Summary
A powerful, moving and shocking novel about a clash of cultures that tears a family apart.
‘My mother died twice. I promised myself I would not let her story be forgotten.’
And so begins the story of Esma, a young Kurdish woman in London trying to come to terms with the terrible murder her brother has committed. Esma tells the story of her family stretching back three generations; back to her grandmother and the births of her mother and Aunt in a village on the edge of the Eup…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780241972946 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0241972949 |
| Author: | Elif Shafak |
| Publisher: | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Imprint: | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 352 |
| Release Date: | 24 June 2015 |
| Weight: | 245g |
| Dimensions: | 196mm x 128mm x 20mm |
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What They're Saying
Critics Review
Compelling
A powerful book; thoughtful, provoking and compassionate * Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat *
Fascinating and gripping - a wonderful novel * Rosamund Lupton, author of Sister *
Elif Shafak has woven with masterful care and compassion one immigrant family’s heartbreaking story - a story nurtured in the terrible silences between men and women * Sarah Blake, author of The Postmistress *
Honour is a powerful tale of family connection and heartbreak, offering us insight and delight in equal measure … an exquisite and deep rendering of the fullness of life. * Aurelie Sheehan, author of The Anxiety of Everyday Objects *
[Elif Shafak] joins writers such as Hanif Kureishi, Zadie Smith, Monica Ali, Aamer Hussein, Andrea Levy, Hanan al-Shakyh and Leila Aboulela, who offer us fictional glimpses of London’s Others * The Independent *
An honour killing is at the centre of this stunning novel … Exotic, evocative and utterly gripping * The Times *
Lushly and memorably magic-realist … This is an extraordinarily skilfully crafted and ambitious narrative * The Independent *
The book calls to mind The Color Purple in the fierceness of its engagement with male violence and its determination to see its characters to a better place. But Shafak is closer to Isabel Allende in spirit, confidence and charm. Her portrayal of Muslim cultures, both traditional and globalising, is as hopeful as it is politically sophisticated. This alone should gain her the world audience she has long deserved * The Guardian *
Moving, subtle and ultimately hopeful, Honour is further proof that Shafak is the most exciting Turkish novelist to reach western readers in years * Irish Times *
Vivid storytelling… that explores the darkest aspects of faith and love * Sunday Telegraph *
About The Author
Elif Shafak
Elif Shafak is an award-winning British Turkish novelist whose work has been translated into fifty-seven languages. The author of twenty books, fourteen of which are novels, she is a bestselling author in many countries around the world. Shafak’s previous novel, There Are Rivers in the Sky, was the UK’s bestselling literary hardback novel of 2025, selling over 500,000 copies. Her work has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the RSL Ondaatje Prize, and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, amongst others, and she is currently nominated for ‘Author of the Year’ at the British Book Awards. Elif Shafak was appointed President of the Royal Society of Literature in 2025. Her books have sold several million copies worldwide.
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