Although the action of the novel takes place on a single day in Istanbul during the 2013 Gezi Park riots, the backstories of the main characters weave in and out of time up until the surprising denouement, set three years later, in the final pages. Murat, scion of the Turkish construction company, Yaşar, met his American wife, Catherine, an aspiring dancer, while studying architecture in the States. His father disapproved of his son’s major, wanting him to major in business since they were builders and real estate moguls, not artists. But art will play a major role in this fascinating look at modern Turkish politics, ex-pats, intrigue, and complex interpersonal relationships. Murat is unable to father children, so he and Catherine have secretly adopted their infant son, now seven-year-old William, without any agency being involved. Catherine, rattling around in the luxurious but empty home Murat home has built, occupies her time as a board member of the Istanbul Modern art museum where a gay man named Deniz has become the head curator. Her friend Kristin, a cultural minister in the US embassy, introduces her to Peter, an American photographer hoping to show his work at the museum. They become lovers. But Murat also has unexpected ties to Kristin as he is her source of insider information on real estate developments in the ancient city. The Gezi Park riots occurred when the strongman president, Erdoğan, promoted replacing this green space near Taksim Square, the center of the city, with a shopping mall. Well done and recommended. 272 pp.
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