Elif Shafak Knihy

Magický príbeh o spolupatričnosti a identite, o láske a traume, o sile prírody a nových začiatkoch.Dvaja cyperskí tínedžeri – Kostas, Grék a kresťan, a Defne, Turkyňa a moslimka – sa spoznajú v taverne na ostrove, ktorý obaja považujú za svoj domov. V čarokrásnom prostredí exotických rastlín a pod konármi figovníka prepadnú zakázanej láske. Strom je nemým svedkom ich šťastných stretnutí, svedkom vojny, zničenia mesta aj svedkom osudu zaľúbencov.Figovník rastie takisto v záhrade londýnskeho domu, kde o desiatky rokov neskôr žije Ada Kazantzakisová. Ten strom je jediné spojenie s ostrovom, ktorý nikdy nenavštívila, jediné spojenie s boľavou rodinnou históriou a jej identitou, ktorú sa pokúša odhaliť, aby našla svoje miesto na svete.

V polovici šestnásteho storočia, za vlády sultána Sulejmana, vpláva do istanbulského prístavu loď. Privezie indického chlapca Džahana a spolu s ním dar pre panovníka - bieleho slona Chotu. Mesto plné ľudí rôzneho vyznania a kultúr, labyrint ulíc, to všetko je nové pre sotva dvanásťročného Džahana i Chotu. Jedného dňa Džahan stretne architekta majstra Sinana a práve on zmení chlapcov osud.

Celosvetovo úspešná turecká autorka Elif Shafak vo svojich knihách spája tradície Východu a Západu, búra vžité náboženské stereotypy a vytvára priestor pre všetky otvorené mysle. Jej knihy vyšli vo viac ako 40 svetových jazykoch a štýl jej písania vážne konkuruje slávnemu Paulovi Coelhovi. Štyridsaťročná Ella žije na predmestí Northamptonu v štáte Massachussetts a vedie pohodlný život po boku zámožného manžela. Napriek tomu nie je spokojná so svojím osudom. Po rokoch v domácnosti si nájde prácu ako externá lektorka v literárnej agentúre. Spolu s inými ponukami sa jej do rúk dostane text neznámeho autora, ktorého hlavnou témou je súfizmus, a táto kniha zmení jej pohľad na život a na lásku. Text ju natoľko zaujme, až si začne písať s jeho autorom Azizom. Postupne medzi nimi vzniká priateľstvo, ktoré pomaly prerastá v náklonnosť a lásku. Aziz jej vyrozpráva svoj životný príbeh, a aj to, že je smrteľne chorý a chce zomrieť v Konyi, kde žil Šams, potulný derviš, hrdina jeho románu. Ella stojí pri priateľovi do poslednej chvíle a po jeho odchode začne nový život vďaka sile ukrytej v tajnom súfickom učení.

Rovnako ako kniha Štyridsať pravidiel lásky, aj román Rebelka z Istanbulu je ďalším fascinujúcim rozprávaním tureckej autorky Elif Shafak. Román bol v roku 2008 nominovaný na cenu Orange Fiction Prize. Autorka v ňom na pozadí mystického a multikultúrneho mesta Istanbul opisuje osud rodiny Kazandžiovcov, v ktorej už po mnoho pokolení vládnu ženy a muži zomierajú mladí. Keď sa v jedno daždivé popoludnie v ordinácii lekára zjaví mladé slobodné dievča a žiada, aby mu urobili potrat, ani len netuší, že udalosti toho dňa ovplyvnia život celej jej rodiny. O dvadsať rokov neskôr žije krásna Asya Kazandžiová s početnými príbuznými vo veľkom dome v Istanbule. Mladá žena nepozná svojho otca, a teda ani svoju minulosť a je presvedčená, že taký človek nemá budúcnosť. Keď rodinu navštívi príbuzná z USA, pokojný život Kazandžiovcov sa nečakane zvrtne.

'In the first minute following her death, Tequila Leila's consciousness began to ebb, slowly and steadily, like a tide receding from the shore. Her brain cells, having run out of blood, were now completely deprived of oxygen. But they did not shut down. Not right away...' For Leila, each minute after her death brings a sensuous memory- the taste of spiced goat stew, sacrificed by her father to celebrate the long-awaited birth of a son; the sight of bubbling vats of lemon and sugar which the women use to wax their legs while the men attend mosque; the scent of cardamom coffee that Leila shares with a handsome student in the brothel where she works. Each memory, too, recalls the friends she made at each key moment in her life - friends who are now desperately trying to find her. . .

