The Turkish Lover

Rating:
Summary: Best book I ever read.
Review: Don't let the title of this book fool you. It is NOT a story of some Turkish romance. Its the dynamics of how a highly intelligent, enlightened and educated young woman can still be in a dependant, abusive relationship. It shows that these rocky relationships, if you let them, can help us grow. Women should not feel ashamed if they have been in a relationship like this. We feel Esmaralda's vunerability in this book, as well as her great joys and accomplishments. As a Puerto Rican woman growing up in New York City in the 50's and 60's, she witnesses these thing early on, seeing how women are viewed in society, and in Puerto Rico. If you are without a man you are a Jamona, an old piece of ham. This is the story of a Puerto Rican woman who doesn't want that for herself , but must struggle with her independance without the help of her familia. I am envious of her independance and work ethic. I am also madly in love with the Puerto Rican culture. She describes her culture with such warmth, of the good and bad. Every turn of the book something exciting happens. The book contstantly moves forward. This book moved me and inspired me. The most moving part of this book is the conclusion that,no matter how successful and educated you are the most important thing is to be understoud, and accepted and loved unconditionally. Thank you Esmaralda for your vunerabelity. I can't wait to read your next book. Your dynamic life as touched me deeply.

Rating:
Summary: Puerto Rican Food for the Soul
Review: I have to say that again Esmeralda Santiago touched my heart, and not in the way that she did with, "When I Was Puerto Rican." I do not think, "but I hope", she could duplicate that magic. But this book is the third installment of her Memoirs, and while the magic of her childhood can still be seen in some minor parts of the book, The Turkish Lover heads into a different direction.
The book is based around her the age of 21 to 28 and her rocky relationship with a much older man. The book was a page turner and I could not put it down for a second. Esmeralda writes with such passion and feeling, that deep within your soul, you feel her pains and joys, for me she write like no other author has. I have waited for a long time for another of her books, and the wait is over, and I can truly say I am not disappointed.
If you have never read any of her books, and to get a deeper understanding for this book, I highly recommend picking up her first book, "When I Was Puerto Rican." Follow that with "Almost a Woman" and then go and read, "The Turkish Lover." I am sure you will become hocked and become an instant fan, and after reading all three of those books and you wish to read more of her work, pick up, "America's Dream A Novel."
I was very fortunate enough to have gotten the chance to receantly meet Esmeralda Santiago in a book signing for this book, and she has much planned for another trilogy of books based on a Rural Peasant Family from Puerto Rico, the book is to span a few generations, starting in the 1800's, and ending in present, so that will be a great read.
For you die hard fan's of Esmeralda, such as myself, she is planning on writing more about the earlier lives of her Father and Mother. And if you are a fan of her work, especially "When I Was Puerto Rican" you probably feel in love with her Father, and want to know more of this mysterious but yet lovable and wise man.
I can not recommend this book so much, It is a great book, beautiful, poetic, inspiring, thrilling, sad, and just lovely, and it is Puerto Rican Food for the Soul.

Rating:
Summary: Waiting to Exhale
Review: It's a great book -- very emotional. Sometimes you want to shake Esmeralda into seeing that she is totally dominated by Ulvi, but she's under his spell. It's amazing how years go by without the realization that one is living in a prison. However, when Esmerald finally unravels herself from Ulvi's person, you can feel the weight being lifted off her shoulders and her relief in finally exhaling!

Rating:
Summary: Big disappointment
Review: The book is extremely one dimensional almost to the point that it can be considered as dull as a third class romance novel. The whole book is about how this villain named Ulvi took advantage of a young woman who is very naïve and innocent. Ulvi is a 40 years old film producer who wants to succeed in US but ends up getting PhD in engineering. Pages after pages as a single tune, we read how he took life out of her for years. We never know what Ulvi values in life or what his dilemma is. He is a complex man. He drives silently for hours with no destination in mind. However, we are not given any mental understanding/feeling of him to be able to guess what he might be thinking during those hours. This book would be a great and interesting book if it told the story of Ulvi with Esmeralda in the background instead of Ulvi playing a single dimensional villain. I think the author feels very bitter that this 40 year old complex man took advantage of her for 7 years without promising anything in return. Maybe later in life she realized she could have done better and wrote this book trying to change her past in vain. Even that could be done better.