10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World
Synopsis
This is the fictional life story of sex worker Tequila Leila from Van, framed within the ten minutes and thirty-eight seconds after her tragic death. Each chapter is paired with a defining moment from her life or specific bodily sensation she experienced, and the reader gets to witness these fragmented memories as they unfold deep within her consciousness. We follow along her difficult childhood, where she is sexually abused and forced into an arranged marriage, to adulthood when she decides to part with her controlling family and immigrate to Istanbul. With this period of extreme political instability as the backdrop, Leila becomes estranged from everyone she knows and loves, but on the other side of her pain is the liberation she finds in making a life for herself in Istanbul. This story is also guided by a colorful cast of characters that she meets along her journey. The reader is let in on a number of different angles surrounding Leila, from details about her life, what happens when her body is found, to how her closest friends navigate the grievous aftermath of her death. This book goes beyond sensationalism or the archetypal depiction of a battered women. Instead, it utilizes the dramatic plot points as a method to address difficult but important subject matter, for example the effects of marginalization, turbulent political climates and hypocrisy interwoven within Turkey's history. Yes, this book is dark at first glance, but really, it's a celebration of found family and the profound resilience of women.
Review
This book works well both in concept and execution. It's such a powerful piece to read because it brings the true experiences of women into focus--specifically the "undesirable" ones who tend to be cast away and forgotten by larger society. It doesn't spare the reader from gory details, but accompanies each one with a sense of wisdom and compassion. Shafak illustrates Leila's trauma with her lush, sentimental prose in a way that is completely raw and authentic. While I admire the unique structure of this book, the secondary characters could have benefited from a bit more individuality and development to make them jump off the page as much as Leila does. Despite it's flaws, this book is impactful in the way it gives voice to people who have been displaced or rejected from larger society, which describes a lot of people in this day and age. Despite the sometimes somber tone, this book will leave readers with a sense of acceptance of the past and unremitting hope for the future.