Lady Life: A Novel

By: Ahmet Altan

Sign Up Now! Already a Member? Log In
You must be logged into Bookshare to access this title. Learn about membership options, or view our freely available titles.

Synopsis: From the acclaimed author of I Will Never See the World Again, this poignant coming-of-age novel finds moments of remarkable humor in a present-day Istanbul rife with economic and political hardships.Fazıl&’s comfortable existence studying literature is upended by his family&’s sudden financial ruin, followed swiftly by the death of his father. Forced to sell his belongings and move to an old boardinghouse, he discovers a new side of the city, populated by immigrants, poets, sex workers, and busboys, all struggling to get by. On a tip from a fellow resident, Fazıl finds work to support himself through university, as an extra on a TV show, where he meets two women who will change his life. Sıla, a striking young student, shares his love of Virginia Woolf and uniquely understands his current predicament: once well-off, she too has lost everything, after the government unjustly seized her father&’s business. While they begin a tentative romance, Fazıl is also drawn to the show&’s vivacious leading lady, Hayat, whose carefree, sensuous outlook differs so greatly from his own. Written from his prison cell, Ahmet Altan&’s latest novel offers a witty, insightful view of modern Turkey and the lives of its &“new poor&” that shows how we can find light in the darkest times.