Maureen Freely's ENLIGHTENMENT Featured in Gently Read Literature Blog

Elaine Fowler Palencia explores "The Dirty Underbelly of one of the World's Great Cities" in this review of Maureen Freely's brilliant novel Enlightenment, now in paperback: "Like a radioactive matryoshka doll, Maureen Freely’s latest novel rises out of the Cold War history of Turkey, glowing with lethal secrets nested one inside another. To read it is to open the largest doll, then the smaller doll hidden inside it, and so on, in a search for the shape of truth.

The combination of narrative voices manifests this layered quality. A professor at the University of Warwick, Freely has published articles on Turkish politics and is the English translator of Pahmuk, who was indicted for the crime of “insulting Turkishness;” i.e., daring to mention to a reporter the “secret” of the Armenian genocide. Like M, Freely grew up in Istanbul and attended Robert College (as did Pahmuk), where her father taught. The author of several novels and nonfiction books, she writes clear, visual prose that bathes the reader in the sights and feel of Istanbul. Her well-known wit flashes amid the dark mysteries of international politics-as-usual as, with a pen dipped in irony and long-simmering indignation, she probes the dirty underbelly of one of the world’s great cities, suspended as it is between east and west, like the “Pasha’s library,” William Wakefield’s CIA lookout post above the Bosphorus. This novel will appeal to fans of thrillers and mysteries, the general literary reader, and those particularly interested in Turkish politics. A surprise but satisfying ending awaits you."

Maureen Freely's ENLIGHTENMENT in NYTBR's "Paperback Row"

Maureen Freely's acclaimed novel Enlightenment was featured in the New York Times Book Review's "Paperback Row" column on Sunday: "In this complex psychological thriller by Orharn Pamuk's American translator, a journalist investigates the disappearance of an American woman who, as a student in Istanbul in the 1970s, was involved with a group of radicals who may have committed a murder. A critique of Turkish politics, it is full of evocative descriptions of the city then and now."

New in Paperback: Maureen Freely's ENLIGHTENMENT

The Cleveland Plain-Dealer takes note of the new paperback edition of Enlightenment by Maureen Freely as it hits bookstores this month: "Freely, best known as an English translator of Orhan Pamuk's books, ties together a post-9/11 story that stretches back to a group of radical Turkish and American students who come together in Istanbul in the 1970s. Split up by political and social betrayals, two group members are brought together more than 20 years later in Istanbul when the husband of one is detained by U.S. Homeland Security. The St. Petersburg Times acknowledged that "the book gets too complex in trying to connect its many strands. However, Enlightenment is an important work. At a time when the European Union is seriously considering granting Turkey membership, the poor democratic and human rights record of the nation, which comes through in this book, should make European leaders wary." The Washington Post thought Freely's novel was overwhelming in its attempt to be "a psychological thriller, a murder story, a rumination on friendship and a political investigation." The paper's reviewer noted that "'Enlightenment' may be too long and, at times, too opaque to win the audience it deserves, but it is a brave, unflinching work of art" with "a story almost impossible to summarize but hard to forget. It's remarkable for its descriptions of the city (Istanbul) as it was in the 1970s and as it is now, after the breakup of the Soviet Union has released so much energy around the area. Freely is an almost perversely original writer, sharply observing the world she knows so well and upending all one's suppositions and assumptions."

Novelist and Translator Maureen Freely on The Writing Life in Washington Post

Maureen Freely, author of Enlightenment, talks about the writing life in a recent essay in The Washington Post. Freely, widely known as the translator of Orhan Pamuk's "Snow," "Istanbul" and "Other Colours," is also a novelist, journalist, lecturer, and human rights advocate. Listen to Marie Arana's accompanying podcast interview with Freely on The Washington Post Bookworld website. Enlightenment will be published in paperback in June 2009.

Washington Post Selects ENLIGHTENMENT One of the Best Books of 2008

Maureen Freely's novel Enlightenment has been chosen by The Washington Post as one of the Best Books of 2008. Reviewed in August 3 issue of the Washington Post Sunday Book World, Jason Goodwin wrote: "This is a story almost impossible to summarize but hard to forget. It's remarkable for its descriptions of the city as it was in the 1970s and as it is now, after the break-up of the Soviet Union has released so much energy around the area. Freely is an almost perversely original writer, sharply observing the world she knows so well and upending all one's suppositions and assumptions. One example I found touching: Her grown-up student radicals do not shower their youthful selves with middle-aged reproof; they still crackle with energy and purpose. Enlightenment may be too long and, at times, too opaque to win the audience it deserves, but it is a brave, unflinching work of art."

Maureen Freely, author of ENLIGHTENMENT, to Appear at the Miami Book Fair in November

Maureen Freely, author of the acclaimed novel Enlightenment, will appear at the 25th annual Miami Book Fair International in November. A recent review by Natalie Boukolus in Fiction Writers Review noted: "Maureen Freely’s engaging, beautiful novel reminds us not only of the importance of history, but of its inextricability from our present-day narrative: a past never really buried but instead looming and palpable, a taste on your tongue, the acrid taste of ash."

