Le quattro donne di Istanbul

by Ayşe Kulin

Dopo l’ascesa al potere di Hitler, Gerhard Schliemann, la moglie Elsa e i loro due figli, Peter e Susy, abbandonano la Germania per sfuggire alle persecuzioni naziste. Si rifugiano dapprima a Zurigo e poi, quando Gerhard riceve un’offerta dal Dipartimento di Medicina dell’Università di Istanbul, in Turchia. Mentre Susy e Gerhard sono affascinati dalla cultura turca e provano a integrarsi, Elsa e Peter sono invece fortemente ancorati alle origini tedesche. Nella città musulmana le nuove usanze avranno impatti fortissimi sulle loro vite, fino a ridisegnare i loro concetti di patria e appartenenza. In questa potente saga familiare, la Kulin racconta le sfide e le difficoltà di una vita in esilio, le ardue scelte di chi è costretto ad abbracciare un futuro incerto con una valigia piena di speranze. Un romanzo evocativo e commovente al tempo stesso, su un episodio poco noto, scritto con sapiente maestria dall’autrice più influente della letteratura turca.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Historical, Turkish, War, Turkish Literature

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2016

About the author

Ayşe Kulin is a Turkish contemporary novelist and columnist.
Kulin graduated in literature from the American College for Girls in Arnavutköy. She released a collection of short stories titled Güneşe Dön Yüzünü in 1984. A short story from this called Gülizar was made into a film titled Kırık Bebek in 1986, for which she won a screenplay award from the Turkish culture ministry. Kulin worked as a screen writer, cinematographer and producer for many films, television series and advertisements. In 1986, she won the Best Cinematographer Award from the Theatre Writers association for her work in the television series Ayaşlı ve Kiracıları.

In 1996, she wrote a biography of Münir Nureddin Selçuk titled Bir Tatlı Huzur. With a short story called Foto Sabah Resimleri she won the Haldun Taner Short Story Award the same year and the Sait Faik Story Prize the next year. In 1997, she was chosen as the "Writer of the year" by the İstanbul Communication Faculty for her biographical novel Adı Aylin, She won the same award the next year for her short story Geniş Zamanlar. In November 1999, she wrote a novel called Sevdalinka about the Bosnian Civil War and in 2000, a biographical novel called Füreyya. In June 2001, she put out a novel titled Köprü about drama in Turkey's eastern provinces and how they shaped the republic's early history.

In May 2002, Kulin wrote a novel titled Nefes Nefes'e about the Turkish diplomats who saved in the lives of Jews during the holocaust in World War 2.

She has married twice, her latest novels Hayat and Huzun describe her life with her spouses, Mehmet Sarper and Eren Kemahli. Both ended in divorce but she bore 4 sons from the marriages.

Reviews

[Katie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the early 1930s, Gerhard Schliemann knows that his family is no longer safe living in Germany because they are Jewish. He eventually finds employment in Turkey and soon his wife and two children join him and attempt to adapt to life in their new country. This is a historical fiction book that not only follows generations of a family from the 1930s to present day but also the country of Turkey as it undergoes massive changes throughout the years.

What really drew me into the book was the setting of Turkey as it's not a country that is usually represented in WW2 historical fiction. It was almost like a character itself because so much of what was going on in the country affected the actions of other characters. And while only part of the book takes place during the war, the author did a fine job in showing how relevant that time period is even in today's times.

I really enjoyed watching this family throughout the years as they dealt with heartache, love, and betrayal and all the other stuff one experiences in life. They might have all been related by blood but each person forged their own unique path in life.

My only real complaint about the book is I thought there was one story line that had too much of a soap opera quality to it. It felt unnecessary and added just for drama's sake.

Would recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction and/or family dramas.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m assuming that something was lost in translation with this book. The story had to potential to be a great one, but it seemed like the author was trying to tell too much in not enough pages. The second half of the book felt rushed, and much of it felt like a recitation of facts rather than a narrative. A lot of the dialogue felt forced, and there was not much character development in the second half.

[Joy D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Multi-generational family saga that takes place mostly in Turkey over a period of over eighty years. It starts with a family of Jewish Germans fleeing Hitler prior to the start of WWII. The story begins in 1933 with Dr. Gerhard Schliemann, his wife Elsa, and their two children, Peter and Susy, leaving their home at short notice and eventually making their way to Turkey. Gerhard and other Jewish scientists are hired by a Turkish university to help with the modernization of their curriculum. Although Germany still attempts to exert influence to dismiss the Jewish scientists, the family overcomes many difficulties and makes Istanbul their home. The story then shifts to Susy, who has readily adapted to the Turkish culture, and continues following the family’s legacy into 2016.

