Istanbul in the 1930s is a strange and fascinating place for a young German boy. Wolf has lived with his father since his mother’s death when they suddenly have to leave Germany after being warned about the Gestapo. It’s 1939 and Wolf finds himself in Istanbul with Abdullah Bey’s family, in the middle of the dazzling Seven Towers district, where religious and ethnic groups coexist in an uneasy atmosphere.
What was only supposed to be a temporary measure turns into a permanent solution and Wolf has to come to terms with this overwhelming cosmos. He is treated by Abdullah Bey as his son, goes to school and finds his own position among the youngsters in the neighbourhood. When he slowly starts to understand what role Abdullah Bey plays in the district, he faces serious trouble.
With great eloquence and poetical finesse, Zaimoglu introduces his readers to a world where cultures and religions, but above all human passions and aspirations clash.
