Just gorgeous, this is a story to shine a light in the darkness, even in moments of despair. Constantinople in 1921 is a confusing, often frightening place to be, in the first few pages, two reports from 1918, perfectly sum up the two opposing sides, each report almost interchangeable. Nur’s house is in the hands of the British and being used as a hospital, she finds her thoughts on the occupiers altering and conflicted when she takes an orphan in her care to be treated by George Munroe. Five separate yet entwined stories exist side by side, different time frames ensure the past spears the present, while the future whispers to the past. Lucy Foley has developed a beautiful writing style, the vivid colour stamps its impression on the pages, conjuring taste, touch, smells and sounds, as well as creating a feast for your eyes. As the book began to come to a close, it felt as though two trains were on an inevitable collision course. The sweeping horror of war and occupation, both momentous and insidious, is clearly felt, yet it is the intimate, the individual connections, that were the highlight of this read for me. ‘Last Letter from Istanbul’ caresses, sparks and skewers thoughts and feelings, it is a truly penetrating and captivating read - highly recommended.
| Primary Genre | Historical Fiction |
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A beautiful soulful book with much realism and thought. It does start slowly with the character development in short chapters and I was a good way through before it became compelling, but when it does grab you it is a wonderful moment and I couldn't put it down.
This story is set in Istanbul in 1921 during the aftermath of WW1.... Read Full Review
I thought it was well written. I will look out for more books by this author as I have never read any of her books before now.
Not what I would normally read but I gave it a go. Found it very difficult to get into and nearly gave up reading it, but as I was chosen by Love Reading to review it I thought I would keep going. Glad I didn’t give up, as by the end I enjoyed it. If I wasn’t reviewing it I think I would have given up after the first couple of chapters. One of the main reasons I nearly gave up is that the book is very slow to develop.
The book is based on life after World War One in Istanbul. Each of the chapters in the book are based on the individual characters of the book and are all written using 3rd person.... Read Full Review
As the pace increased the book became a very good read. I loved this book and found it really thought provoking.
This is a slow burn. I found it difficult to get into at first as the chapters are all very short and seem very disjointed. However, as the pace increased the book became a very good read.
The story is about the mistrust between the English occupiers of Constantinople in 1921 and the local people. We are introduced to Nur who has to watch her former home being used as a military hospital. Her brother has gone to war and is presumed dead. She is caring for her mother and grandmother and teaching in the local school, taking her brother’s place.... Read Full Review
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