The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak
From one of Turkey's most acclaimed and outspoken writers comes a novel about the tangled histories of two families. In her second novel written in English, Elif Shafak confronts her country's violent past in a vivid and colorful tale set in both Turkey and the United States. At its center is the bastard of the title, Asya, a nineteen-year-old woman who loves Johnny Cash and the French Existentialists, and the four sisters of the Kazanci family who all live together in an extended household in Istanbul: Zehila, the zestful, headstrong youngest sister who runs a tattoo parlor and is Asya's mother; Banu, who has newly discovered herself as a clairvoyant; Cevriye, a widowed high school teacher; and Feride, a hypochondriac obsessed with impending disaster. Their one estranged brother lives in Arizona with his wife and her Armenian daughter, Armanoush. When Armanoush secretly flies to Istanbul in search of her identity, she finds the Kazanci sisters and becomes fast friends with Asya. A secret is uncovered that links the two families and ties them to the 1915 Armenian deportations and massacres. Full of vigorous, unforgettable female characters, The Bastard of Istanbul is a bold, powerful tale that will confirm Shafak as a rising star of international fiction.
Unquestionably an ambitious book, exuberant and teeming. . a novel crammed with characters and themes, not unlike Istanbul itself * Guardian *
Wonderfully magical, incredible, breathtaking . . . will have you gasping with disbelief in the last few pages * Sunday Express *
Heartbreaking . . . the beauty of Islam pervades Shafak's book * Vogue *
A writer whose artistry matches her ambition . . . she has taken on a subject of deep moral consequence * New York Times *
A brave and passionate novel * Paul Theroux *
Tremendous exuberance . . . I do like a writer with a purpose * Margaret Forster *
An astonishingly rich and lively story ... handled with an enchantingly light touch' * Kirkus Reviews *
Overflows with a kitchen sink's worth of zany characters ... an entertaining and insightful ensemble novel that posits the universality of family, culture and coincidence -- (starred review) * Publishers Weekly *
Wonderfully magical, incredible, breathtaking . . . will have you gasping with disbelief in the last few pages * Sunday Express *
Heartbreaking . . . the beauty of Islam pervades Shafak's book * Vogue *
A writer whose artistry matches her ambition . . . she has taken on a subject of deep moral consequence * New York Times *
A brave and passionate novel * Paul Theroux *
Tremendous exuberance . . . I do like a writer with a purpose * Margaret Forster *
An astonishingly rich and lively story ... handled with an enchantingly light touch' * Kirkus Reviews *
Overflows with a kitchen sink's worth of zany characters ... an entertaining and insightful ensemble novel that posits the universality of family, culture and coincidence -- (starred review) * Publishers Weekly *
Elif Shafak is an award-winning British Turkish novelist, whose work has been translated into fifty-seven languages. The author of twenty books, fourteen of which are novels, she is a bestselling author in many countries around the world. Shafak's previous novel, THERE ARE RIVERS IN THE SKY, was the UK’s bestselling literary hardback novel of 2025, selling over 500,000 copies. Her work has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the RSL Ondaatje Prize and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, amongst others, and she is currently nominated for ‘Author of the Year’ at the British Book Awards. Elif Shafak was appointed President of the Royal Society of Literature in 2025. Her books have sold several million copies worldwide.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780241972908 |
| ISBN 10 | 0241972906 |
| Title | The Bastard of Istanbul |
| Author | Elif Shafak |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Year published | 2015-04-30 |
| Number of pages | 368 |
| Prizes | Long-listed for Orange Prize for Fiction. |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |