Yes, I Would... comprises a series of imaginary letters written to Lady Mary Montagu, whose famous Embassy Letters were written in 1716-1718 during her stay in Turkey as the wife of the English ambassador. The author uses themes dear to Lady Mary, such as culture, art, religion, women and daily life, to reflect on those same topics as encountered during the author's past 30 years of travel in Turkey.
Yes, I Would...: An American Woman's Letters to Turkey
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Inspired by Lady Mary Montagu, husband of the English ambassador to Turkey in the early 18th century, whose correspondences were collected posthumously in The Embassy Letters, Branning has written a series of imagined letters to Lady Montagu that reveal her own take on Turkey. A librarian and art historian who has spent considerable time in the country, Branning shares her experiences, both positive and negative, in a narrative style that is proper, prim, and perhaps overly restrained: "I wrote to you in the last letter about women, but I feel I need to say a few more things specifically..." Her affection for Turkey and her appreciation for its food, customs, and hospitality are evident. "There are no hidden agendas, secret ingredients, tour de mains, or elaborate reduced sauces in this food. It is bold and direct, and you know exactly what has gone into its making... I eat simply... this is one of my most favorite meals on earth." Her enthusiasm is infectious, and the photos that close many chapters help to make this volume a treat.
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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
Inspired by Lady Mary Montagu, husband of the English ambassador to Turkey in the early 18th century, whose correspondences were collected posthumously in The Embassy Letters, Branning has written a series of imagined letters to Lady Montagu that reveal her own take on Turkey. A librarian and art historian who has spent considerable time in the country, Branning shares her experiences, both positive and negative, in a narrative style that is proper, prim, and perhaps overly restrained: "I wrote to you in the last letter about women, but I feel I need to say a few more things specifically..." Her affection for Turkey and her appreciation for its food, customs, and hospitality are evident. "There are no hidden agendas, secret ingredients, tour de mains, or elaborate reduced sauces in this food. It is bold and direct, and you know exactly what has gone into its making... I eat simply... [this] is one of my most favorite meals on earth." Her enthusiasm is infectious, and the photos that close many chapters help to make this volume a treat. Katharine Branning, Blue Dome (NBN dist.), $18.95 (340p) ISBN 9781935295068 (June) --Publishers Weekly
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Turkish Encounters Make for Cultural Comparisons in Letter Form
December 14, 2010
Format:Hardcover
Katherine Branning's compilation of letters to Lady Mary Wortley Montagu compares modern-day Turkey with the Turkey of yesteryear, bringing both worlds to life especially for the armchair traveler of today. Just exactly who is Lady Montagu, you may well ask. Living from 1689 to 1762, she was a great English poet, essayist and letter-writer. The daughter of the autocratic Evelyn Pierrepont, first Duke of Kingston, she eloped with Edward Wortley in 1712. When Edward was appointed ambassador to Turkey, she accompanied him there, where she wrote her Turkish Embassy Letters, which were published posthumously to immediate acclaim in 1763. The letters that Lady Montagu wrote were atypical travel writings of the day, describing the intimate details of life as led largely by Turkish women at the time.
Katherine Branning's writing covers most of the aspects of contemporary life in Turkey, but where she largely differs is that, unlike Lady Montagu, she has chosen to omit the scenes of horror and oppression that her predecessor so aptly described. Branning, despite writing three centuries later, has managed to sanitize Turkey, so that her letters read much more like a travelogue than they do an insightful foray into life as it is lived. She also manages to objectify the Turkish people in a way that clearly shows how essentially different they are to contemporary Americans. One has to bear in mind the difference in background between the two women--Katherine Branning is the Director of the French Institute Alliance Francaise in New York City and a graduate of the Ecole du Louvre in Paris, where she majored in Islamic arts, with a specialty in Islamic glass. As an independent researcher and glass artist, she has conducted annual field work relative to architecture and decorative arts in Turkey since 1978. Clearly, as an academic, she is much more used to giving an objective overview of places and events than was Lady Montagu, who tended towards romantic extremism, both in her writing and in her own lifestyle. It seems somewhat unfair, then, that Branning has been criticized for not putting more flesh on the bones (in a metaphorical sense, you understand) of those whom she describes.
