The Oracle of Stamboul was one of the books that I bought years ago because ı had a massive crush on its cover. Of course, once it entered my library, it disappeared among all the other books. Nowadays, I am looking for books that will make me happy and distract me. So I can’t tell you how glad I was when I came across this book while turning my library upside down.
I love reading about old Istanbul, a lot, and I keep the books with old Istanbul for my darker days. This book took me to beautiful Istanbul when we all have to be at home. Although it is not a book that I’d usually enjoy so much, I loved to read it because it took me to a magical place.
The main character, Eleonora, is different, and her life also will be different. We can see that from the very beginning, from her birth. The most significant characteristic of this girl is her intelligence and personality, which is quite mature, according to her age. Eleonora goes to Istanbul after his father, leaving behind her quiet life in the Ottoman Constanta. And in Istanbul, anything can happen.
I read The Oracle of Stamboul without any expectations. I just wanted to drift after Eleonora and be amazed by the magnificent old Istanbul. It didn’t disappoint. At the end of the book, I felt that the author wanted to write a sequel. It would have been nice to read more about Eleonora. But I see that he didn’t. Oh well. If you are looking for light historical fiction, you will like this one. Enjoy!
The Oracle of Stamboul
THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL is a magical historical novel about an astonishing eight-year-old girl in the last days of the Ottoman Empire.
It is 1877, on the shores of the Black Sea, and the omens for the newborn Eleonora Cohen are hardly promising. Not only does her mother die in childbirth, but her village is being attacked by the Tsar’s Royal Cavalry. However, despite this bad beginning, a sour stepmother and a traumatic journey in the hold of a ship, young Eleonora grows into a remarkably clever but very engaging child. And when a heartbreaking tragedy leaves her marooned in Istanbul, where spies and boarded-up harems and sudden death are as much a part of life as delicious spices, Paris fashions and rosewater, it is Eleonora’s extraordinary courage and character which lead her straight to the Sultan’s court, and to her salvation.
Michael David Lukas
Michael David Lukas is an American author best known for his novel The Oracle of Stamboul, published by Harper Collins and translated into over a dozen languages. His writing has been published in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the San Francisco Chronicle.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
