Honor

My mother died twice. I promised myself I would not let her story be forgotten . . .Leaving her twin sister behind, Pembe leaves Turkey for love – following her husband Adem to London. There the Topraks hope to make new lives for themselves and their children. Yet, no matter how far they travel, the traditions and beliefs the Topraks left behind stay with them – carried in the blood.Their eldest is the boy Iskender, who remembers Turkey and feels betrayal deeper than most. His sister is Esma, who is loyal and true despite the pain and heartache. And, lastly, Yunus, who was born in London, and is shy and different.Trapped by the mistakes of the past, the Toprak children find their lives shattered and transformed by a brutal act of murder …A powerful novel set in Turkey and London in the 1970s, Honour explores pain and loss, loyalty and betrayal, the trials of the immigrant, the clash of tradition and modernity, as well as the love and heartbreak that too often tears families apart.”A powerful book; thoughtful, provoking and compassionate”Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat”Vivid storytelling… that explores the darkest aspects of faith and love”Sunday Telegraph”A gorgeous, jewelled, luxurious book”The Times”Colourfully woven and beguilingly intelligent”Daily TelegraphRich and wide as the Euphrates river along whose banks it begins and ends, Elif Shafak has woven with masterful care and compassion one immigrant familys heartbreaking story – a story nurtured in the terrible silences between men and women trying to grow within ancient ways, all the while growing past them. I loved this bookSarah Blake, author of The Postmistress[Elif Shafak] joins writers such as Hanif Kureishi, Zadie Smith, Monica Ali, Aamer Hussein, Andrea Levy, Hanan al-Shakyh and Leila Aboulela, who offer us fictional glimpses of Londons OthersThe Independent