The Architect's Apprentice

The story of a boy, Jahan, who runs away from his abusive stepfather in India and becomes an elephant keeper in the menagerie of Suleiman the Magnificent, Ottoman Sultan in Istanbul, Turkey. By being in the right place at the right time as a young man, he becomes an apprentice to Sinan, the Chief Royal Architect. The book accompanies Jahan as he grows up, develops in his profession and in his character, encountering some long-simmering difficulties along the way. The book takes a leisurely approach to dealing with its central issues; they are allowed to develop organically over the course of Jahan's whole lifetime. There are periods of action, but also long periods where these issues seem to be dormant.

Elif Shafak's writing is wonderful for an adventure novel, which this is. She conveys the atmosphere of her locations with a sure touch, without overdoing the description. Jahan is a sympathetic character, an outsider without any status in the Ottoman Empire, observing the environment and customs and attempting to fit in and avoid making fatal mistakes.

This was my second read by Elif Shafak after The bastard of Istanbul, I love how she makes a living character out of Istanbul in both the book set hundreds of years apart.

As an architect myself, Elif taught me many a things through the words of master Sinan which I will hold dear to myself. The characters that she has created purely out of fiction, Jahan and chota, the white elephant and the bond they shared will stay with me for a long time.

The way she manages to narrate a story that took place over a period of hundred years with many characters ranging from the Sultans to the gypsies with ease is praiseworthy.