The Kadin [Mass Market Paperback]

Bertrice Small (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1978

Abducted from a life of privilege, she was sold into slavery in a distant land. For Lady Janet Leslie there would be no escaping the harem of the wealthy and powerful Sultan Selim. But from the moment the handsome ruler spied his breathtaking "Cyra," was captivated -- by the fiery desire that coursed through his veins. She belonged to him, body and soul -yet it was he who was enslaved.

Praised for her keen sense of history and remarkable storytelling powers, the bestselling author of The Spitfire displays the passionate magic that has made her a national favorite -sweeping the reader into the romantic past, from the magnificence of Renaissance Europe to the perfumed splendor of a Sultan's court.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Beatrice Small lives with her husband, George;
Deuteromony, the long-haired Maine Coon Cat;
Checquers, the fat black and white cat with the pink
ears; Nicky the Cockatiel; and Gilberto, the cranky
Half-Moon Conure, in the English speaking
community in New York State. The family heir, Tom,
is now a college man. Beatrice Small is the author of
The Kadin, Love Wild and Fair, Adora,
Skye O'Malley, Unconquered, Beloved,
All The Sweet Tomorrows,
This Heart Of Mine, Enchantress Mine,
Blaze Wyndham, Lost Love Found,
The Spitfire, and A Love For All Time.
She loves hearing from her readers. You can write to
her at P.O. Box 765, Southold, NY 11971

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Avon; mass market edition (February 1, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380016990
• ISBN-13: 978-0380016990
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (80 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #208,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bertrice Small is a New York Times bestselling author with more than 34 novels in print. She lives in the oldest English-speaking town in New York state. Her website is bertricesmall.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous and fascinating look at harem life., May 14, 2001

By 

mirope "mirope" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Kadin (Mass Market Paperback)

For those of you expecting a typical sizzling Bertrice Small romance, be prepared to get something different. I actually found myself checking the cover again and again to make sure this was the same Bertrice Small. There are virtually no [adult] scenes in this book, but the story is so compelling and wonderfully written that it doesn't need them. This is the amazing story of Janet aka Cyra Leslie, a young Scottish girl kidnapped and purchased for a Selim, future Turkish sultan. Even though this is not the life she would have chosen, she quickly adapts and is determined to make her life with Selim as pleasant as possible. She forms a lasting bond with her fellow wives and finds herself madly in love with Selim. This isn't a fairy tale romance. Cyra has to share Selim with other women, and their life is repeatedly marred by violence and tragedy. Her rise to power is fascinating, and all of the relationships in the book ring true. The book is well-grounded in historical research, and the book reads like a true story. Enjoy!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic, August 6, 2000

By 

J. Austin "jodylync" (Dublin, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Kadin (Mass Market Paperback)

Janet Leslie is a young Scottish girl who travels with her brother and widowed father to a small Mediterranean duchy where her father will serve as ambassador to Scotland. One day she is betrayed and kidnapped only to be sold is the slave markets of the East. She arrives in Ottoman ruled Turkey and meets 2 other young woman who will be embroiled in a plot with her. Their role will be to become the favorites of the current sultan's beloved son Selim. Janet, now named Cyra, makes a vow with the 2 other women Firousi and Zulieka that they will remain true to each other and survive their ordeal. This book tells the unforgetable tale of a remarkable woman who must learn to live in a culture completely foreign to her own, a woman who falls in love with Selim and remains true to her friends, a woman who would be mother to one of Turkey's greatest sultans, Suleiman the Magnificent.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book Best Left Unread, January 9, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Kadin (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a great epic novel. The story of Janet Leslie from youth to death. I am giving it three stars because it is not what I expect from a romance novel. I must worn anyone who is a romance novel reader that this is one sad story. I cried all the way through the last 100 pages and even in some of the earlier ones. Romance is a very minor part of this story and none of the sex scenes were described in any detail - they just happened. I cannot really recommend this book unless you can stand the pain of the story. Some may see it as one woman's triumph over whatever life threw at her, but it was more than I could handle. I don't mind some unpleasant moments in a romance novel, but for the most part of want to be happy when I close the book. I'm sure it's going to take me a long time to get over this novel. Hopefully, I can find other romance novels to read that will uplift my spirits. Some may love this book, as is obvious from other reviews, but I for one wish I had been warned about its content. Beatrice Small is a great writer and her sense of history is fantastic, but I am a romance novel reader not a history buff, and I do hate to be left with a great feeling of sadness when I am finished reading. BE FORWARNED.