Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish author of 19 books. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World was released in 2019 and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in the same year.
I have a few Elif Shafak books on my shelves but this was the first one that I’ve read.
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Plot
Leila, a sex worker in Istanbul, has been murdered and left in a dumpster in the dark outskirts of the city. For the next 10 minutes and 38 seconds after her death, Leila remembers the sights, scents and sounds of the important moments of her life, including the people that have had such an impact on the woman she became.
After her burial, her devoted friends desperately try to give Leila the sense of peace she was always denied while alive.
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World Book Review
What a beautiful, captivating story this is.
You’d think a book about a prostitute found dead in a dumpster would be utterly depressing yet it somehow isn’t. This isn’t a story about death. It’s a story of life and love amongst friends. It highlights life’s disappointments and cruelties yet also shows us hope and humanity. It’s a celebration of diversity and challenges stereotypes every step of the way.
The rich and poetic prose brings Istanbul to life with all its colours, sounds and politics. Shafak writes with obvious affection for the city but also doesn’t shy away from highlighting its issues.
I really loved how the first part of the novel was from Leila’s perspective as we are introduced to her memories and the friends she holds so dear, while the second part shows her friend’s perspectives. I liked seeing Leila from her friends’ point of view after feeling like I knew her character so well. I loved how each friend was so unique and vivid in my mind and their interactions were always touching and poignant.
The below quote is the best quote about friendship I have ever read.
“She had never told her friends this, not in so many words, but they were her safety net. Every time she stumbled or keeled over, they were there for her, supporting her or softening the impact of the fall. On nights when she was mistreated by a client, she would still find the strength to hold herself up, knowing that her friends, with their very presence, would come with ointment for her scrapes and bruises; and on days when she wallowed in self-pity, her chest cracking open, they would gently pull her up and breathe life into her lungs.”
There were so many quotes from this novel that I could have used to highlight the beauty of Shafak’s writing but I think that one is my favourite.
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World was a captivating, emotional story and I savoured every page.
What to read next?
If you enjoyed 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World, I’d definitely suggest reading more Elif Shafak books. I’d definitely recommend reading The Island of Missing Trees which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022.
I’d also recommend books by Christy Lefteri, especially Songbirds and The Book of Fire.
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