A review by viveknshah
The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak

4.0

A nuthouse of characters with their colorful personalities, intertwined with their eccentricities and back stories makes a for a very delectable hodgepodge of Asure (closest to the Indian kheer). In that mayhem, she captures Armenian - Turkish conflict from a civilian stand point, the globalisation of cultures and breaking of stereotypes as an Armenian American meets a Turkish family and tries to fit in. Oh and you'll walk out of this book and survive on any Turkish cookery show with descriptions of dishes sprinkled all through every chapter. Is there a message in this book? I didn't find it but is the book an entertaining page turner? That it is.