In the Shadow of the Yali

Set in 1926 when the value of money plummeted to its lowest, this rediscovered classic from a pioneering Turkish author tells the story of a forbidden love and its consequences.

When was it that Celile became aware of those feelings that gripped her heart; the distressing feelings that filled her heart, causing it to overflow? She had no idea. Suddenly there was someone bringing both pain and joy to her life. Celile plunges into this fire that will consume her, into Muhsin's love, like a child walks into a fire without any fear, ignorant of what fire actually is.

In this tale of a married woman who begins a secret relationship at a tango party, Suat Dervis's penetrating descriptions are so direct and realist, she seems to be depicting a love affair from a Marxist perspective. In contrast to Anna Karenina and Vronsky's love affair, in which the negative influence of money is not emphasized, Celile struggles against financial helplessness as well as traditional values. But she does not wallow in dreams like Madame Bovary.

In the Shadow of the Yali marks the highly anticipated English-language debut of activist and writer Suat Dervis (1905-1972), who charts the journey of this remarkably modern heroine with sensitivity and verve.