Maureen Freely's ENLIGHTENMENT: "Brave, Unflinching Work of Art"

From Jason Goodwin's review in yesterday's Washington Post: "Maureen Freely is best known as the English translator of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk, but visitors to Istanbul may well recognize her as the daughter of John Freely, an American academic who has lived in Istanbul since the early 1960s and has written many useful guides to the city and its Ottoman past. That biographical detail is significant because Enlightenment is partly an autobiography. It's also a psychological thriller, a murder story, a rumination on friendship and a political investigation. If that sounds like a lot of weight for a novel to carry, it is; and it's a testament to Freely's ability that the novel does, in large measure, succeed. . . Enlightenment is a fluent, evocative and uncomfortable read, deliberately so. Stories overlap, testimonies conflict, even the time frame is repeatedly broken and re-arranged so that it becomes difficult to know who, if anyone, is telling the truth. . . This is a story almost impossible to summarize but hard to forget. It's remarkable for its descriptions of the city as it was in the 1970s and as it is now, after the break-up of the Soviet Union has released so much energy around the area. Freely is an almost perversely original writer, sharply observing the world she knows so well and upending all one's suppositions and assumptions. One example I found touching: Her grown-up student radicals do not shower their youthful selves with middle-aged reproof; they still crackle with energy and purpose. nlightenment may be too long and, at times, too opaque to win the audience it deserves, but it is a brave, unflinching work of art."

Maureen Freely's ENLIGHTENMENT in The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal's Weekend Journal gives notice to Maureen Freely's novel Enlightenment in a review by Melik Kaylan, "Radical Idealists in a Hard World: "Novelist Maureen Freely tracks the lives of a handful of friends in Istanbul, half of them Turkish and half American. The novel opens in the post-9/11 present and traces back the story to the eve of a military coup in the early 1970s, when the friends are innocent teenage radicals immersed in Marxist chic. Over time, their lives and loves are ruined by traitors in their midst. It is a promising-enough scenario, one that also prompts a certain amount of ancillary curiosity. What will Ms. Freely have to tell us about Turkey, that most confusing and contradictory NATO ally? Although an American -- now based in England, where she is a senior lecturer at the University of Warwick -- Ms. Freely grew up in Turkey, where her father, John Freely, teaches physics and is the author of celebrated guidebooks about the country. She has also translated books by Turkish novelist and Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk in recent years: Will her work show his postmodern influence? Part mystery story and part spy thriller, Enlightenment centers on an apparent political murder committed by the group in 1971 and the fate, 30-plus years later, of two members who disappear consecutively at a U.S. Customs checkpoint into the post-9/11 security maze."

Maureen Freely's ENLIGHTENMENT an "Important Tale of Family and Politics"

Vikram Johri offers a consideration of Maureen Freely's Enlightenment in the St. Petersburg Times: "In spite of Turkey's claims to being a Muslim nation with the values and freedom befitting a European democracy, the truth is that the Turkish state has grown increasingly intolerant of dissent in any form. In 2006, Turkish Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk was charged with "insulting Turkishness" for referring to the 1915 Turkish genocide of Armenians. It is in this suspect climate that Maureen Freely, Pamuk's English translator, sets her novel Enlightenment. The story begins with the arrival of Jeannie Wakefield in Istanbul. The daughter of a CIA agent, Jeannie joins a group of left-wing students out of youthful curiosity and falls in love with Sinan, a charismatic young man. Then one of the group is identified as a spy of the secret police. He is chopped up and his body thrown into the Bosphorus. This has devastating consequences for the group, most of whom are arrested and tortured by the secret police. Jeannie, however, manages to escape to America. She returns many years later and reignites her love with Sinan, resulting in marriage and the birth of a child. But this is only the beginning of fresh trouble. After 9/11, Sinan's left-wing past returns to haunt him. A slew of disappearances follow, and the web of intrigue gets deeper. What role did Jeannie's father play in getting Sinan into trouble? Is Jeannie a CIA informant or just another victim of the state's repression machine? As the book draws to a nail-biting finish, ties of love and family provide obscure pointers to political affiliations and the machinations of statecraft. However, Enlightenment is an important work. At a time when the European Union is seriously considering granting Turkey membership, the poor democratic and human rights record of the nation, which comes through in this book, should make European leaders wary.

Maureen Freely Talks Politics and Literature with The American Turkish Society

Maureen Freely, author of Enlightenment, was the guest of honor at a forum presented by The American Turkish Society in New York last week. Answering questions from moderator Dr. Sibel Erol of New York University, Maureen noted that "In Istanbul, saying you're not interested in politics is like standing in the middle of the highway and saying you're not interested in traffic."

ENLIGHTENMENT at THE ANN ARBOR BOOK FESTIVAL

The 5th annual Ann Arbor Book Festival is underway, and book lovers in Michigan and beyond can celebrate reading, writing and literacy with a variety of events, including a language and literacy symposium, a writer's conference, author readings and signings, and a bookstore crawl around Ann Arbor. Maureen Freely, author of Enlightenment, is a featured guest, and will appear at four different events over the weekend. The Ann Arbor Book Festival’s mission is to promote reading, heighten awareness of literacy challenges, and showcase the rich culture of the written word in Michigan and beyond.

