Click here for 2005 , 2006 , or 2007 Readers' Comments...

2008

 2 July 2008

"Anastasia,
Thank you (and Jennifer) for introducing me to snippets of Turkish life; the series of vignettes in your anthology really spanned a wealth of experiences. Thanks to the authors' sharp writing and your keen  editing, I feel like I understand the female expat's perspective much better now, in situations from evil eye exorcisms to excessive pubic hair in the hamam. Hopefully I'll grasp a sense of the male perspective if (make that when) I travel to Turkey. My favorite stories include "Unpacking the Pazar Arabasi" and "The Beat of A Different Drummer". Each author did a particularly good job in drawing me into their world, and allowing me as the reader to share  the writer's enthusiasm, confusion, and constant re-evaluation of all things Turkish. Great job all around! Are you working on anything as an encore?" --An American man in NYC
 

29 June 2008

"I loved your book! I can't stop reading it!" --Myra Chanin, producer and on air personality for The Joey Reynolds Show

 

11 June 2008

"I’m reading the book again as I travel through Turkey and I find it just wonderful. It’s giving me more of an in-depth personal introduction to the country. No I know I have to come back, I am absolutely enchanted. This is a really special place, I am so touched by the people. And I have to tell you I loved the Ottoman Princess tale." --An American woman in North Carolina, USA

 

5 June 2008

"Love this book. Wonderful! I laughed and cried." --Wanda Miller-Arna on Facebook's Virtual Bookshelf

 

22 May 2008

"Hello Anastasia,
We met when all of you were promoting your book in a program at the travel bookstore in Seattle year before last.  Now, as I'm heading to Turkey, I'm finally reading and enjoying it so much...  I'll be [touring Turkey] for a couple of weeks then end up back in Istanbul for 3 days on my own... And I should have read all of the tales of the harem by then!"  --An American woman in North Carolina, USA

 

"Last year I recommended that my book club (American Association of University Women study group) read your book. We enjoyed it and had a lively and very interesting discussion. In fact, we had trouble finding a stopping place. Thanks for the view of another world." --A Bryn Mawr Alum

 

(date unknown)

"I've just finished reading a book called "Tales from the Expat Harem", a compilation of short accounts by foreign women living in Turkey. I really enjoying it and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in Turkish culture that cannot be found in a museum. As tourists, we manage to barely scratch the surface of this rich and complex society. The editors are 2 American women living in Istanbul with their Turkish husbands. Many of the personal accounts in the book are by women in the same situation. These women's stories are very intimate and provide a window into Turkish family life and relationships, sometimes exploding myths and misconceptions about Turkish culture. Their website also offers some resources for the traveler." --Ted and Carla, Turkophiles

 

13 May 2008

"I actually would like to thank you for sharing your honest and positive opinion about Turks and Turkey [on NBC's Today Show]. I also read your book before so it was not a strange encounter for me when I saw you guys on tv." --A Turkish television producer in New York City

 

12 May 2008

"We hope you'll visit NYC soon and host a book reading and signing. Who knows, maybe Whoopi, Barbara, and the other women on 'The View' will have you & your book around the coffee table! " --A Bryn Mawr Alum

 

11 May 2008

"[After seeing you on NBC's Today Show] I've been inspired to re-read Tales from the Expat Harem now, which I am loving even more the second time around."  --An American woman in Zurich, Switzerland

 

6 May 2008

"First of all, I want to offer my congratulations to you on the Expat Harem website and the book and all your endeavours.  That is indeed impressive about the Today Show as well as the book.  We will recommend the website and book to our teachers and parents." --Head of the international school in Izmir, Turkey

 

5 May 2008

"Loved it. A terrific insight into living in Turkey!" --Chelsea Monroe-Cassel on Facebook's Virtual Bookshelf

 

23 March 2008

"Hi Jennifer! I'm an IICS alumnus '81-'84 and just today bought the Tales From the Expat Harem book. I really loved reading your story - it totally encapsulated the experiences we had with our families visiting us [in Turkey]. This is a great book." --An American man in Portland, OR who attended school in Istanbul, Turkey

 

28 April 2008

"A must read before going to Turkey. Interesting to see how women fit into society - the things they are free and liberated to talk about and North Americans are not (yeast infections) and what it takes to feel part of another culture and way of being." --Kelly, on www.GoodReads.com

 

21 March 2008

"I just read your book and loved it! It really helped me understand Turkey. My mother is visiting me and I'm having her read it, too!" --A British woman in Istanbul, Turkey

 

15 March 2008

"I loved this book. I read it before I moved to Turkey and it gave me an understanding of Turkey that helped me so much when I arrived. What I read in the book I found to be true of my own Turkish experience, too. I plan to put this book in the welcome package of our new foreign hires as an orientation resource." --School administrator in Izmir, Turkey

 

"This is the perfect bedside book for our guest room. Ever since it was published and we read it, we have always kept a copy on the nightstand in our guest room and our constant flow of visitors just love it. They tend to read (at least) one story at bedtime which starts a great conversation about Turkish culture over breakfast the next day ." --An Australian artist in Istanbul, Turkey

 

3 March 2008

"Hey, I had only read one of two of the pieces in the Expat anthology, and I got it out to give to a friend, but then started reading again and got engrossed in it. Sorry for being a late reader. But it is wonderful and empowering. I'll tell you more of my reactions later." --A New York media professional

 

1 March 2008

"I had a lovely lunch with the editor of this book in Istanbul a couple of years ago. I'm so impressed that she pulled this book together and that it's done so well." --Happy Reader, on www.GoodReads.com

 

 

21 February 2008

"I read your book and really enjoyed it. I saw it in our neighborhood travel bookstore in Seattle where they said you'd been at a reading, so I got a signed copy! You probably didn't know this, but I was a summer AFS exchange student to Turkey when I was in high school, so it rang some strong bells!"
--An American woman in Seattle, Washington
 

27 January 2008

"An excellent read or any woman thinking of going to Turkey, I enjoyed this, and could not put it down." --A reader from symiscrubbers.com

 

"A 'must read' for anyone thinking of settling in Turkey(male or female)!" --A listmania recommendation by İleyin on Amazon.co.uk

 

24 January 2008

"I enjoyed your book.  Even marriage to a Turk and five weeks with his parents can't compare to what I learned from those stories." --An American instructor at a Turkish university in Istanbul

 

7 January 2008

"I am half way through your book and loving it. I enjoyed [Jennifer's] story and your feelings about not knowing the language... I also related to the story about dating Turkish men. Oh boy! Are you writing another book?" --An American teacher married to a Turk, formerly living in Istanbul now in Seattle

 

4 January 2008

"I just want to say I enjoyed the book a lot!" --Teike Asselbergs, a dutch woman living in Istanbul who co-organizes Orgacom, which develops and introduces new roles for art within businesses and non-profit-organizations