Honour

by Elif Shafak

From the Orange Prize long-listed and award-winning author of The Forty Rules of Love and The Bastard of Istanbul Elif Shafak, Honour is a novel of love, betrayal and a clash of cultures.

'A powerful book; thoughtful, provoking and compassionate' Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat

'My mother died twice. I promised myself I would not let her story be forgotten . . .'

Leaving her twin sister behind, Pembe leaves Turkey for love - following her husband Adem to London. There the Topraks hope to make new lives for themselves and their children. Yet, no matter how far they travel, the traditions and beliefs the Topraks left behind stay with them - carried in the blood.

Their eldest is the boy Iskender, who remembers Turkey and feels betrayal deeper than most. His sister is Esma, who is loyal and true despite the pain and heartache. And, lastly, Yunus, who was born in London, and is shy and different.

Trapped by the mistakes of the past, the Toprak children find their lives shattered and transformed by a brutal act of murder . . .

A powerful novel set in Turkey and London in the 1970s, Honour explores pain and loss, loyalty and betrayal, the trials of the immigrant, the clash of tradition and modernity, as well as the love and heartbreak that too often tears families apart.

'Vivid storytelling... that explores the darkest aspects of faith and love' Sunday Telegraph

'Rich and wide as the Euphrates river along whose banks it begins and ends, Elif Shafak has woven with masterful care and compassion one immigrant family's heartbreaking story - a story nurtured in the terrible silences between men and women trying to grow within ancient ways, all the while growing past them. I loved this book' Sarah Blake, author of The Postmistress

'[Elif Shafak] joins writers such as Hanif Kureishi, Zadie Smith, Monica Ali, Aamer Hussein, Andrea Levy, Hanan al-Shakyh and Leila Aboulela, who offer us fictional glimpses of London's Others' The Independent

• ISBN10: 0670921165
• ISBN13: 9780670921164
• Publish Date: 31 January 2013 (first published 5 April 2012)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 18 August 2016
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[stressedrach]

Honour is not a book I probably would have chosen myself to read if I saw it on the shelves but I am so glad I did read it. It was totally different from the usual genres I read so didn’t really know what to expect.
There are many characters from the same family in the book and you get to know who they are.
The books starts with Iskender being released from prison and his sister Esma waiting for him but the next chapter goes back to when their mother was born and how her mother behaved when she had twin girls. She needed to have a son.
The chapters of the book were confusing to start with as they kept jumping from one person to another and went back and forward in the years but this is completely relevant to the story.
It was an interesting read as I have not experienced Kurd/Turkish culture and I know little about Muslims, their traditions and beliefs.
The book was well written and I enjoyed reading it.