This novel starts out strong. The story of the doctor and his family fleeing the Nazis is riveting. When the narrative shifts to future generations, it reads more like a biography of each subsequent family member, and the momentum slows considerably. It begins to focus on family dramas, romantic relationships, and misunderstandings. At this point, the storyline takes a backseat to the history of the country.

The author excels at providing descriptions of the cities, the countryside, and what it is like to live there. She imparts the flavor of the Turkish culture and conveys a strong sense of the country as a melting pot of various religions and ethnicities. I enjoyed gaining more understanding of how Turkey developed into a modern nation. Although this is a fictional account, the history is based upon actual events, including the influx of Jewish Germans, ongoing anti-Semitism, military coups, political upheaval, and civil unrest.

Overall, I found this book to be a mixed bag. I enjoyed the historic aspects and it tempts me to visit Istanbul someday. Unfortunately, the family saga lacked depth and cohesiveness. My sense is that the author tried to capture too much in too few pages.

[Linden · Rating 2 out of 5]

1930lardan bugune Turkiye'yi etkileyen olaylari anlatmak ugruna bir cok faktoru es gecen roman. Karakterler gecit toreni yapiyor kitap boyunca, ne kisilikleri derinlemesine tanima imkani duyuyoruz ne de anlatim edebi bir tat birakiyor. Kurgu da, anafikir de, karakterler de yuzeysel olmaktan ote gidemiyor

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres, especially stories where Jews and the Nazis are concerned. This book was a little different to many stories that i have read, mainly due to the family making Turkey their home after fleeing Germany. This was a very enjoyable book and the further i read, the quicker i was turning the pages. I am not going to write about the story, as i do prefer one to read the book for themselves, but i do recommend this wonderful saga.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my choice for the Amazon Prime 'free' book for June and I chose it because I'd previously read 'Rose of Sarajevo' by the same author and recognised the name. Unfortunately I found the book rather disappointing. It's a four generation 'saga' that tracks the evolution of a family in Istanbul. The first generation were a Jewish academic and his family, fleeing from the Nazis to help Ataturk set up universities in Turkey. The second generation focuses on German-born but Turkish naturalised Suzi and her childhood sweetheart husband, the third on their daughter the free-thinking, 'alternative lifestyle' living Sude and the final on Sude's daughter.

The book takes us through many of the big events of 20th Century Turkish history but in a way that's rather forced. The biggest fault I found was that none of the characters are very well developed and I often found myself forgetting just which character I was supposed to be reading about. The author has tried to squeeze too many people into too few pages, and it feels like the price she paid was detail, colour and flavour. I don't know if it's the translation that's poor or the original writing style, but it's all rather turgid and a bit 'he did this then she did that and he said this and she said that'. Factual perhaps but not very stylish.

I was aware that there's a long history of Jewish people living in Istanbul - I used to visit a company in the city for work which was run by a Jewish family - so that part wasn't a surprise. Neither was the inevitable juxtaposition of prejudices past and present. The problem for me was that I found it really hard to 'care' too much about the characters.

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately what could have been a really good book, was in fact just average. How much of this is due to the translation I'm not sure, but the story didn't live up to the great family saga that I had been lead to expect.

Spanning approximately 100 years, from pre WWII Germany to 21st century Turkey, it had all the elements of a great story - jews escaping from the nazi's, new life established in Turkey, four generations of strong women, building of modern Turkey, various love stories etc. but it didn't really gel, which is a disappointment.

I'd like to read another story by this author, as I'm hoping that it is the translation that let this story down for me.

[Lilisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Kenneth Dakan for translating Ayse Kulin’s book from the original Turkish publication and giving readers the opportunity to experience Turkey over four generations with a Jewish family - the Schlimanns. In the 1930s, Dr. Gerhard and Elsa Schlimann and their young family fled Germany and via Switzerland settle in Turkey. One of many Jewish families, the Schlimanns begin a new life in Istanbul, each generation attempting to integrate into Turkish society in their own way - each at a different pace and desire. As much as each generation believes it has assimilated, the age-old challenge of where and how one belongs surfaces - especially for a Jewish family. The novel tightly scopes out Turkey’s history - from the 1930s to 2016 - it’s a great look back at Turkey’s history and accompanying society, political upheavals and culture - nicely compacted in just over 300 pages - quite a feat. I enjoyed the story line and the strong women characters - Elsa, Suze, Sude and Esra - each leaving their mark on successive generations of the Schlimanns, while grappling with challenges - not quite always on an expected trajectory - as in the case of Sude, but that’s life. A well-worth read and a definite recommend, especially since it’s set in Turkey - one of my favorite country settings! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in advance.

[Harmonyofbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elsa, sahilde koşturan çocuklarıyla torunlarını göstererek, "Şu hale bak, Gerhard," dedi, "biz Yuhidi bir Alman çifttik ama Amerikalı bir oğlumuz oldu, Türk kızımız, Hristiyan ve Müslüman torunlarımız var. Bu nasıl kadermiş?"
"Renkli bir kadermiş Elsa, bizim hayat çizgimizi biz değil, Hitler çizdi!"
5/5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Art arda dört nesil kadının öyküsünü anlatan bu romana bayıldım. Yazardan okuduğum ilk eseriydi ve sırada elime alacağı kitabı için sabırsızlanıyorum. Hitler'in Almanya'yı kuşattığı zaman diliminde Yahudi kökenli bir ailenin İstanbul'a gelmesiyle Türk gelenekleri içinde yaşamalarını okumakla başlıyoruz kitaba. O zamandan bugünümüze kadar kapsayan vakit içerisinde ülkemizde yaşanan onca kolay yutulmayacak olaya değiniyoruz. Bazılarını ben de bu kitap sayesinde öğrendim. Değindiği dört kadının hikayesini; özellikle de diğer üçünü çocukluğundan itibaren okuyoruz ve böylece bebekliğinden yaşlı büyükanne oluncaya kadar okuduğumuz bu karakterleri iyice bağrımıza basıyoruz. Başlarda içimde büyük bir merak duygusu uyandırmasa da ilerledikçe artan bir keyifle bayılarak okudum. Ben en çok Suzan'ı sevdim ve her satırında onun gençliğindeki bıcırık, yaşı ilerledikçe olgun hallerini çok severek okudum. Baştan sona gerçekten önemli olaylara yerinde değindiği için harika bir eser gözümde. İnsanı insan olduğu için sevmeyi anlatan muazzam bir kitaptı. Yeri geldiğinde yaşananlar sonucu öfkeye sürükleyen, yeri geldiğinde değindiği aile ve tatlı aşk satırlarıyla sıcacık gülümseten; sonuç olarak histen hise sarıldığım bir kitap oldu. Rica ederim okuyunuz.

[Seda Yetik · Rating 1 out of 5]

İlk 100 sayfa iyi gerisi berbat. Yazar her şeyi yazayım derdine girip hikayeyi dağıtmış ve dağılmış.

[The Last Coffe Bender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Açıkcası yerli yazarlar içinde Ayşe Kulin benim için çok farklı bir noktadadır. Bunun en büyük sebebi güçlü kaleminin yanı sıra olaylara bakış açısı ve bunu gerçekleştirirken seçtiği konuların tam merkez oluşu. İşte, kanadı kırık kuşlarda böyle bir kitap. Dört farklı dönemi anlatıyor olsada, tüm dönemlerin geçişleri ve içindeki paralerlikleri çok güzel ortaya çıkarmış. Kitabın bu noktada yakın tarihimiz ve onun geleceği hakkında ışık tutması zaten okunması için başlıca sebep. Bunun yanında Kulin'in kitaplarında ustaca harmanladığı Aşk, yanlızlık ve özlem konularıda kitaba çok daha farklı bir hava katmış. Bir yandan tarihe uzanan bir yolculuk okurken, diğer yandan da dört kadının iç dünyasını ve o dünyada kopan fırtınaları okuyorsunuz. Ayşe Kulin bu iki konuyu da okuyucu sıkmayan ama bir yandan da okuyucunun içine işleyen bir dil ile kitaba aktarmış. Kitap yakın tarihimizinde içinde bulunduğu bir dönem dizisi gibi. Tek farkı 1930'lara kadar uzanıyor olması. Kitabın kapağını kapattığınız anda çok farklı bir dünyaya ait oluyorsunuz... Tâbi kafanızda binlerce soruyla. Benim aklıma takılan tek soru şu; Suzan tüm zorlukları göğüsleyip iyi bir hayat kurabilmişken neden Esra'ya kendisinin yapamayı hâyal bile etmediği birşeyi teklif etti? Galiba bu sorum diğer kitaplardan aklıma takılan diğer sorularım gibi yanıtsız kalacak. Eğer ki hâla Kulin'in sizi sarsacak ve derin düşüncelere boğacak kalemi ile tanışmadıysanız kanadı kırık kuşlar bunun için biçilmiş kaptan.

