The Last Train to Istanbul

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“Ayse Kulin is a clever writer. She draws the reader into the story of the life and loves of a Turkish family in wartime, and by the time the reader realizes that she has also cranked up the tension with a rescue plot, it is too late to put the book down unfinished. For aficionados of wartime novels, as well as for anyone glued to his or her seat watching the film Argo, this is a must read.” — Helen Bryan, bestselling author of War Brides and The Sisterhood.

Born into privilege to one of the last Ottoman pasas, beautiful, spirited Selva is the brightest jewel in her father's household — until she falls in love with Rafael Alfandari. Though Turkey has long been a safe haven for Jews, marriage between a high-ranking Muslim girl and a Jewish boy is strictly forbidden. Yet young love will not be denied, and Selva and Rafael defy their parents and marry, fleeing to Paris in hopes of a better life — only to find themselves trapped in the path of the invading Nazis.But in the midst of darkness shines a beacon of hope: A handful of courageous Turkish diplomats, protected only by the tenuous neutrality of their homeland, hatch a daring plot to spirit the exiled lovers and hundreds of innocent Jews to safety. Together, they will traverse a war-torn continent, crossing enemy lines and risking everything in one last, desperate bid for freedom.

MY THOUGHTS

I haven't been reading a non-fiction for quite sometime, since "The Deception Point" by Dan Brown to be exact. I picked up this book in the Amazon Kindle 99 cents deal. Knowing that it's an international bestseller, I didn't hesitate to purchase it.

So, the story took place in the World War II when the Jews were captured by the Germans to be sent to labour camps. The main story of the book is about saving a group of Turkish Jews by boarding a train, which was organised by the Turkish Embassy, to Istanbul to safety. It started with the story about Selva who married a Turkish Jew and because both families despised their marriage, they decided to move to France which was close to be occupied by the Germans. They lived in fear when the German started to capture Jews. Then, informed by an close friend of her brother in-law, she was told to return to Turkey for the sake of their family, especially that she has a young son now. Then the adventure begins when she and a couple of other people organised a well-planned strategy to bring the Turkish and non-Turkish Jews to safety.

Most of the story revolves around Selva and her family, but it also tells the story about other Turkish and non-Turkish Jews who will also be seeking refuge to Istanbul, for example David Russo. He is spoiled young Turkish Jew who was caught in ID check at a station where he was supposed to meet his friends. He was later sent to a labour camp for 14 days. He was stripped off his name and was given a number. So, in the labour camp, he is just a number. Eventually he was saved by the Turkish Embassy after his parents reported him missing. 

I have not been able to put down the book since I finished chapter one. I guess it's just 'me' that I tend to be focused with books which recounts historical events, especially stories taking place in World War II. Some people complaint about the translated version of this book, but I think the wordings were easy for me to understand and not too complicated (I tend to finish books with difficult words much much longer).