Meet MAUREEN FREELY, Author of ENLIGHTENMENT, On Tour This Week

Maureen Freely, journalist, novelist and a celebrated translator of the Nobel Prize-winning author, Orhan Pamuk, is in the U.S. this week for the publication of her riveting new novel, Enlightenment. Born in the U.S., Freely grew up in Istanbul and now lives in England.

Maureen Freely will read from her new novel at these upcoming events:

Tuesday, May 13 - PHILADELPHIA, Borders, 12pm and NEW YORK, 192 Books, at 7pm.

Wednesday, May 14 - BOSTON, Red Fez, 7pm.

Thursday, May 15 - NEW YORK, American Turkish Society Event, 6-8pm (registration required)

Fri/Sat, May 16-17 - ANN ARBOR, MI ANN ARBOR BOOK FESTIVAL

Monday, May 19 - BAILEY'S CROSSROADS,Virgina, Borders, 7:30m

Novelist Maureen Freely to Tour U.S. in May for ENLIGHTENMENT

Maureen Freely, author of the forthcoming Enlightenment, will be on tour in the U.S. in May. Ms. Freely will read from her new novel at events in New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Boston, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she is a featured author at the Ann Arbor Book Festival. Stay tuned to The Winged Elephant for her complete book tour schedule!

Starred Review in Library Journal for Maureen Freely's ENLIGHTENMENT

Enlightenment gets another rave review today, this one from Library Journal: "In 1970 Istanbul, Jeannie, the daughter of an American CIA agent, falls in love with Sinan, a student radical who is alienated from America by its persistent support of Turkish corruption. Sinan is imprisoned on trumped-up charges, but years later, the lovers reunite and marry, living peacefully for a while. Then, without warning, on a visit to the States, Sinan is arrested by Homeland Security as a suspected terrorist, leaving Jeannie scrambling to reach her husband and recover their child from foster care. When Jeannie, too, disappears, a reporter unearths truths that alter our perception of all that has transpired. Maureen Freely, who has translated Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk's recent works, possesses an exceptional command of language: her sentences are so apt, they jump out at you. In this ingenious novel about appearance and reality, it is difficult to predict what will happen next or what it means, but once you start this book, you will not put it down. Strongly recommended."

Maureen Freely's ENLIGHTENMENT Earns Starred Review in Publishers Weekly

Maureen Freely's novel Enlightenment has received a starred review in Publishers Weekly: "A complex, often riveting novel set in contemporary and Cold War Turkey . . . Both mystery/thriller and mainstream literary readers will be well rewarded. "

Kirkus Reviews joins the chorus of praise: "A complex novel juxtaposes youthful allegiances and political machinations in Turkey.U.S.-born, U.K.-based translator Freely tackles weighty themes in her long, dark, spiraling story. . . Despite its thriller-like components, this is a dense, shadowy and serious work concerned with dirty wars, the plight of Turkey, the pursuit of U.S. strategic interest and the possible existence of a "deep state." Conspiracy theory, nationhood and relationships collide, often obscurely, in a multilayered and earnest, if oddly remote, tale."

Maureen Freely on Doris Lessing

Maureen Freely, author of the forthcoming novel Enlightenment, writes an article for The Guardian on Doris Lessing and the Nobel Prize.

Maureen, who has worked closely with Orhan Pamuk as his translator during the past five years, predicts that the Nobel will change Doris Lessing's life the way she has seen it change Orhan Pamuk's. Maureen translated both Pamuk's most recent collection, Other Colors, and his Nobel Prizewinning novel, Snow. She recounts the way international limelight has drawn criticism, death threats, and even assassination attempts on Pamuk by groups that don't appreciate his political stance on such issues as the Armenian genocide. Although Lessing's situation is different, Maureen makes the point that the Nobel is for life--it is an award that changes how you are seen forever.

Maureen, a very busy humanitarian activist herself, has just returned from Turkey, where she was during the most recent attempt on Pamuk's life in January. Maureen incorporates her very personal experiences with and knowledge of Turkish politics in Enlightenment, which approaches the topics of freedom of speech and political oppression in modern Turkey.

The Literary Life in Istanbul's Changing Society

Nancy Milford explores the vibrant literary life of Istanbul in a fascinating article in Travel & Leisure magazine this month. Included in her list of the city's must-read literature is Maureen Freely's forthcoming novel Enlightenment, which will be published by Overlook in May 2008. For more reading on contemporary Turkey, check out Andrew Mango's The Turks Today, and Turkey Unveiled by Hugh and Nicole Pope.

Sneak Preview: ENLIGHTENMENT on Critical Mass

Overlook is thrilled to unveil to American readers Maureen Freely's Enlightenment, which will be published in May 2008. Today a short excerpt appears on Critical Mass, the must-read blog of the National Book Critic's Circle.

Enlightenment is a story of first love and betrayal set against the tangled web of contemporary Turkey. Author Maureen Freely offers an arresting vision of Turkey, its people, and one American girl trapped in the fray. Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk called the novel a "dark Conradian drama set in a beautifully illustrated Istanbul, where the past is always with us."