Seven Houses: A Novel

Seven Houses: A Novel was recommended to me as a must read for anyone with a love for or connection with Turkey. Seven Houses is a beautifully written, literary novel, and I agree with the recommendation. The premise of the novel is that the seven houses, located in Turkey throughout the 20th century, have a soul and a connection to the inhabitants and their stories. The idea of the houses speaking for the family is interesting but not necessary and sometimes a clunky tool. It should also be noted that the family featured in the story is representative of the Turkish secular ideal, so only portrays part of the population and does not address the reality of the much more conservative-leaning Turkish society of today. Even those that do not have a connection to Turkey, but enjoy well-written literary fiction, will enjoy this novel.