My Writing

In 1950s Turkey, against the backdrop of social and political unrest culminating in Turkey’s 1960 military coup d'état, this coming-of-age story explores the courage it takes to break free from tradition, find your voice, and fight for your dreams.

 Seventeen-year-old Ayten, a dutiful daughter torn between tradition and her dream of becoming a modern Turkish woman, 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 marriage to a distant relative, who bullied her as a child. Ayten resigns to her fate, but when her husband does the unthinkable on their wedding night, she flees him and her family for haven in Istanbul.

 Living with friends and working as a seamstress in her friend’s boutique, Ayten tries to rebuild her life, but when she falls in love with Earl, an American airman, secrets and her past threaten to upend all she has built. Torn between her family and a future with Earl, Ayten must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice for forbidden love and freedom.