cry.

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an intriguing story, set in Turkey and far removed from American culture. There's a few themes that aren't fully developed that really leave you wondering what happened with that (like the mother goddess journey)... and it is confusing that she does not use quotation marks, and how do people in Turkey know American cuss words? Overall, though, it's an interesting premise and lovely writing.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took everything I had just to finish this book. I would find myself having to reread pages because my mind would wander off, and there were whole parts of the story that made me just want to fall asleep. Tjough I cannot say I would recommend it this book was incredibly well written. The setting was well described, the characters developed fully, and the dialogue believable, I just didn't like the story.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoilers in here. I debated between 2-3 stars but the end really pissed me off. Had it ended better I would have given it 4-5 stars. I loved the material, learning about area, history etc. The book was well written. Heck I liked everything but end. Why in the hell would author choose to have the main character kill herself? It glorified suicide when she had soooo many other ways out it was just stupid!!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly decent story from a historical fiction standpoint but absolutely too much filler for my taste. The narrative style was also confusing; I had to re read and backtrack to understand which character was conversing or if a character was dreaming or conversing. Had to work much to hard to understand what was really going on in this novel. A good story with interesting characters and a decent ending but a difficult read without quotation marks.

[Sally Atwell Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading The Virgin's Knot, I wasn't sure I was going to finish it. But shortly after thinking that, I got into the book, staying up late because I wanted to know what was going to happen. This is an interesting story about a young woman weaver far up in the mountains of Turkey. Her rugs have become very famous because of her skill in weaving. I am not going to say any more for it would spoil the book. Enjoy it, I did!

[Kristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really really wanted to like this book, but I struggled to get through it. The way the dialogue was written made it tedious.