Love in Exile by
Ayse Kulin, translated by Kenneth Dakan. It is a family saga told between 1903
and 1941 during turbulent times in Turkey. After the fall of the Ottoman
Empire, the Balkan Wars and World War I, families were torn apart by politics
and war. It is also a love story of two people who must find a way to be
together despite their families’ differences and objections. Sabahat Yedic is a beautiful and intelligent woman who wants
to peruse her education despite the cultural expectations that she finish. She
has the drive and stubbornness to stand up against cultural expectations to
follow her dreams. Raised in a Muslim family, she believes her life is meant to
be more than just a good marriage and children. She convinces her family to let
her continue her education. She meets the handsome Aram, a young Armenian
Christian man who matches her desire for knowledge. They soon fall in love and
despite their families’ objections, they defy traditions and risk everything to
be together. Will Sabahat and Aram finally have the life they dream of? Or with
culture, politics and war keep them apart?
Based on the author’s own family history, it is a beautiful
of star-crossed lovers. The descriptions of the time and of the city of
Istanbul helped bring the story alive and the story felt real. I felt as if I
was there. However, there were many minor characters with no real sense of who
was who and how they fit in the story. My advice is to read slowly, soak up the
families, the cultures, the place and the upheaval of the time. I recommend Love in Exile for those who enjoy
stories with twists and turns of historical times and a story of love
conquering all.
Love in Exile
Is available at all
major booksellers
