June Reviews - Revisiting Turkey

The Architech's Apprentice
Elif Shafak
Penguin 4/11/14
4/5
Birthday haul

This story was a delight to read. I loved all of the descriptions of the palaces and some of the familiar places that still survive today. The story was apparently inspired by a miscellaneous painting of a white elephant in Istanbul.
The story follows the elephant tamer as a young man seeing Istanbul for the first time to his life in the palace menagerie, a secret and close relationship with the princess and of course his apprenticeship with the sultan's chief architect. There was just the right amount of information on all of the interesting subjects that Shafak wanted to address.
I feel like I learned a little bit about the nuances of architecture, about mosques, Islam, Old Istanbul and a good deal about elephants and their care.
It was a beautiful and fascinating book, definitely one to pass on to other Istanbul lovers.

Birds Without Wings
 Louis De Bernieres
Penguin 4/7/15
5/5
Birthday haul

After the first time I read this book, I'm sure that I thought I didn't need to read it again. I was a little young to appreciate how great it is. I think as a younger reader I tried to rush through much of the story because I wasn't able to wrap my brain around the full picture of this narrative from different times and different view points.
Again another book based in Turkey, there was a nostalgia that I had reading this book for the village life. I love the picture that's painted because it feels so accurate. As my family might be leaving Turkey in the next 5 years, the situation is making me very appreciative of the life that I have lived there. I would love to read more books set in and about Turkey and Istanbul because it keeps me in touch with the place I grew up.
It's a gorgeously written book and had a big impact on me this time around.