The Bastard of Istanbul follows the intertwined stories of Armanoush, an Armenian American living in San Francisco, and Asya, a nineteen-year-old woman in an all-female household in Istanbul. Armanoush feels disconnected from her identity and travels to Turkey in search of her roots, while Asya grapples with her love for Jonny Cash and the French existentialists. The novel explores their two families and a hidden connection to a violent event in Turkey?s history. Filled with humor and depth, it examines memory, forgetting, the desire to confront or erase the past, and offers a vivid portrayal of Turkey.
