Dawn is a collection of short stories about life in Turkey written by Selahattin Demirtaş. From the beginning, this book is incredibly powerful. Demirtaş's letter at the beginning of the book discusses the importance of literature in politics and his short stories demonstrate that reading is in fact a political act. His stories are about Turkish life and oppression. They cover a variety of topics and feature a diverse set of characters--the refugee crisis, Kurdish oppression, political protests, and women's rights.

I thought this book was interesting, but could not find my footing nor was I really engaged. Perhaps it's just a consequence of the time, but I have to DNF this one all the same. Nevertheless, thanks for allowing me to read in advance — I really love the cover!

This is an incredible collection of dark and moving stories, snapshots into lives cast into turbulence - the characters within are ordinary people of varying perspectives, and their stories often share glimpses into deeply harrowing experiences. Two standouts for me were the title story, Seher, and As Lonely As History. They were haunting and unsettling, though complete in the window they shared! Well worth checking this collection out, and reading more about the author who wrote this while imprisoned (and remains to be so as far as I can tell).

Published in Turkey in 2017; published in translation by Hogarth on April 23, 2019

Selahattin Demirtaş’ preface explains that he is a human rights lawyer and a dissident who is held in a Turkish prison. He wrote these stories while awaiting trial for acts of opposition to an authoritarian government that classified his speeches as criminal provocations. Americans who chant “lock her up” either have no idea or do not care that they want political opposition to be criminalized in the United States just is it is in the world’s most oppressive nations.

Demirtaş was a Turkish politician before (and even after) his arrest. The last story in this collection describes a utopian society that is presumably his vision for what Turkey can become. Many of the stories explain how far the nation is removed from that utopian vision.

In “The Man Inside,” a prisoner watching sparrows building a nest imagines them standing up to law enforcement sparrows that want them to tear the nest down. “Seher” tells of a girl who must keep her date with a man a secret, lest her father break her legs. When she is raped, she receives a punishment commanded by her father (in the name of defending the family’s “honor”) that is even worse. “The Mermaid” is about a woman who flees from Hama with her daughter and comes to an unfortunate end.

“Nazan the Cleaning Lady” is arrested after being injured by people fleeing tear gas that the police used to break up a demonstration. She imagines what kind of vehicles the people she meets drive based on their social status. “Greetings to Those Dark Eyes” considers the consequences of villages that promote child labor and child brides. One story is written in the form of a letter to the prison guards who read letters written by prisoners.

While the stories lack the complex subtlety that a more experienced writer might provide, the subject matter is inherently powerful. Demirtaş’ best story uses indirection to reinforce the impact of violence on innocent lives. “Kebab Halabi” is set in a marketplace where a man who is famed for his cheese-filled pastry künefe feels doomed love for a woman he cannot have, not realizing the woman is doomed to die at the hand of a suicide bomber. The emphasis on the normalcy of life with its simple joys and longings, contrasted with the sudden violence that rips those lives apart, makes the story memorable.

When Demirtaş departs from the theme of oppression, his stories are less successful. A story about a love triangle that does not end well is mundane. “As Lonely as History,” about a couple who learn a lesson about placing work and wealth ahead of love and family is pleasant but contrived. It is so obvious that it might be considered a parable rather than a literary story.

I could not find the point in “Asuman, Look What You’ve Done,” in which a bus driver tells a telenovela-type story to a young passenger and years later hires the passenger as his son’s lawyer. The stories of growing up told in “Settling Scores” also fail to impress.

The collection features one strong story and several stories that illustrate Turkey’s human rights violations. Collections like this are always an important reminder that authoritarian governments endure, and that free countries must always be vigilant to guard against leaders who mimic authoritarian rulers. I recommend it for the political stories; the others are less interesting.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

These short stories written by a political prisoner from behind bars range in theme, mood, length, and tone. Some were really strong and stuck with me, but I had to give it three stars due to the inconsistency. The language was also sometimes overly simplistic and lacking in nuance, but I can't tell if that's because of the author or translation. Overall, an engaging, fast-paced, and often powerful read.

This is one of those books that you'll keep turning over in your mind long after you've read it. The author, Selahattin Demitras, is a former civil rights attorney in Turkey, who is one of the many intellectuals who have been imprisoned since Erdogan came to power. Demitris dedicates this book to women, and his political philosophy clearly sees women's independence and self-determination as crucial for progress in his country. The individual stories in the collection have fairly simple structures, but the world-views of the different characters make their seeming simplicity deeply complex. If you care about current events, if you care about justice, if you like books that make you search your own soul, you will want to read Dawn.

It is my great hope that this beautiful book of short stories by Selahattin Demirtas, now a political prisoner in Turkey, will find a wide readership. They are a look into life in the Middle East and help to bring a clarity to the circumstances of that life that newspaper headlines cannot. Some of the stories are completely heartbreaking and some have a sweetness. More than a couple brought a tear. The publisher has done a good service in making this collection available.

This collection of short stories was written by the author while he was imprisoned in Turkey. They are imaginative and a bit quirky. There were a handful I quite enjoyed and many that I had difficulty connecting with.

This is a collection of short stories written from a prison cell in Turkey. I found them interesting and diverse. Some I didn't quite get, but overall it was a unique collection.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Written from his prison cell in Turkey, having been unjustly imprisoned by an authoritative regime ..Selahattin Demirtas..a politician fighting for freedom and equality, has written this short story collection which is at times devastating and at times hopeful. A couple of the stories I really didn’t understand but then there are several that will really stay with me.
As always, I love reading about this part of the world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing!

An excellent collection of short stories, based in tumultuous Turkey, written from prison. There is a lot going on in Dawn. The stories are all very different, but they leave in impact. Some left me haunted, others filled me with hope. The author is currently imprisoned, and the collection starts off with a letter from him to us, as he calls it a letter from prison. He captures your attention right away, and his words will sit with you long after you’re done.