[Steeplechase | BWF] 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak ★★★½

[Tien]

🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧

I'm notorious when it comes to starting audiobooks without reading book description. Hence, I was terribly surprised at the start of this novel that it opened with a dead body in a rubbish bin and she or her consciousness is narrating this story.

The saying is that life flashes before your eyes when dying but no... this protagonist died and for the first 10 minutes and 38 seconds after her passing, she thought of all that passed in her life. We started with her beginning (her mother, conception, and birth), her childhood, and so on until we tracked to her demise. I guess I could understand author's goal in opening the people's eyes to what's happened and still happening in Turkey but I was really conflicted because the paedophiliac scenes were triggering and the helplessness of women are just so frustrating. I was so close to giving this around 2 stars because I just wasn't enjoying the story BUT...

The last 3 hours of audio as we move from protagonist's voice to her friends' voices, I loved. I adored that she found herself a family of misfits and they banded ever closer from this tragedy; of their love for her.

Steeplechase - 6x asian-literature
BWF - Team Sassy Sisters - Letter S - 13x sad

[Holly R W]

Tien, I experienced similar reactions to the book, while thinking that it was beautifully written. I much preferred the author's The Island of Missing Trees.

[Joy D]

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World is one of my favorite books, and one that 'theoretically' I should not have liked due to its difficult subject matter, but sometimes I find a book hits me just right and this is one of them.

Though it is sad, it also emphasizes the bonds of friendship, which can become critical when family history is dysfunctional. I also thought it was a creative way to call attention to the exploitation of sex workers and the lack of a good way to fix the root causes of the problem - the system is broken and not easily fixed.

I think on a personal level, I related to those viewed as “different."

I put this book in the category of those that portray the durability of the human spirit in the face of injustice. After her death, Leila spurs positive changes in the lives of her friends, and their escapade at the end was wild and crazy! It certainly helped mitigate the sadness of the protagonist's death.

I can see how it could be depressing and definitely not one I would recommend for everyone, but I just loved it.

Elif Shafak is one of my favorite authors. I have just given 5 stars to her most recent book, which I think both of you might like more (especially if you liked The Island of Missing Trees):
There Are Rivers in the Sky

ETA - Sorry for going on and on, but your review helped me revisit one of my favorites. :-)

[Tien]

Don't be sorry, Joy, I love to hear your enthusiasm and the joy you found in reading this one.

Leila's courageous resilience is so amazing, I agree! And all her friends' too! I love the story how she changed her name from Leyla to Leila - from such a young age, she was already so dauntless