Last Letter from Istanbul: Escape with this epic holiday read of secrets and forbidden love

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Meanwhile, George Monroe is a Scottish doctor, administering at the local military hospital overlooking the Bosporus, which was once Nur’s grand family home. When the Armenian boy requires help, their lives become entwined with consequences neither could have foreseen. Weitere Personen sind der in den Krieg gezogene Bruder und ein verwaister Junge, der in Nurs neuem Heim Unterschlupf gefunden hat und um den sie sich rührend kümmert. Her liberation has come at a price. She is a teacher now and a child's guardian, she understands duty and responsibility. What then, when circumstances have her questioning her core values? What would her father have said? Or her little brother, who was forced to fight in his country's war? A sorrowful war changes a country forever- changes its people, can the trauma be reversed? Forgiven? Is there room for love in such a hateful sphere?

I enjoy this author's books so much, that I've read three of them in a short period of time. This was the second one and once again an excellent book. Historical fiction with an enticing love element thrown in to keep the romance junkies - or rather, historical romance junkies, close to the story. Lucy Foley writes women fiction. Her work is characterized by women's suffering and well developed male characters. The main theme of her books are the promotion of love without marriage, of single-women independence, without the bondage of marriage. Love is always challenging and relationships is never guaranteed a happy ending. What IS happiness after all, right? The book did gain a bit of momentum in the final chapters, but not enough to turn my opinion of the book around. A Well written book about loss and war and the human minds ability to restrain feelings. An Excellent read.”

The descriptions of the city are raw yet lyrical, the descriptions of war brutal yet brilliantly evocative and detailed. Hard to read in parts due to the obvious reality of it all.Men are are capable of some awful things. The characters, as varied as a small Turkish boy and a Scottish doctor make this a rich tapestry of a historical read. Set during the occupation of Istanbul by allied forces after the First World War, Last Letter from Istanbul tells its story from alternating viewpoints. Those of Nur, a local evicted from her family home and now living with her mother and grandmother in a far less desirable district; the young boy who has been taken in by Nur; George, the army doctor, whose hospital occupies Nur’s former home; and two unnamed characters in the Traveller and the Prisoner. It becomes clear who they are as the novel progresses.

Lyrical prose takes the reader on this unbelievable journey of lesser-known history. The prose entice the reader into continuing: for instance, the birds swarming into the garden to feast on the pomegranates, are described as a carnival of sound, a choas of wings. Yet, one desciption had me a little baffled: the water is eloquent. The water talks, babbles, sings, tells a story? At least it made me think. I loved it though. Foley can definitely write. There were some fantastic descriptive sentences in the book and some eloquent observations of the human predicament. Just not enough to sway me.

Everyday new inhabitants arrive, fleeing the ongoing consequences of the Great War, the revolution in Russia. Dispossessed, desperate. Regular flurries of chaos at the quays.” The invading soldiers As a young Muslim woman myself, I felt a kinship with Nur. I understood her inner battle: rebel quietly or not at all? We shared similar values though I was brought up in a far more conservative and religious household. And yet, I had tasted indepemdence far earlier, I possessed the same self-confidence. But I, too, was aware of the limits my culture dictated, the expectations and I haven't always been permitted to do as I wish. I wonder, had she been raised as I was, would she have made the same choices? Many thanks to The Reading Agency and Harper Collins for providing copies of Last Letter from Istanbul, Macclesfield Library Reading Group have enjoyed reading and discussing this delicate story of human behaviour in the reality of war. Lucy Foley writes with careful regard for her choice of words and it makes the story cautiously inviting. Her rich storytelling, the intricate weaving of character perspectives, but ultimately the belief and hope in humanity makes this a beautifully memorable story. The house has been transformed into an army hospital, it is a prize of war in the hands of the British. And as Nur weaves through the streets carrying the embroideries that have become her livelihood, Constantinople swarms with Allied soldiers – a reminder of how far her she and her city have fallen.

Before the war Nur lived a happy and very comfortable existence in a beautiful mansion, a place where she had a wonderful upbringing with warm childhood memories. But following the war and the occupation of her beloved city, all that changed as her home fell under the authority of the British Army and was transformed into a hospital. The most precious thing in Nur’s new life is the orphan in her care – a boy with a terrible secret. When he falls dangerously ill Nur’s world becomes entwined with the enemy’s. She must return to where she grew up, and plead for help from Medical Officer George Monroe.From beginning to end, this story had captured my heart. I felt broken at its end. This book will leave its mark on you: it's brave, heartbreakingly ordinary, and yet altogether timeless in its delicate exploration of a history that is not as lovely as you first think. Enjoy this: let yourself be swept away. The ending elevates this book to something serious and realistic. Yes, reality at its finest. The story nevertheless will capture the heart and mind of the historical fiction afficionados. She and the boy would both be at risk. Nur knows that she cannot afford to fall – impossibly and dangerously – in love . . . An unassuming, kind, Scottish doctor has volunteered to serve at the local military hospital. This is the basis for a love story and dance of keeping within decorous rules which are constantly changing. Nur had never worn a veil, but it is now considered a sign of respectability in a woman who encounters the occupying enemy – even when he does her less harm than her own family. The most precious thing in Nur’s new life is the orphan in her care - a boy with a terrible secret. When he falls dangerously ill, Nur’s world becomes entwined with the enemy's. She must return to where she grew up and plead for help from Medical Officer George Monroe.