Review: Love Transcends in The Last Hours in Paris
‘To love or have loved, that is enough. Ask nothing further. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life.’
Victor HugoAround 200,000 children were born between 1941 and 1945 as a result of liaisons between French women and occupying German troops.
This phenomenon is the starting point for Ruth Druart’s second novel – The Last Hours In Paris, set during the Nazi occupation of France. German translator Sebastian falls in love with Élise, a young Parisian woman who has been trying to help Jewish orphans escape deportation. Here Druart asks questions not often considered in WW2 literature. How far were the occupying Germans victims themselves? What were their attitudes towards the locals? And what was the fate of the women who ‘liaised’ with them?
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: An Epic Journey through Ancient Greece
Assassin’s Creed is one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. Originally a spin off from Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the game has pioneered new gameplay elements such as stealth and parkour in an open-world environment. Games within the franchise have covered a variety of historical themes including pirates, Ancient Egypt and most recently the Viking invasion of Britain.
Since the launch of the first game in 2007, which had some clunky gameplay mechanisms, Ubisoft has perfected the format to create a seamless experience with amazingly detailed worlds to explore. In 2018’s Odyssey, there is an incredible level of detail both visually and in terms of historical research. This game truly brings Ancient Greece to life – from its awe-inspiring buildings to the clothing, art, weapons and religious practices.
Teacup Travels: Istanbul (Part 1)
Houses along the Bosphorus 
Ortaköy Mosque There are few cities in the world that can match the magnificence of Istanbul. It has everything – a rich history and a huge range of historical sites, amazing food, street cats, perfectly manicured parks and so much more. I was there for three weeks in 2018 and now can’t wait to go back to see everything I missed the first time. Here’s what makes Istanbul an unmissable destination…
Review: The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak
Elif Shafak is a prolific and internationally renowned British-Turkish author. Her most recent novel, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World, was nominated for the 2019 Booker Prize.
Shifting between the present day and 13th century Konya, The Forty Rules of Love explores the relationship between the wandering Sufi mystic Shams of Tabriz and the now more widely known Persian poet Rumi. After his death, Rumi’s followers founded the Mevlevi Sufi Order, also known as the ‘whirling dervishes’.
In this novel, Shafak chronicles Rumi’s life-changing transformation into a mystic and poet through his close relationship with Shams. This is framed by the eponymous ‘Forty Rules’ created by Shams – profound ruminations on the nature of life, love and our connection to God. One such rule is particularly relevant to the nature of their relationship: “Eventually it is best to find a person, the person who will be your mirror. Remember, only in another person’s heart can you truly see yourself and the presence of God within you.”
To make this story more relatable to our everyday lives, Shafak brings us back to the present day through the character of Ella, a dissatisfied housewife looking for deeper meaning in life and love. For me, this element was unnecessary as I found myself completely transported by the history and mysticism explored in the main story.For anyone interested in finding out more about Rumi and Sufism, I would recommend this as a good starting point.
“You can study God through everything and everyone in the universe, because God is not confined in a mosque, synagogue or church. But if you are still in need of knowing where exactly His abode is, there is only one place to look for him: in the heart of a true lover.”
Review: Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernières
As it says on the cover, this book truly is a masterpiece. Birds Without Wings is an incredibly insightful and well researched piece of wartime history, shining a light on the customs and daily life of people in Greece and Turkey during the early twentieth century. De Bernières captures the foibles and the beauty of the human condition from birth to life and in death. Some of the passages were so moving they brought me to tears. I would recommend this to anyone interested in the great Turkish leader Ataturk, this period of history and the culture of Greece and Turkey during this time. Even if you have no knowledge of this time or region, it will resonate with anyone simply interested in what it means to be human.