[Amina Hujdur · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Solidno štivo sa historijskom pozadinom.

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The problem with this novel is that it’s just too ambitious. To encapsulate the entire history of modern Turkey – from 1933 to the present – through the story of four generations of one family covers too much ground and involves too many characters, leading to a lack of depth in the characterisation and a rather bewildering gallop through a complex era full of incident. The author tackles a lot of weighty themes – identity, nationality, culture, loyalty, anti-Semitism, Jewishness and so on - but doesn't give herself time to properly explore them. The result is a rather sketchy account that left me feeling unsatisfied. Based on the true story of neuropathologist Professor Philipp Schwartz, who was one of a number of eminent Jewish scientists and doctors invited by the Turkish government to work in academia in order to help Turkey modernise, and who were thus given the opportunity to escape Hitler’s Germany, it follows Gerhard and Elsa Schliemann and their descendants as they adapt to life in another country and culture. The narrative style is flat and clunky (of the “he said this and then she did that” manner) and feels somewhat turgid and plodding. An interesting concept but poorly executed. There was scope here for a number of books, but packing it all into one just doesn’t work.

[Kathryn Gauci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel resonates with what is taking place in many parts of the world today. Based on the true story of highly educated German Jews fleeing Nazi Germany, many were welcomed under Ataturk's education policy of trying to recruit the best minds to the new universaties, hospitals, and cutural intstitutions of the Republic. Many resettled in Turkey after the war yet the question of identy proves to be a difficult one, especially for the next generation. Are they first and foremost Jewish, do they still consider themselves German Jews, even though the following generations marry Muslims and practice the faith? Most of all, are they Turkish, especially in the eyes of others?
The Turkish Republic is still finding its feet and continues to troubled by polical and economical problems - the Great Depression, WWII, and various coups. It is not only the immigrants who are challenged by identity, but the Turkish people themselves.
Ayse Kulin writes a novel that makes us question what identity is. Highly recommended.

[Rachel Abarca-Contreras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shocking

I’ll be honest: I was intrigued, then bored, then interested, then bored, then bored again, then suddenly intrigued, heartbroken, sympathetic and empathetic. The journey through 4 generations of Jews from WWII to religious terrorist groups was poignant to say the least. The character development was completely between the lines, but as the story wound down, I realized how attached I’d become to the characters. This one will cause me a lot of thought for the next several days.

[Dan]

Ayşe Kulin’s Without a Country barely exceeds three hundred pages, but it’s packed with almost ninety years of intertwined family and historical drama. Kulin gives us a multigenerational story that moves from mid-1930s Germany to mid-2010s Turkey. Kulin starts with the dismissal of Jewish academics from German universities, only for some of them to find academic posts in modernizing Turkish universities. Kulin constructs Without a Country around the struggles of one family to build a stable and safe life in Turkey, and the different choices made by members of four generations about assimilating into Turkish society and finding a national home. I can’t comment on the quality of Without a Country as history, but as a novel it’s a thoroughly engaging, well-told, and occasionally soppy story.

