Anam Zahra
Why Elif Shafak’s Book “10 Minutes 38 Seconds In This Strange World” is a must-read?
The bibliophiles around the globe have always been devoted readers and fans of Elif Shafak, an Award-Winning Turkish-British Novelist who has won hearts around the world because of her strong and courageous voice. The first-ever read of the Author which I grabbed was her International Bestseller “The Forty Rules of Love” which is why the readers around the globe acknowledged her wisdom. But for me, it’s her Masterpiece, “10 Minutes 38 Seconds In This Strange World” which was published in 2019. The Book has made her “My Most Favorite Author”and also made me realize that Shafak is indeed one of the most important voices in today’s world regarding women’s rights and social injustice. Indeed, she has written the deepest, authentic, and important read of the Century. Why is that so? Let me take you into the world of this Masterpiece which awakes your soul and makes you more empathetic to observe the injustice and sufferings happening against women, children, trans-people, and religious minorities around the globe. This Book carries a world in its pagesas on one side, deals with the darkness of child sexual abuse, rape, sexual exploitation, misogyny, religious extremism, and violence. And on the other side, the light of friendship or a bond of unconditional loyalty between strangers who came from every walk of life and formed a true example of selflessness and empathy.
The book takes the readers into the world of Tequila Leila, a prostitute living in one of the brothels of Istanbul, Turkey. Shafak reminded her readers that the brothel is legal and even attended by many officials. The book starts with the last breath of Leila whose dead body is now recalling her life with the time of 10 minutes 38 seconds.
The Age of Innocence
Haroun was the name of her father who was already married but later married her mother Binnaz, only to fulfill his long-lasting wish to have a son. But Leila arrived in this strange world and thenwas given under the wings of her father’s first wife, Suzan who didn’t have any of her children. Leila became the favorite child of her Uncle who was also a predator or rapist in disguise. He was 43 years old when he sexually abused Leila who was only 6 years old. In the mean time, Leila’s mother gave birth to a son named, Tarkan, a frail child who got sick and died when he was only two and a half years old.
TheAge of Darkness:
Leila’s father was a conservative, credulous, and narrow-minded man with no sense of direction. He came under the influence of extremists around him and declared to arrange a marriage for Leila as soon as she completes her school. The moment Leila became 16 years old she was once again caught by her uncle who then raped her and left her impregnated with his child. Shafak defined the horrors which take place inside the four walls and heinous crimes committed by our very close relationships and so-called elders of the family.Leila exposed the crime of her uncle in front of her family but her father trusted his rapist brother, not his daughter. That was the turning point of the plot which reveals how daughters face humiliation, barbarism, and cruelty in the name of family’s tradition as if ‘Honour’ is a woman’s second name whereas, men are free even after committing a crime like, rape. Because of the family’s betrayal and insensitivity, Leila then decided to leave her house and ended up in Istanbul where she was caught by a man and woman who sold her to a brothel- a trap with no escape. A place is too filthy for the world but still ongoing with the glory of hypocrisy where men exploit women.
The Age of Exploitation
“The men who visited the brothel were from different age groups, held various low-skilled, low-paid jobs, and almost all had families of their own. They were fathers, husbands, brothers….Some had daughters her age.”
Leila who is now in her thirties has witnessed the harsh realities against women and minorities. But there is something that gives her an immense amount of strength and the only treasure she cherished the most was her “friendship” with five strangers. The five strangers who have different cultures, religions or no religion, languages, and lands were united with the unbreakable bond of friendship which is the most beautiful part of this book. The five including Nalan, Sabotage Sinan, Zaynab122, Hollywood Humeyra, and Jameelah. They all have faced cruelty like Leila, but in other forms and all have heartbreaking stories of their own but still tried best to stay alive with hope for a better time. As “suffering” was the most common thing among them.
The Age of Extreme Misogyny and Extremism
“Prostitute Found Slain in City Waste Bin: Fourth in a Month. Panic Spreads Among Istanbul’s Sex Workers”.
Leila was brutally murdered by the assassins who represent the highest level of misogyny and extremism where women are getting blamed for all the filth of the society, doesn’t matter even if it’s designed for the men and by the men. Shafak has defined how the majority are on a mission to free every corner of the world from prostitutes as they are doing everything with their own choice. Don’t forget that women trapped behind the dark doors are being sold by their own fathers, husbands, and brothers and in return took a big amount of money also. But no one dares to question the design of the system which always favors men despite their highest level of barbarism. This Book also highlighted the plight of trans-genders, and religiousminorities.The Book also challenged the exploitation of Capitalism which only favors the rich and has nothing for the poor.
A THANKING NOTE TO ELIF SHAFAK
It makes me feel highly motivating that in this patriarchal world where a woman’s existence is still a crime, we have an Author like Elif Shafak who roars with her courageous words and unapologetic opinions. An author who is not afraid to raise her voice for women’s rights and raise questions over the rotten family’s or society’s traditions which always cage a woman’s soul and snatch away her freedom to breathe. Authors like Shafak, give hope to every woman around the globe and encourage her to rise above all those chains that won’t allow her to fly in the direction of her dreams and steal her rights to education, speech, career, and above all, to walk freely on the streets.
Anam Zahra is a proud bibliophile and bookworm, She holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from University of Karachi, Pakistan. As a researcher, her interests include investigating and analyzing international security, women’s rights, religious extremism, terrorism and climate change.
