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From Life Itself: Turkey, Istanbul, and a Neighborhood in the Age of Erdoğan
"A richly textured human history." —The New York Times
"A dizzying tour de force . . . From Life Itself leaves the reader with a sense of wonder." —Elif Batuman, author of Either/Or and The Idiot
One neighborhood in a window on a city, country, region, and world in a state of upheaval.
Karagumruk, an Istanbul neighborhood once dominated by Ottoman-era homes, is now known for petty thieves, cheap apartment blocks, and a massive influx of Syrian refugees. It's here that Suzy Hansen went looking for the truth behind the headlines of the Turkish president Erdoğan's authoritarian turn, a catastrophic regional war, and an accelerating geopolitical crisis. She Was Turkey a harbinger of what would soon arise in other countries, the resurgence of authoritarianism? Or do the lives of this neighborhood, and the transformations of Erdoğan's Turkey, reveal a more complex story?
During a decade spent reporting from Karagumruk, Hansen discovered the neighborhood's secrets and got to know its Ismail, the longtime muhtar, or neighborhood councilman; Huseyin, a loyalist for Erdoğan's Islamic nationalist AK party; and Ebru, a real estate agent and mother with ambitions to unseat Ismail. Through these local perspectives, Hansen connects the events unfolding in Karagümrük to the forces roiling Turkey, the Middle East, and the world, capturing the sweep of the last ten years in microcosm.
From the author of the acclaimed Pulitzer Prize finalist Notes on a Foreign Country, From Life Itself is a story for a world out of joint. An absorbing account of one neighborhood in Istanbul that has seen profound change, it offers lessons for all of us who feel the pressure of the disorienting global forces remaking our lives.
"A dizzying tour de force . . . From Life Itself leaves the reader with a sense of wonder." —Elif Batuman, author of Either/Or and The Idiot
One neighborhood in a window on a city, country, region, and world in a state of upheaval.
Karagumruk, an Istanbul neighborhood once dominated by Ottoman-era homes, is now known for petty thieves, cheap apartment blocks, and a massive influx of Syrian refugees. It's here that Suzy Hansen went looking for the truth behind the headlines of the Turkish president Erdoğan's authoritarian turn, a catastrophic regional war, and an accelerating geopolitical crisis. She Was Turkey a harbinger of what would soon arise in other countries, the resurgence of authoritarianism? Or do the lives of this neighborhood, and the transformations of Erdoğan's Turkey, reveal a more complex story?
During a decade spent reporting from Karagumruk, Hansen discovered the neighborhood's secrets and got to know its Ismail, the longtime muhtar, or neighborhood councilman; Huseyin, a loyalist for Erdoğan's Islamic nationalist AK party; and Ebru, a real estate agent and mother with ambitions to unseat Ismail. Through these local perspectives, Hansen connects the events unfolding in Karagümrük to the forces roiling Turkey, the Middle East, and the world, capturing the sweep of the last ten years in microcosm.
From the author of the acclaimed Pulitzer Prize finalist Notes on a Foreign Country, From Life Itself is a story for a world out of joint. An absorbing account of one neighborhood in Istanbul that has seen profound change, it offers lessons for all of us who feel the pressure of the disorienting global forces remaking our lives.
415 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 7, 2026
From Life Itself is a thoughtful and immersive exploration of Turkey, Istanbul, and everyday life during the Erdoğan era.
Suzy Hansen combines political insight with cultural observation, creating a nuanced portrait of how large historical and political forces shape neighborhoods, communities, and personal identity.
Overall, it is a reflective and compelling work of nonfiction that will resonate with readers interested in politics, history, and deeply human storytelling.
Suzy Hansen combines political insight with cultural observation, creating a nuanced portrait of how large historical and political forces shape neighborhoods, communities, and personal identity.
Overall, it is a reflective and compelling work of nonfiction that will resonate with readers interested in politics, history, and deeply human storytelling.
May 11, 2026
An intriguing blend of personal, local, and political history.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews