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Last Train to Istanbul

A Novel

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Last Train to Istanbul

By: Ayşe Kulin John, John W. Baker - translator
Narrated by: Sanjiv Jhaveri
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About this listen

Born into privilege to one of the last Ottoman pashas, beautiful, spirited Selva is the brightest jewel in her father’s household - until she falls in love with Rafael Alfandari. Though Turkey has long been a safe haven for Jews, marriage between a high-ranking Muslim girl and a Jewish boy is strictly forbidden. Yet young love will not be denied, and Selva and Rafael defy their parents and marry, fleeing to Paris in hopes of a better life - only to find themselves trapped in the path of the invading Nazis.

But in the midst of darkness shines a beacon of hope: A handful of courageous Turkish diplomats, protected only by the tenuous neutrality of their homeland, hatch a daring plot to spirit the exiled lovers and hundreds of innocent Jews to safety. Together, they will traverse a war-torn continent, crossing enemy lines and risking everything in one last, desperate bid for freedom.

©2002 Ayşe Kulin (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc. 20th Century Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Multicultural War & Military War Ottoman Empire Romance Imperialism Middle East Middle Ages

Critic Reviews

"Ayşe Kulin is a clever writer. She draws the reader into the story of the life and loves of a Turkish family in wartime, and by the time the reader realizes that she has also cranked up the tension with a rescue plot, it is too late to put the book down unfinished. For aficionados of wartime novels, as well as for anyone glued to his or her seat watching the film Argo, this is a must read." (Helen Bryan, best-selling author of War Brides and The Sisterhood)
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I found myself unable to care what happened to any of these characters. In particular the sisters. One is just outright obnoxious, more interested in pretty much everything other than protecting her son. The other is unable to love her own daughter because when she was growing up her younger sister was slightly taller and therefore her jealousy from childhood has left her emotionally stunted. The narration lacked emotion. The random rape in the train carriage, really, was that necessary???

Unsympathetic characters

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Loved this book, the accents were so perfect I could listen to the story without stopping.

Lovely story. I would recommend it to anyone.

Great Book

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I enjoyed the storyline & the narrator was excellent. At one point I felt the story was predicable. But OT was still an enjoyable journey with the families from France to Turkey.

An enjoyable love story during WWII

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a truly moving story of human spirit and hope for the future I was truly moved by this story

masterpiece

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The stories of the characters' lives are set against historic reference with skill. A captivating tale of humanity and diplomacy.

Interesting and captivating

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