Ayşe Kulin

As the Second World War threatens to engulf Europe, Selva, the daughter of a prominent Ottoman family, falls in love with Rafael Alfandari, a young Jewish man. Their relationship defies the expectations of both families, forcing them to leave Turkey and begin a new life together in France. But when the Nazis occupy the country, their happiness is overshadowed by the growing danger facing Jewish communities across Europe. As persecution intensifies, Selva and Rafael find themselves trapped in a hostile world where their love and their young family may not be enough to keep them safe. Meanwhile, Turkish diplomats work behind the scenes to rescue Jewish people stranded in occupied Europe, arranging a perilous journey towards freedom. With time running out, the fate of Selva and Rafael becomes intertwined with the courage of those willing to risk their lives to save strangers. Moving between Ankara, Istanbul, Paris, and other wartime cities, Last Train to Istanbul combines an intimate family story with a little-known chapter of Holocaust history. Inspired by accounts of Turkish diplomats who helped rescue Jews during the war, the novel explores love across cultural boundaries, moral courage, and the extraordinary acts of humanity that can emerge in the darkest times.

As Hitler’s persecution of Jews intensifies in 1930s Germany, medical professor Gerhard Schliemann and his wife, Elsa, face an impossible choice: remain in the country they call home or flee to protect their family. Their escape leads them to Turkey, where German Jewish academics are offered positions at universities and hospitals as the young republic works to modernise its institutions. Although the Schliemanns find refuge and the opportunity to rebuild their lives, safety does not guarantee belonging. Across four generations, their descendants navigate political upheaval, military coups, interfaith relationships, and renewed antisemitism. As Turkey itself changes, the family must confront difficult questions about identity, loyalty, and what it means to belong to a country that may never fully accept them. Spanning nearly a century, Without a Country is a multigenerational saga inspired by the real history of German-speaking Jewish academics who found refuge in Turkey during the Nazi era. Ayşe Kulin explores the complicated relationship between displacement and belonging, showing how the search for a safe home can shape a family’s destiny long after the original refugees are gone.

In 1920s Turkey, Sabahat is a bright, determined young Muslim woman who dreams of an education and a life beyond the traditional expectations placed on women. Persuading her family to let her pursue her studies, she begins to imagine a future shaped by her own ambitions rather than an arranged marriage. But her plans take an unexpected turn when she falls in love with Aram, an Armenian Christian student. Their feelings deepen despite the religious and cultural divisions separating their families. In a society where interfaith relationships challenge deeply rooted traditions, their love becomes a source of both hope and conflict. As family loyalties and social pressures threaten to tear them apart, Sabahat and Aram must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice to remain together. Inspired by Ayşe Kulin’s own family history, Love in Exile is a sweeping romance set during a period of profound transformation in Turkish society. It explores forbidden love, women’s independence, religious difference, and the painful choices people face when personal happiness conflicts with family expectations.