Critical Praise

"The intersecting destinies of the three heroes present a portrait of Turkey at once tender and compassionate. I am sure they will have a deep influence upon French readers just as they have conquered the hearts of more than a hundred thousand of your compatriots.”

——President Jacques Chirac of France, in a letter to the author

"A gripping contemporary story that gets behind stereotypes of exotic Islam to reveal the diversity in individual people and the secrets and lies, cruelty and love, in family, friendship, and public life. This will make a terrific bookclub selection when it reaches paperback."

——Booklist

"I loved this book so much that I sent a fan letter to the publisher, and demanded to be introduced to the author when I went to Istanbul. Bliss is fresh, original, and warm-hearted, the work of a cosmopolitan insider and multi-talented artist."

——Louis de Bernieres, author of Corelli's Mandolin

"Livaneli is an essential force in Turkey’s musical, cultural and political scene."

——Orhan Pamuk, Nobel Prize Winner and author of Snow