Tales from the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey (Seal Women's Travel) [Paperback]

Anastasia M. Ashman (Editor), Jennifer Eaton Gokmen (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 2006 | Series: Seal Women's Travel

As the Western world struggles to comprehend the paradoxes of modern Turkey, 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. Through narrative essays covering the last four decades, these diverse women unveil the mystique of the “Orient,” describe religious conflict, embrace cultural discovery, and maneuver familial traditions, customs, and responsibilities. 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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Absolutely riveting. These memoirs offer much more than glimpses of domestic Turkey. Men should read them and be informed." -- Tim Severin, world explorer, author and filmmaker who has followed in the footsteps of historic adventurers like Marco Polo and Sinbad the Sailor, and a regular contributor to National Geographic

"Absorbing personal adventures reveal Turkey with depth, sincerity and delight. I've been waiting a long time for this book!" -- Tom Brosnahan, veteran guidebook author for Berlitz, Frommer’s and Lonely Planet, originator of Lonely Planet Turkey, founder of the Turkey Travel Planner website and author of travel memoir Turkey: Bright Sun, Strong Tea

"An excellent holiday read." -- Lonely Planet Turkey (2007)

"Closely observed, finely wrought. Vividly depicts invaluable life lessons when people are obliged to cope in an alien world." -- Craig Storti, director of the cross-cultural training firm Communicating Across Cultures, and best-selling author of The Art of Crossing Cultures

"Impressive. [These women] lead the way in reconciling the many conflicts and misunderstandings between east and west." -- Publishing Trends, June 2005, an intelligence newsletter for the American publishing industry

"The beauty of Tales is that each story paints Turkey as the narrator experiences it, and, together, the stories construct a portrait of a people and their place." -- National Geographic Traveler, July/August 2006

"Transcends cultural stereotypes deeply-embedded in the perceptions of the Eastern harem; probes the limitlessness of female venture and portable homelands." -- Elif Shafak, professor of Middle Eastern studies, University of Arizona, and award-winning Turkish author of The Bastard of Istanbul

"Transcends cultural stereotypes deeply-embedded in the perceptions of the Eastern harem; probes the limitlessness of female venture and portable homelands." -- Elif Shafak, professor of Middle Eastern studies, University of Arizona, and award-winning Turkish author of The Saint of Incipient Insanities

"[A] wonderful book; beautifully written, thought-provoking and inspiring. Every essay is spot on, literary and insightful....Be ready to book a flight to Istanbul afterwards." -- Daily Telegraph (UK), January 31,2007

"[T]he stories...entertain and inform. Read about navigating male-female relationships and one woman's really close shave in a Turkish hamam." -- International Herald Tribune, December 13, 2006

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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press; 4th edition (February 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580051553
• ISBN-13: 978-1580051552
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,561 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Travel > Asia > Turkey > General

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Canadian Resident of Turkey Delighted! February 19, 2006

By Jacqueline Mallais

Format: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 September 5, 2006

By Tim Leffel

Format: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 May 23, 2006

By Jessica L. Mcclinton

Format: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.