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The Bastard of Istanbul

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The Bastard of Istanbul

By: Elif Shafak
Narrated by: Alix Dunmore
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A gripping and beautiful novel from Elif Shafak, Booker-shortlisted author of The Island of Missing Trees and 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World

One rainy afternoon in Istanbul a woman walks into a doctor's surgery. 'I want an abortion,' she announces. She is nineteen years old, and unmarried. What happens that afternoon will change her life, and the lives of everyone around her.

Twenty years later, Asya Kazanci lives with her extended family in Istanbul. A mysterious curse causes all the men to die by the age of 41, so it is a house of women, among them her beautiful, rebellious mother, Zeliha, clairvoyant Auntie Banu and bar-brawl widow, Auntie Cevriye. But when Asya’s Armenian-American cousin Armanoush comes to stay, long hidden family secrets connected with Turkey's turbulent past begin to emerge.

'Wonderfully magical, incredible, breathtaking...will have you gasping with disbelief in the last few pages' Sunday Express

'A beautiful book, the finest I have read about Turkey' Irish Times

'Heartbreaking...the beauty of Islam pervades Shafak's book' Vogue

© Elif Shafak 2007 (P) Penguin Audio 2019

 City Life Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Urban Women's Fiction World Literature
All stars
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Elif Shafak has a brilliant way of holding you in her stories and making you feel
like you come to know the people personally. Highly recommended

Loved it

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Elif Shafak is one of the best storytellers I have ever encountered. Read this now!

WONDERFUL!

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A wonderful story as intricate as a spiders web. Believable characters and in-depth consideration of a range of perspectives. Families often seem strange and their truth stranger than fiction. This family is well worth the read.

Spiders Web

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Excellent storytelling!
Excellent narrator!
I enjoyed the audiobook, but now want to read the book. The writing is so beautiful, you can’t help wanting to linger

Brilliant!!

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Another powerful book by Elif Shafak. Great story that weaves through time, reminds us that fate is at work and that stories live on in women.

Stunning read

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