Trice’s Reviews > The Bastard of Istanbul > Status Update

255: Aram smiled. “The tattoo that I would like to have is a gorgeous fig tree. But, unlike other trees, this one is upside down. My fig tree has all its roots up in the air. Instead of the earth, it is rooted in the sky. It is displaced but not placeless.”
Auntie Zeliha: “The fig tree is an ominous sign. It does not bring good luck.”

Armanoush’s online friend BB seems esply controlling + judgmental amid a group similarly so
That scene in the cafe tho, Asya in the mood for confrontation + argument, attacks the gf, someone who’s alone among a group of his friends, + intentionally makes her feel like sh*t abt sth that cld have been an interesting convo + then tows Armanoush into the middle of it + turns it into a fight over gen cide

And another wow btw, bc tragic histories and family complications and so on but ultimately it’s been ordinary ordinary ordinary and suddenly MAGIC, and we see Auntie Banu talking with her 2 djinni that were mentioned in passing to be each on one of her shoulders but seemed…a silliness connected to her fortune telling. Here they’re real, and 1 rather scary tho the fear is abt terrible knowledge

191-2: Wow on the historical info flood + I feel ignorant - didn’t know the visigoths were in Spain but of course as Roman allies to deal w/other Germanic tribes that had come thru but then were around downfall of Roman Empire
Describing the power and longevity of one of Auntie Banu’s djinni familiars, Mr. Bitter, a galyabani djinn (very old, powerful, knowledgeable about + around for battles + terrible events)

Auntie Banu saw the light on and brought Armanoush an orange, peeled and sliced, just like the father on the list of “you know you’re Armenian” 🥹

Two narratives coming together! *glee*
Armanoush’s recounting of her family’s experience of the genocide seemed…unnatural - more like what you’d write in a report than share at dinner…massive it was the awkwardness of sharing with a Turkish family of having it translated in process, but didn’t quite feel spoken. Otherwise I’m so drawn in to both Armanoush’s search for past + Asya’s need for meaning

Armanoush has left me with a bunch of books I need/want to read, some on my shelves and some I’m now looking for copies of
She’s going to Turkiye! Not surprised but wondering + excited for her
Funny that both she + Asya have these cafes of a few friends where they talk life + philosophy + identity
Loving all the family parallels too

Finally getting into it
Every chapter named after food, and within the interactions centered around eating and cooking and the traditional foods of each, Turkish, US American, Armenian

Imagine, a family consistently of all women

This is making me miss Istanbul - I was there twice in July 2023, and it was sense rockingly wonderful