Ternar synthesizes her own grandmother's experiences in Istanbul with the narratives of Grace Ellison and two sisters who broke the mold of obedient muslim girls to explore Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century, and arrives at a taut analysis of why the Orient and Western European culture consistently fail to understand each other, women, or themselves in constructive ways. As an anthropologist, Ternar shows a breadth of understanding of how cultures clash and what myths inform their interactions; as a novelist, she casts an imaginative gloss on the motives and passions which both cause and result from these clashes.

Probably a little difficult to follow for begining harem readers, due to it's reference to some very old works, Yeshim does a superb job of blending all the known truths about the harem as it was during the last years of the Ottoman Empire, as well as insight into the personal lives of several of the majestic women.I married my own Sultan almost ten years ago and began my search for the truth about the harem. Spent time last year in a couple of rural Turkish homes that still had some facets of this instituion. It was so different than the uninformed would believe. This book was a refreshing look at the history of one of the most interesting subjects in the world. A Special intention for the victims of the earthquake, May Allah bless you and and keep you in His loving arms during this saddest of times.May your strength carry you through as it has so many times.All my love to the people of Turkey. Dawn Curuk

This book opened my eyes to the plight of women