I bought this novel in the bookstore of Antalya Mall last month while vacationning there. All the store's books were obviously in Turkish and this one was the only Turkish book translated in English. Thus, I bought it even though I didn't know the author. It was an astonishing discovery to read this exceptionnel novel: the best surprise of my vacation.
The novel is about a well known women reporter traveling to Corum (home of the Ancient Hittite Civilization) in Anatolya, Turkey to investigate historical treasure's trafficking, but she gets kidnapped. The novel is very well written. The story is well told and the intrigue goes on from the beginning of the novel until the end. All the characters, whether major or secondary, are well developed. Each of them's distinctive personal life, individual character, and own story are well depicted in time throughout the novel. Each has a role to play in the investigation searching for the missing reporter. Not only the readers have a good perception of a specific character, but even the other characters are able to discern each other correctly. Through these various and numerous leading and secondary characters, the author is able to give a full picture of Turkish women and men.
The author wrote intelligently the police story following live the investigation through the eyes of the city's governor and Chief of Police and alternatively reading the recent past of the whereabout of the missing reporter. Although the police story resembles most police stories, the real themes of the novel has nothing to do with the investigation. The police story is just an event that allows the author to write, discuss and debate her real favorite themes such as Earth (title of book), History and Democracy.
The theme of Earth, Mother Nature, and Environment is treated through the leading character of the missing reporter's grandmother, who's both a pharmacist and a shaman, established in Istanboul and comes to Corum searching for her granddaughter using her shamanic ways.
The theme of History of country, civilization, and Earth is treated through several characters such as Kemal the guide, Gunes the archeologist, and the museum director...
The theme of Democracy is discussed through several characters, but mainly the missing reporter, the governor and the Chief of Police. The author opposes in every way the latter two character with different and have opposite past, lives, and ideas about how to govern a city/ a country. Despite their differences and different hierarchy, they must cooperate with each other to solve the case. One is a firm believer of Democracy and politicians serving the people while the other firmly believes in order with dictatorship tendencies.
Furthermore, the author writes about freedom of speech and thought, freedom of minorites, and freedom to be different. Throughout the novel and through the numerous characters, the author presented opposite views/concepts, made them clash and/or cooperate. Traditionalist versus Modernist. Old generation versus young generation. Democrats versus Dictatorship. Woman versus Man. Love versus Hate. Individual versus community. History versus Future. In the end, the moral of these oppositions and clashes, it is good for people with opposite views to cooperate with each other, but it is best that an individual embraces both opposite concepts at the same time just like the reporter's grandmother, who's both a scientific pharmacist and a shaman using century old traditions kept alive by women.
This unique and creative novel has both a very good entertaining police story and an intellectual essay on promoting Environment, History, and Democracy. A magnificient job by the author. I hope to read her other novels.