However, with the world today being a far different place to what it was four centuries ago, it is, perhaps, not so surprising that readers have come to expect a great deal more from authors who choose to venture into so-called `foreign' lands. What would have been decried in Lady Montagu's day (which is, no doubt, why her letters were only published posthumously) is nowadays praised for being insightful and thought-provoking. It basically all comes down to what the reader wants, and expects, from those authors whose writings they choose to explore.
Yes, I Would Love Another Glass of Tea is worthwhile reading for those who have little knowledge of Turkey--with its multiple black-and-white photographs, on which Branning clearly prides herself, and its coverage of numerous topics relating to Turkey the work provides a useful overview of the country and its people. Clearly, Branning is well-intentioned and appreciative of the culture concerned, but her writing needs to be much more multidimensional to bring it fully to life. [Reviewer for BookPleasures.com]
Katherine Branning's writing covers most of the aspects of contemporary life in Turkey, but where she largely differs is that, unlike Lady Montagu, she has chosen to omit the scenes of horror and oppression that her predecessor so aptly described. Branning, despite writing three centuries later, has managed to sanitize Turkey, so that her letters read much more like a travelogue than they do an insightful foray into life as it is lived. She also manages to objectify the Turkish people in a way that clearly shows how essentially different they are to contemporary Americans. One has to bear in mind the difference in background between the two women--Katherine Branning is the Director of the French Institute Alliance Francaise in New York City and a graduate of the Ecole du Louvre in Paris, where she majored in Islamic arts, with a specialty in Islamic glass. As an independent researcher and glass artist, she has conducted annual field work relative to architecture and decorative arts in Turkey since 1978. Clearly, as an academic, she is much more used to giving an objective overview of places and events than was Lady Montagu, who tended towards romantic extremism, both in her writing and in her own lifestyle. It seems somewhat unfair, then, that Branning has been criticized for not putting more flesh on the bones (in a metaphorical sense, you understand) of those whom she describes.
However, with the world today being a far different place to what it was four centuries ago, it is, perhaps, not so surprising that readers have come to expect a great deal more from authors who choose to venture into so-called `foreign' lands. What would have been decried in Lady Montagu's day (which is, no doubt, why her letters were only published posthumously) is nowadays praised for being insightful and thought-provoking. It basically all comes down to what the reader wants, and expects, from those authors whose writings they choose to explore.
Yes, I Would Love Another Glass of Tea is worthwhile reading for those who have little knowledge of Turkey--with its multiple black-and-white photographs, on which Branning clearly prides herself, and its coverage of numerous topics relating to Turkey the work provides a useful overview of the country and its people. Clearly, Branning is well-intentioned and appreciative of the culture concerned, but her writing needs to be much more multidimensional to bring it fully to life. [Reviewer for BookPleasures.com]
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book tells the story of people living in a beautiful,warm, friendly and welcoming country: TURKIYE and their special guests Katharine Branning and Lady Mary.
Yes I Would Love another book of friendship and dialog.
Great book! I am so glad I bought it! You will shed tears while reading some of the pages and will have a laugh at some others.
Yes I Would Love another book of friendship and dialog.
Great book! I am so glad I bought it! You will shed tears while reading some of the pages and will have a laugh at some others.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Nora
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
It is a perfect book to read and share author's experience in Turkey.There are very good valuations about life in Turkey as an American woman.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Makes you desire a cup of tea
A very good book to read.
I recommend everyone to read this book
You would definitely want to travel to Turkey
I recommend everyone to read this book
You would definitely want to travel to Turkey
Published 5 months ago by FACTS MAY AT TIMES BE FRUSTRATING
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful book
How amazing book!!! I feel like I am in Turkey while I am reading the book. I hold my tears sometimes. Thank you very much Kadriye abla for writing this amazing book. Read more
Published 7 months ago by OZGUVEN
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully written
This wonderful book is the first I have ever read that touches every aspect about people of another country by an author who spent years not only digging into the history of the... Read more
Published 11 months ago by NurayAykin- Author of "Pomegranates and Grapes"
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good so far..
I have started reading the book and I might say it is going really good. There are pictures of the places which are described in the book. Read more
Published 15 months ago by pinar
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