10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif ShafakMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Hooter: A prostitute sees her entire life in a flashback after being murdered in Istanbul.
Elif Shafak has a way with picturising Turkiye and she contiues to romanticise beautifully the country and its vibe by intricately painting a kaleidoscope of the culture and flavours of the country. Against that backdrop, we go through the life of Tequila Layla who has been served lemons by life and she just served it with her moniker. From a tough childhood to rough adulthood, she has suffered through a lot but made the most of it , thanks to friends who became family. The book is a flashback to the moment of her death introducing the various turning points in her life including the entry of each of her friends through that journey. You root for the characters, no matter how flawed they are, because they are human and humans aren't flawless. Whilst the narrative does slow down and doesn't seem to go anywhere, you enjoy the slow rhythm to savour the rich cultural context coming out of it.
Friendship is the strongest element that evokes emotions in this book and whilst a binding agent to the storyline, it is the foundations on which this story stands.
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