[Gail Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This family saga begins as a German pathologist learns that he must leave Berlin immediately: Hitler is beginning to round up Jews. He and his family eventually relocate to Turkey, where he is instrumental in bringing other displaced Jewish doctors and scientists to staff the new Istanbul University. He and his daughter begin the assimilation process by learning Turkish, while his wife and son continue to see themselves as German. This story of life in exile recounts how different people react to cataclysmic changes in their lives. Some evolve, some struggle for answers.
Kulin recounts the story of three generations of this family’s life in Turkey through the bloodline of the daughter. Suzanne began referring to herself as “Suzan” and “Suzi”. As she assimilates, she begins to think of herself as “Ataturk’s daughter”. She eventually marries her childhood sweetheart and becomes Turkish and a Muslim. But as time passes her daughter and granddaughter are both faced with anti-Semitism, even though they were raised as Muslim.
I became involved with this story early on and was intrigued with the historical aspect of Turkey at the beginning of World War II. As the novel progressed, I found the historical aspect more interesting than the storyline. Kulin presents Turkey from the 1930 through today. I felt like I was getting a 30,000 ft. view of Turkish history with their political coups, uprisings and demonstrations. It is interesting that she introduces into this fictional story some people who did seek sanctuary in Turkey, notably law professor Ernst E. Hirsh; physicist Arthur Von Hippel; and composer Eduard Zuckmayer. These three men, as well as many others, made significant contributions to Ataturk’s desire to modernize Turkey.
I’m glad that I read this book because it gave me a better understanding of Turkish history. As I was reading it, I thought the story was sometimes light. After some consideration, I think the book was better than I originally thought. Books are meant to educate us, and to make us think. Since I have changed my opinion of this book as I have reflected on it, I must say that Kulin succeeded in making me think of those without a country.
My thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Crossing and Ayse Kulin for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Cıler Inan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tek kelimeyle mükemmel, tam da yüreğimde belki de bir süredir üzerini örttüğüm birtakım ince sızılara dokunan ve sonunda gerçek sevginin dini, dili ya da ırkı olamayacağını bir kez daha hatırlatan, aile olmanın gücünü bana en derinden hissettiren bir hikayeydi. Okurken ortak oldum bu 4 güçlü kadının hikayesine ve hepsi ayrı bir değer kattı hayatıma eminim. Kesinlikle okunması gereken, çok değerli bir hikaye!

[John Keeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Couldn't Put This Book Down

I don't usually give a book 5 stars but this one deserves it. I'm not going to go into the plot. You can get that from the other reviews. This is a beautifully written historical novel that is well researched. There is not a dull page in it and I couldn't put it down. It gives a great insight into Turkish history since the 1930's. By all means don't let this one pass you by.

[Liesbeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I openly admit defeat on this book, and I’ve given up half way through. It’s not a part of history I know much about and I was looking forward to learning more. However the characters are poorly developed to a point whereby as a reader you just don’t care about them. The story jumps a lot, just as you get into a certain part it halts abruptly and restarts a few years later.
Hence there just isn’t enough substance to hold my attention.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing book spanning several generations of female narrators. The movement was somewhat slow, but I enjoyed immersing in a culture mostly unknown to me, that of Turkey and in particular German Jewish immigrants to Turkey. I think this book was one that was free from Kindle during World Book Week (or something like that) and I'm glad I took advantage of this opportunity. Some of the headlines of faraway political travails came to life through the lens of one family's life. I recommend it.

[Thebooktrail · Rating 4 out of 5]

BookTrail postcard review:

I always read Ayse Kulin's books and this was a poignantly painful yet interesting read. I knew practically nothing of the role of Turkey in the 2WW and in the persecution of Jews so this was a real eye opener in many ways. Written in a very accessible and easy-flowing style.

[Natasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story, with interesting character building. Great insight into the building of modern Turkey and the contributions made by refugees from Nazi Germany. Full review on my blog: https://poetryofreading.blogspot.com/...

[Mesut Kutlu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kitabimiz kronolojik acidan gayet zengin 30 lu yillardan gunumuze uzaniyor. Bu surecte yahudi aile odakli bir hayatin ortasinda buluyoruz kendimizi. 4 nesili iceriyor icermesine de her biri uzerinde ayni oranda durulmamis ve kitabin baslarinda Ataturk zamani egitimdeki surecinin uzerinde yogunlasinca kitabin devaminin da bu yonde ilerleyecegini dusunmustum. Fakat kitap bir anda türk dizilerine donerek aşk temali bir kitap haline geldi. Karakterlerinde ben gercekten iyi donatilmis oldugunu dusunmuyorum. Nitekim son nesildeki karakterin isminin Esra oldugunu neden sayfalar sonra ogreniyorum ki? Kisacasi kitabi tam bir hengame buldum 400 sayfada o kadar fazla kisinin duygusuna yer verilmeye calisilmis ki resmen cuvallamis. Kisacasi kanadi kirik kuslar maalesef benim icin tavsiye edilebilecek bir kitap olmayacak.

