AUDIO

The Architect's Apprentice

by Elif Shafak
14 CDs. 16:45 hrs. Recorded Books. 2015. ISBN 9781490650289. $123.75. 2 MP3-CDs, digital download. F
COPY ISBN
This lush, rich historical novel set in the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent (1494–1596) is told from the point of view of an apprentice to royal architect Mimar Sinan. Twelve-year-old Hindustani Jahan arrives in Istanbul in the role of a mahout (trainer) to a white elephant calf, an exceptionally smart elephant in the sultan's menagerie named Chota. A palace education leads Jahan to Mimar Sinan, who takes Jahan under his wing. As they work on the incredible Suleymaniye and Selimiye mosques, danger begins to stir. All of the major characters, including Jahan's love interest Princess Mihrimah are drawn from the pages of history, as are the significant battles and events. Narrator Piter Marek has a fine ear for balancing the many regional accents from the cosmopolitan city of Istanbul.
VERDICT For historical fiction collections.
Reviewed by J. Sara Paulk, Houston Cty. P.L., Perry, GA , Sep 15, 2015
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