This is very good but quite difficult.
Written from a contemporary viewpoint, it spans four generations of a Greek/Turkish family - the grandmother, a famous painter about to reach her hundredth birthday, her daughter absent as she has drunk herself to death, and grandson and granddaughter Nur and a great-grandaughter. Also Nur’s journalist lover Burak and an old family retainer Sadik. The narrator of each chapter is one of the above.
Beautifully written and translated, it covers the events leading up to the great-grandmother’s 100th birthday celebration. There is a lot going on between the characters and, gradually shocking events of 100 years ago are uncovered, as the Greeks and Turks fought (I think) for Turkish independence.
There is maybe too much going on in the plot, certainly for the book to be an easy read, but it is very, very good.
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