'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.
Praise for Elif Shafak:
'An honour killing is at the centre of this stunning novel . . . Exotic, evocative and utterly gripping.' The Times
'The novel jumps back and forth in place and time, from the 1940s to the 1990s, from east to west.'
Financial Times
'lushly and memorably magic-realist... This is an extraordinarily skilfully crafted and ambitious narrative.' '[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
'Colourfully woven and beguilingly intelligent.' Daily Telegraph
'A powerful book; thoughtful, provoking and compassionate.' Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat
'A gorgeous, jewelled, luxurious book.' The Times
'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 tells stories of great urgency, heart, and intellectual acuity. Honour is a powerful tale of family connection and heartbreak, offering us insight and delight in equal measure. This is a compulsively readable novel, an exquisite and deep rendering of the fullness of life.' Aurelie Sheehan, author of The Anxiety of Everyday Objects
'Heartbreaking . . . the beauty of Islam pervades Shafak's book.' Vogue
'Shocking, ambitious, exuberent and teeming.' Observer
'A cross-generational saga written with a freewheeling energy.' Guardian
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Industry Reviews
Colourfully woven and beguilingly intelligent * Daily Telegraph * A powerful book; thoughtful, provoking and compassionate * Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat * A gorgeous, jewelled, luxurious book * The Times * 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 tells stories of great urgency, heart, and intellectual acuity. Honour is a powerful tale of family connection and heartbreak, offering us insight and delight in equal measure. This is a compulsively readable novel, an exquisite and deep rendering of the fullness of life. * Aurelie Sheehan, author of The Anxiety of Everyday Objects * Shafak will challenge Paulo Coelho's dominance * The Independent * An honour killing is at the centre of this stunning novel... Exotic, evocative and utterly gripping * The Times * Lushly and memorably magic-realist... This is an extraordinarily skilfully crafted and ambitious narrative * The Independent * The book calls to mind The Color Purple in the fierceness of its engagement with male violence and its determination to see its characters to a better place. But Shafak is closer to Isabel Allende in spirit, confidence and charm. Her portrayal of Muslim cultures, both traditional and globalising, is as hopeful as it is politically sophisticated. This alone should gain her the world audience she has long deserved * The Guardian * In Honour, Shafak treats an important, absorbing subject in a fast-paced, internationally familiar style that will make it accessible to a wide readership * Sunday Times * Fascinating and gripping - a wonderful novel * Rosamund Lupton, author of Sister * Vivid storytelling... that explores the darkest aspects of faith and love * Sunday Telegraph * Moving, subtle and ultimately hopeful, Honour is further proof that Shafak is the most exciting Turkish novelist to reach western readers in years * Irish Times *
