A novella about honor, duty, and love. It is also about cruelty and vengefulness. Hasan’s father is murdered by his mother’s lover. Did his mother goad the murderer into action? Is she innocent? These questions are complicated by the (intentionally) unclear relationship between his parents; Hasan’s father was much older than his mother, whom he kidnapped to marry in the first place. The story revolves around the pressure brought to bear on Hasan, who is a pre-teen when the murder takes place, to avenge his father’s death by killing his mother. The murderer is caught and killed early on byt the campaign for vengeance against Hasan’s mother lasts for years. The book is devoted both to Hasan’s own thoughts and the community’s strenuous efforts to have Hasan act. Indeed, much of the story revolves around the pressure exerted by his father’s family, especially Hasan’s grandmother. Hasan does make a decision at the end of the book but the book’s power derives from his predicament and his attempts to live with himself even as he continues to live with his mother. ( )

Toplumumuzun kötü yönlerini çok iyi yansıtmış bir kitap.Keşke bu kitaptaki olaylar ülkemizde yaşanamayacak türden olaylar olduğunu söyleyebilseydim. ( )