{"product_id":"istanbul-dreaming-9798896361541","title":"Istanbul Dreaming","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor fans of Alka Joshi and Marjan Kamali, a gripping historical novel set in 1950s Turkey about a young woman who flees an arranged marriage to pursue independence in Istanbul, where she finds forbidden love with an American airman.\u003c\/strong\u003eIn 1950s Turkey, against the backdrop of the social and political unrest that will culminate in Turkey's 1960 military coup d'état, a dutiful daughter is torn between family expectations and her dream of becoming a modern Turkish woman.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne night, seventeen-year-old Ayten sneaks away to Istanbul for a night of dancing with her best friend. When her father discovers her rebellion, he forces her into an arranged religious marriage to a distant relative who bullied her as a child. Initially, Ayten resigns herself to her fate--but after her husband sexually assaults her on their wedding night, she flees him and her family for haven in Istanbul.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLiving with friends and working as a seamstress at her friend's boutique, Ayten tries to rebuild her life. Then she meets Earl, an American airman, and they begin to fall in love--but as their connection deepens, secrets and her past threaten to upend all she's built. Torn between her family and a future with Earl, Ayten must decide what she's willing to sacrifice for freedom and forbidden love.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Denise Derya Brandt\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e She Writes Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/29\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 328\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.95lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.41h x 5.51w x 1.01d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798896361541\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/01\/0001\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDenise Derya Brandt \u003c\/b\u003eworked in international development for more than twenty years and led women's health projects in Afghanistan, Liberia, and Myanmar before becoming a published author. A Book Incubator graduate, 2024 Women's Fiction Writers Association Rising Star Award finalist, and 2025 Poets \u0026amp; Writers Publicity Incubator Fellow, Denise has degrees from Arizona State and London School of Economics. As a Turkish American, she can fool tourists but not taxi drivers! Raised in Arizona, Denise now lives in northern Kentucky with her husband.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Denise Derya Brandt \/ Paperback \/ English","offer_id":67729092280477,"sku":"9798896361541","price":22.78,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_71af4ba0-f373-4ec1-8903-ceccbfadfe29.jpg?v=1792579325","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/istanbul-dreaming-9798896361541","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}