Why a Booktrail?
2000s: Experience a city through the experiences of expats and see Turkey through the eyes of foreign women in a very unique way
Tales from the Expat Harem
What you need to know before your trail
English-speaking women from around the world, though mostly Americans, write about their experiences living, working and struggling to adapt to a culture so different from their own.
We see first hand experience of how to navigate the Turkish dating scene, use the Turkish bath for the first time and the tradition of brides writing the names of single woman on the soles of their shoes to inspire the next marriage.
Travel Guide
Despite the title, this is not a book about a harem of women sitting in a tent and well taking part in a harem. Thankfully. The book is instead a series of experiences seen through the eyes of western woman who attempt to blend in or at least adapt to their Turkish surroundings. The references to neighbourhoods and parks will enable anyone familiar with the city to navigate as if this were a guidebook, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of street markets, food cooking in the open air and the colourful material and spices all around.
This is also a guide of sorts to the Turkish culture and the short sharp slap that culture shock can give. Fascinating and alien in equal measure. The difference approaches to breastfeeding in particular was interesting…
Where Next?
