Michael David Lucas’s debut novel sweeps the reader into the magical world of old Istanbul, where fairy tale and reality intertwine like an Eastern rug pattern. A wonderful story about little Eleanor unfolds against the collapse of a once-powerful Ottoman Empire. Political intrigues, secret societies, and double agents make up the world of which one lonely orphan girl becomes a part. Eleanor’s fate is filled with harsh trials, because a mark of “chosen one”-ness rests on her—meaning an unbearable burden of responsibility she must carry to fulfill an ancient prophecy. But even when providence leaves Eleanor no choice, it turns out that in Istanbul anything is possible.
A vivid, spellbinding book, its pages steeped in the salty air of Istanbul’s waterfronts and the gentle fragrance of Topkapi Gardens.