Monday, November 2, 2020

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World tells of the imagined last minutes of brain function, even after the murdered protagonist's heart has stopped. She recalls her life, her childhood in Van, Turkey, her move to Istanbul to escape sexual abuse, becoming a prostitute, her great love, D/Ali, and her five dear friends who support her in life and death. The friends are all displaced refugees and survivors of intolerance and poverty in a city which once strived to be a rich brew of many religions and lifestyles. The writing is exquisite, poetic and lively, even funny at times. The characters are richly realized. Ever present is its setting, the book is also a paean to the City of Istanbul. I was sorry to reach the end as it provided an addictive escape from pandemic election preoccupation.

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