The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak follows cousins Armanoush, a young Armenian American living in San Francisco, trying to understand her family history and Asya, a nineteen-year-old Turkish woman living in an all-female household in Istanbul because all the men in her family are cursed and die young.

This novel is filled with history and humor; there is a longing to understand one’s past and how it relates to the present, one’s identity, family and culture. It forces us to examine what we have been told is true and the truth that we discover on our own.

My favorite type of novel, well written, thought provoking, highly entertaining and full of heart. And as a bonus, it’s set in Istanbul, what more could a reader ask for?