A passionate nonfiction work...for readers with a particular interest in Turkish politics, or a more general curiosity about polarized democratic societies with authoritarian patriarchal rulers. * Books We Loved in 2016', The New Yorker *
Combining personal reflection, popular culture and smaller vignettes...an insightful and informative study of modern Turkey. * Asian Review of Books *
Temelkurans book does a masterful job of capturing the mood of the country...Temelkuran shines in describing the ways that Erdogan has exploited and exacerbated the countrys polarization...the piece de resistance is her portrait of the Gezi Park protests of 2013. * Bookforum *
Temelkuran has written a primer for todays chaos, a masterclass in expecting the unexpected. A coup attempt in 2016 seems less surprising when viewed against the four coups of the last six decades, all of which Temelkuran weaves into her mosaic of political history. * Financial Times *
A profoundly unconventional piece of political commentary a courageous reminder of the role creativity and the arts have to play in the collective memory of political events. * Frieze *
A no-holds-barred insight into the psyche of a people. * New Internationalist *
An intimate book. Each page has the same, almost sensuous, feel present in the works of the poet Nazim Hikmet but absent from some decorated recent Turkish writers. * Prospect *
Through passionate and poetic prose, Temelkuran holds a mirror to Turkey. * Publishers Weekly *
Temelkuran excels at understanding how emotional narrative plays into politics. * The Culture Trip *
At times playful, but more often polemical...Temelkuran seethes on the front line of Turkeys culture war. * The Economist *
Astute...a representative example of what an intelligent observer in Turkey thinks and feels about the past fifteen years. * Times Literary Supplement *
What a brave woman! And what a fine, stylish and intelligent writer! Mixing sarcasm, anger, wit, and irony as well as hard facts, Ece Temelkuran has provided us with an informative and moving account of Turkeys seemingly inexorable drift into authoritarianism. * Donald Sassoon, author of The Culture of the Europeans *
A vivid portrait of a nation in turmoil...a book that should be on the reading list of everyone who is sincerely interested in this troubled country. * Elif Safak, The Spectator *
Ece Temelkuran stares modern Turkey squarely in the eye to give a clear-sighted view of the crisis gripping the country. Temelkuran's writing delights in using the riches of language and the power of the image to create vivid insights into Turkeys turbulent past and present. * Jodie Ginsberg, Index on Censorship *
Part guide, part confidante, Ece Temelkuran brilliantly captures the neurosis at the heart of her country. An important book for anyone who wants to understand modern Turkey. * Padraig Reidy, editor, Little Atoms *
A wonderful book that gives a fascinating if frightening insight into the reasons why Turkey is becoming an authoritarian state. It gives an engrossing and intimate sense of the impact this development has on every aspect of life. * Patrick Cockburn, author of The Rise of Islamic State *
Ece Temelkuran is a patriot - no other word will do - who, with this book, has become one with those who have stood up throughout history to despotic and criminal leaders. * Seymour Hersh, author of The Killing of Osama Bin Laden *
