The Saint of Incipient Insanities is a novel by Elif Shafak that explores the lives of three international students in Boston as they navigate the challenges of love, identity, and cultural displacement.
Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Book Blurb
Omer, Abed and Piyu are roommates, foreigners all recently arrived in the United States. Omer, from Istanbul, is a Ph.D. student in political science who adapts quickly to his new home, and falls in love with the bisexual, suicidal, intellectual chocolate maker Gail.
Gail is American yet feels utterly displaced in her homeland and moves from one obsession to another in an effort to find solid ground. Abed pursues a degree in biotechnology, worries about Omer’s unruly ways, his mother’s unexpected visit, and stereotypes of Arabs in America; he struggles to maintain a connection with his girlfriend back home in Morocco.
Piyu is a Spaniard, who is studying to be a dentist in spite of his fear of sharp objects, and is baffled by the many relatives of his Mexican-American girlfriend, Algre, and in many ways by Algre herself.
Keenly insightful and sharply humorous, The Saint of Incipient Insanities is a vibrant exploration of love, friendship, culture, nationality, exile and belonging.
About the Author
Elif Shafak is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author. Her works have been translated into 55 languages and are hugely popular across the world.
Shafak holds a PhD in political science and she has taught at various universities in Turkey, the US and the UK. She has also taught at St Anne’s College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary fellow.
When you think of Elif Shakak books, you’re probably most likely to think of her bestselling fiction novels but she has also written nonfiction books.
This book is featured on the following list:
Related Books
