Bliss: A Novel

Fifteenyearold Meryem lives in a rural village in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. Her simple, conventional way of life changes dramatically after her uncle, a sheikh in a dervish order, rapes herand condemns her to death for shaming the family. Asked to carry out the honor killing is his son Cemal, a commando in the Turkish army. So begins a long, mystifying voyage for Meryem as her shellshocked cousin ushers her to the shining metropolis of Istanbul where another troubled soul, the Harvardeducated professor Irfan, embarks on his own journey of transformationone that catapults him into the heart of Meryem and Cemals conflict. The crossedpaths and interwoven destinies of these three characters makes for an affecting, by turns brutal and lifeaffirming portrayal of traditional and modernday Turkey that no reader will soon forget.Livaneli is an essential force in Turkeys musical, cultural, and political scene.Orhan Pamuk, Nobel Prize Winner and author of SnowBliss is eyeopening and deeply moving.Kirkus Reviews (starred)Compelling [for] American readers hard to put down.The Cleveland Plain DealerWith lush scenes of Turkish life and nuanced depictions of the [characters] inner lives. . .a convergence of lost, likable souls.Entertainment WeeklyO. Z. Livaneli, one of Turkeys most prominent authors, is also an accomplished composer, and previously served as an elected member of the Turkish Parliament.