The new novel from the Booker-shortlisted, internationally bestselling author of The Island of Missing Trees and 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World ***** There Are Rivers in the Sky is a rich, sweeping novel set between the 19th century and modern times, about love and loss, memory and erasure, hurt and healing, centred around three enchanting characters living on the banks of the River Thames and the River Tigris - their lives all curiously touched by the epic of Gilgamesh. ***** 'Elif Shafak is a unique and powerful voice in world literature' Ian McEwan 'Shafak makes a new home for us in words' Colum McCann 'One of the best writers in the world today' Hanif Kureishi

'My mother died twice. I promised myself I would not let her story be forgotten . . .' Pembe and Adem Toprak leave Turkey for London. There they make new lives for their family. Yet the traditions and beliefs of their home come with them - carried in the blood of their children, Iskender and Esma. Trapped by past mistakes, the Toprak children find their lives torn apart and transformed by a brutal and chilling crime. Set in Turkey and London in the 1970s, Honour explores pain and loss, loyalty and betrayal, the clash of tradition and modernity, as well as the love and heartbreak that can tear any family apart. Praise for Elif Shafak: 'Vivid storytelling, a gripping novel . . . scenes blaze with the force of parable.' Sunday Telegraph 'A stunning novel. Exotic, evocative and utterly gripping.' The Times 'Moving, subtle and ultimately hopeful, Honour is further proof that Shafak is the most exciting Turkish novelist to reach western readers in years.' Irish Times 'Extraordinarily skilfully crafted . . . with Shakespearean twists and turns, omens and enigmas, prophecies and destinies.' Independent

In this lyrical, exuberant tale, acclaimed Turkish author Elif Shafak, author of The Island of Missing Trees (a Reese's Book Club Pick), incarnates Rumi's timeless message of love Ella Rubenstein is forty years old and unhappily married when she takes a job as a reader for a literary agent. Her first assignment is to read and report on Sweet Blasphemy, a novel written by a man named Aziz Zahara. Ella is mesmerized by Zahara's tale of Shams of Tabriz's search for Rumi and the dervish's role in transforming the successful but unhappy cleric into a committed mystic, passionate poet, and advocate of love. She is also taken with Shams's lessons, or rules, that offer insight into an ancient philosophy based on the unity of all people and religions, and the presence of love in each and every one of us. As she reads on, she realizes that Rumi's story mir­rors her own and that Zahara—like Shams—has come to set her free. The Forty Rules of Love unfolds two tantalizing parallel narratives—one contemporary and the other set in the thirteenth century, when Rumi encountered his spiritual mentor, Shams, the whirling dervish—that together explore the enduring power of Rumi's work.

It feels like the world is falling apart. So how do we keep hold of our optimism? How do we nurture the parts of ourselves that hope, trust and believe in something better? And how can we stay sane in this world of division?In this beautifully written and illuminating polemic, Booker Prize nominee Elif Shafak reflects on our age of pessimism, when emotions guide and misguide our politics, and misinformation and fear are the norm. A tender, uplifting plea for optimism, Shafak draws on her own memories and delves into the power of stories to reveal how writing can nurture democracy, tolerance and progress. And in the process, she answers one of the most urgent questions of our time.

The stunning, timely new novel from the acclaimed, internationally bestselling author follows Peri, a married, wealthy, beautiful Turkish woman, on her way to a dinner party in Istanbul. As a beggar snatches her handbag, a photograph falls out—a polaroid of three young women and their university professor, a relic from a past Peri has tried to forget. Set over an evening in contemporary Istanbul, the story unfolds as Peri navigates the tensions between East and West, religious and secular, rich and poor. Amidst the opulence of the dinner, terrorist attacks erupt across the city. Competing in Peri's mind are memories evoked by the polaroid, recalling her time at Oxford University, where she befriended the charming Shirin, a fully assimilated Iranian, and Mona, a devout Egyptian-American. Their debates on Islam and feminism center around the charismatic Professor Azur, who teaches divinity in unconventional ways. As the attacks draw nearer, Peri reflects on the scandal that ultimately tore them apart. Elif Shafak, the number one bestselling novelist in Turkey, delivers a rich and moving narrative that humanizes a profound sea change in the modern world.