[Demet Çıkrıkcı · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alıştığım Ayşe Kulin tadının çok gerisinde kalm��ş. Sanki zorlama yazılmış gibi; başlarda çok akıcı ilken daha sonra tıkanan bir hikaye. Severek okumadım diyebilirim.

[Karol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction covering 4 generations of a family after the 1st generation need to fled their German homeland in the 1930's. The patriarch and matriarch of the family were Jewish and found their way to a promising life in Turkey.

In Turkey, however, they were not entirely safe from anti-semitism but the generations did carve out meaningful and full lives there. I can't say much more without giving things away.

The story covered mostly the lives of the patriarch and matriarch and then the "daughter" of each new generation. It was interesting to see how these women coped with their times. Definitely a sweeping story with very individualistic characters and an interesting but often sad slice of life.

[İlhanCa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Köprü kitabında olduğu gibi yazar şahsi görüşlerini, duygularını çok fazla kullanıyor..bunları gözümüze sokar gibi yapması hoşuma gitmeyen tarafı..anlatım ve dil dümdüz..direk akıyor kitap..konusu da Alman Nazisinden kaçan yahudi bir ailenin Türkiyede yaşadıkları..konusu güzel olduğu için kitaba devam ettim..yoksa yarıda bırakacaktım tarzı ve üslubu yüzünden..bir yazardan beklediğim objektiflik kriterlerine uymuyor malesef..hatta yaklaşamıyor bile..

Olayları anlatayım derken aceleye getirilmiş bir kitap hissine kapılıyor insan..sanırım yapılan kronolojik hatalar da eklenince duygu ve hisleri yaşayamadan kopukluklar yüzünden geçip gidiyor kitap..

[Sofija · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rekla bih da je preambiciozno smestiti preko 80 godina istorije u roman ispod 300 stranica. Priča kreće pre rata i "prva" porodica koju priča prati jeste imala zanimljiv život - bežanje iz Nemačke pre rata, odlazak u Tursku da se pomogne sa potpunom promenom sistema edukacije - posebno na univerzitetima, ali njihova priča je nekako razvučena, sa nekim nebitnim detaljima, a opet je ostala nedorečena, posebno kada je u pitanju sam rat. Nakon toga dolaze priče njihovih potomaka - čak dve generacije, koje su toliko zbrzane da uopšte nisam mogla da pohvatam šta se sa kim desilo, o kojim godinama se radi i otkud 60 godina istorije u 100 stranica. Hronološki i istorijski ova knjiga nikako nije ispunila moja očekivanja. Opet dajem joj jednu dodatnu zvezdicu zbog ono malo istorije o kojoj ništa nisam znala pre čitanja. Svakako ovo je bilo mnogo slabije od prve knjige. I ako ste, kao i ja, mislili da je ovo nastavak knjige "Poslednji voz za Istanbul", nije.

[Büşra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dört kuşağı ele alırken dönemin zihniyetini nasıl da güzel betimlemiş yine... Cumhuriyetimizin ilk yıllarından başlayıp Ata'mızın kurmaya çalıştığı devletimizi en güncel olaylara 15 Temmuz darbesine kadar getirirken düşündürdü hep : Nasıl oldu da buralara kadar vardık diye? Kurgulanan aile hayatlarını okurken gerçekte de daha bilmediğimiz ne zor yaşamlar ve hikayeler vardı o dönemlerde demedim değil ama en ilginci şu sıralar kitaptaki duyguların aynılarını hissetmemdi. Tarihten ise hiç ders almamamız cabası. Vatan dediğin yer doğduğun yer değildi, din de doğduğun coğrafyaya ait olanı benimsemek değil. Her şey ne hissettiğin, ne hissettiğimizdi. "Vatanımın da neresi olacağına karar vermeye gidiyordum... Vatanın da dinin de sadece ve tamamen sevgi olduğuna inanarak!" Hiçbirimizin vatanımız benimsediğimiz yerlerde kanadı kırık kuşlardan olmaması umuduyla...

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written

This book was very well written. It kept me wanting to continue to read it. Historical fiction seems to be my favorite genre, because I learn at the same time as I’m entertained. This book covered at least 4 generations of one family’s struggle with finding a country which would tolerate all nationalities, as their family blended with the people around them. The only reason it did not receive 5 stars was because, in my opinion, the author could have stopped before the last generation. I started to get confused between who was whose child. However, to go from the 1930’s to the 2000’s was a great feat in writing this story. I would recommend this book.