Ayşe Osmanõglu – The Gilded Cage Of The Bosphorus

‘The Gilded Cage Of The Bosphorus’ by Ayşe Osmanõglu is a beautifully written historical novel based on the authors actual family. I was in my element reading this gorgeous looking book. The fact that I adore history (a bit of a geek actually) made this such an immersive read.

Ayşe Osmanõglu

Istanbul, 1903.
Since his younger brother usurped the Imperial throne, Sultan Murad V has been imprisoned with his family for nearly thirty years.
The new century heralds immense change. Anarchy and revolution threaten the established order. Powerful enemies plot the fall of the once-mighty Ottoman Empire. Only death will bring freedom to the enlightened former sultan. But the waters of the Bosphorus run deep: assassins lurk in shadows, intrigue abounds, and scandal in the family threatens to bring destruction of all that he holds dear…

I felt I needed to let you read the synopsis as my words would not have done it justice. An emotional read that drew me in straight away. The added interest of knowing the story was about the author’s relatives made it all the more interesting. I was almost reduced to tears at certain moments and was very happy when joyous moments occurred too.

I loved learning more about the Ottoman Empire and the culture within. The details and the research that Ayşe Osmanõglu has put into this labour of love must have taken so much of her life up, it is a story that is the closest I will ever come to understanding that particular time in that country.

Her characters develop so well throughout the book. These are historical royalty, remote people we will normally only read about in an educational textbook. As the story unfolds they become more flesh and blood people. I cared about what would happen to them. They laid bare their fears and loneliness which only made me care more.

If you love your historical fiction books, like me, try this. It is a well-paced, charming and touching story of hope and everything that follows it. It also shows the importance of keeping the flame of our ancestors lives alight…if only in remembrance.

Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Ayşe Osmanõglu for my copy of the book on its birthday blog blitz.