Nights of Plague

Turkish Nobel Laureate Pamuk’s (My Name Is Red) epic historical-fiction title tells the story of a plague that breaks out on the imaginary island of Mingheria, a state of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1900s. The island’s population is split between Muslims and Orthodox Greeks, with each side blaming the other for the outbreak. Fights over quarantine protocols occur, eventually leading to murder. This novel is narrated through the eyes of a fictional historian telling the tale as it is revealed to her through letters and other artifacts. The writing is so realistic that listeners may forget that it is fiction. Narrator Amira Ghazalla’s beautiful accent adds to this immersive work, translated from the original Turkish. Her performance clearly delineates between the historian’s perspective and the staggering number of characters throughout the story. Ghazalla remains engaging throughout this 29-hour-long production.