heatheradiamond's reviews
296 reviews

I admit I have a weakness for books where the protagonist is dead, but I have never read one where the protagonist is dying for the duration of the story or where that frame is used to reveal an entire life. Not only do we relive the tumultuous life of the soon-to-be-deceased, but we also enter the fascinating and disturbing underbelly of Istanbul. This innovative, beautifully rendered book puts faces on marginal citizens--sex workers, transvestites, disabled--who are otherwise invisible to society. In reading their interlinked tales, I learned a wealth of information about the culture and history of Istanbul--my other favorite kind of read.