- Paperback: 300 pages
- Publisher: Seal Press; 1 edition (Feb 10 2006)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1580051553
- ISBN-13: 978-1580051552
- Product Dimensions: 19 x 14.2 x 2.4 cm
- Shipping Weight: 299 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#42,740 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #22 in Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Sociology > Women
- #57 in Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Special Groups > Ethnic Studies
- #58 in Books > Reference > Writing > Travel
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
This is a timely anthology on being female expats in a Muslim country - and how the Turkish landscape, psyche, people, and customs have transformed their lives. As the Western world struggles to comprehend the paradoxes of modern Turkey, a country both European and Asian, forward-looking yet rooted in ancient empire, "Tales from the Expat Harem" reveals its most personal nuances. This illuminating anthology provides a window into the country from the perspective of thirty-two expatriates from seven different nations - artists, entrepreneurs, Peace Corps volunteers, archaeologists, missionaries, and others - who established lives in Turkey for work, love, or adventure. Poignant, humorous, and transcendent, the essays take readers to weddings and workplaces, down cobbled Byzantine streets, into boisterous bazaars along the Silk Road, and deep into the feminine stronghold of steamy Ottoman bathhouses. The outcome is a stunning collection of voices from women suspended between two homes as they redefine their identities and reshape their worldviews.
About the Author
Anastasia M. Ashman is a career essayist specializing in personal tales of cultural adventure. She has spent ten years working for literary agents and producers of film, television, and Broadway theater
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
Many people tell me they wish they were archaeologists like me. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Many people tell me they wish they were archaeologists like me. Read the first page
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Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Canadian Resident of Turkey Delighted!,
By Jacqueline Mallais (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tales From the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey (Paperback)
I read "Expat Harem" just days after its release in Istanbul, and immediately felt an injection of positivity and rejunvenation in my choice to live in Turkey. Having been in Turkey these past 3.5 years, I thought I had seen and experienced quite a bit of Turkish life and culture, but reading this book opened my eyes to all kinds of new possibilities that are still waiting for me. It's an inspiring collection of the adventures and observations that a medley of women from different nationalities and backgrounds experienced in the past three decades, from touring around Turkey in the 70's to personal accounts of family traditions and even superstitions. I especially enjoyed one woman's account of her neighbours' generosity when she was sick for days and couldn't leave her apartment. They came over in a large group, to stoke up the fire in her woodstove, to clean up her house, to change the sheets on her bed and to make her a healthy breakfast, all in the name of fellow-compassion. When she asked them how they knew she was sick, they told her that they had noticed her absence for a few days and were worried about her. This is just one sample of Turkish caring and hospitality found in this book. I thoroughly loved reading this book for reminding me of all the positive aspects of living in this wonderful country.
5.0 out of 5 stars
STUNNING, FUN READ FOR ARMCHAIR TRAVELERS,
By A Customer
This review is from: Tales From the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey (Paperback)
Well these ladies really know how to tell a story! Running off to Turkey to try their hand at all sorts of ventures, getting into scrapes and being rescued by Turks, I thought it was a riot. They describe the country gorgeously, in a way I've never imagined it. Vibrant and warm. Now a place I'd like to visit. Like Under the Tuscan Sun, but better since it's so many different views and time periods, you never get bored! I'll read this again soon just for fun. It's the kind of book that stays with you.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.8 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews) 39 of 40 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Canadian Resident of Turkey Delighted!,
By Jacqueline Mallais - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Tales From the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey (Paperback)
I read "Expat Harem" just days after its release in Istanbul, and immediately felt an injection of positivity and rejunvenation in my choice to live in Turkey. Having been in Turkey these past 3.5 years, I thought I had seen and experienced quite a bit of Turkish life and culture, but reading this book opened my eyes to all kinds of new possibilities that are still waiting for me. It's an inspiring collection of the adventures and observations that a medley of women from different nationalities and backgrounds experienced in the past three decades, from touring around Turkey in the 70's to personal accounts of family traditions and even superstitions. I especially enjoyed one woman's account of her neighbours' generosity when she was sick for days and couldn't leave her apartment. They came over in a large group, to stoke up the fire in her woodstove, to clean up her house, to change the sheets on her bed and to make her a healthy breakfast, all in the name of fellow-compassion. When she asked them how they knew she was sick, they told her that they had noticed her absence for a few days and were worried about her. This is just one sample of Turkish caring and hospitality found in this book. I thoroughly loved reading this book for reminding me of all the positive aspects of living in this wonderful country.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A refreshing window into a different culture,
By Tim Leffel "author, The World's Cheapest Dest... - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Tales From the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey (Paperback)
Tales from the Expat Harem is a lovingly produced book that probably gives a more rounded, fully fleshed-out view of Turkey than any book has managed before. It achieves this through narratives from 29 women who have made Turkey their home, either for a time or permanently, in locations scattered throughout the country. (A helpful map in the front shows each city or village where stories take place.) About half married a Turk. The others were in a relationship that didn't fly, were trying to figure out how to date there, or were trying to navigate life as a single in a country where being alone is seen as a bit odd and sad. This variety of place and experience allows a deeper look into the culture than usual.The quality of the writing is uniformly high, despite the fact that many of the contributors were amateur writers coaxed--and carefully edited--by Ashman and Gökmen. The two editors each contribute a tale as well: Ashman with a description of her opulent, high-society Istanbul wedding, and Gökmen with a story about giving her Turkish language skills a workout as she takes a road trip with her American mother. For anyone who wants to get a real feel for what it's like to marry into a foreign culture, or to see how daily life works out while settling into another land, this is an engaging and masterful collection. 18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An enchanting book,
By Jessica L. Mcclinton - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Tales From the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey (Paperback)
This book gives magical insight from the perspective of foreign women living and working in Turkey.I would especially recommend this anthology to those who may hold erroneous stereotypes about the Turkey and its treatment of women. So, if you are still saying: "Turkey!? Didn't you see that movie "Midnight Express!?" please, please read this book. You will be amazed and enchanted to discover a people and a culture of hospitality, warmth, and reverence for the female spirit. |
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