Three Daughters of Eve

By: Elif Shafak

Narrated by: Alix Dunmore

Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's Summary

Set across Istanbul and Oxford, from the 1980s to the present day, Three Daughters of Eve is a sweeping tale of faith and friendship, tradition and modernity, love and an unexpected betrayal.

Peri, a wealthy Turkish housewife and mother, is on her way to a dinner party at a seaside mansion in Istanbul when a beggar snatches her handbag. As she wrestles to get it back, a photograph falls to the ground - an old polaroid of three young women and their university professor. A relic from a past - and a love Peri had tried desperately to forget.

The photograph takes Peri back to Oxford University, as a 19-year-old sent abroad for the first time. To her dazzling, rebellious Professor and his life-changing course on God. To the house she shares with her two best friends, Shirin and Mona, and their arguments about identity, Islam and feminism. And finally, to the scandal that tore them all apart.

Shirin, Peri and Mona, they were the most unlikely of friends. They were the Sinner, the Believer and the Confused.

©2017 Elif Shafak (P)2018 Audible, Ltd

Review 3 daughters of Eve

I am a fan of Elif Safak in general, her writing style, the way she approaches to narrate the stories in her novels. The storyline in this novel did not talk to me much. Furthermore, the narrator’s attempt switching to “turkish” accent did take away from the novel and listening experience for me. I would rather her speak without the accent.

mediocre book.

good build up with a mediocre ending. overall, it is ok, but not the best from elif

Trademark dynamic writing style

Excellently narrated. A compelling protagonist that explores themes of faith and doubt in a richly nuanced manner. Top 3 favorites of Shafak's body of work.

Promising story, disappointing execution

The author seems to be fulfilling an egocentric need to praise her character. The two characters Mona and Shirin lack depth and are no more than stereotypes. She also fails to understand the cultural background of the counties she keeps referring to in her book. One of the characters is from Iran, where religion is not the main source, and at times is not reconciled in the cultural identity of the country. In Iran, what people reminisce about ir participate in is not about religious holidays but those of Norouz and Yalda, and people have a direct sense of spirituality derived form Sufism. It also fails to understand the historical background in ways other than those of religion, failing to take into account contemporary history, from Reza Shah to the theocratic nature of the place where Shirin comes from. In a sense, this theocracy has robbed Shirin of her home. This is particularly in contrast to that of Turkey, where Islam and caliphate played an important part of national identity in the Ottoman Empire. Overall, the two characters Mona and Shirin are stereotypical and one-dimensional, and lack depth, but the author ambitiously uses them as opposite poles without being able to cover these characters more comprehensively.

Beautiful, compelling, timely

Elif Shafak’s writing is evocative, personal, and universally human. I will listen to this story again. Infused throughout the compelling story are moments to remember, phrases to contemplate. And Alix Dunmore’s narration is so good, I look for books she narrates. Often narrators gum up a story with too much imposed feeling. Ms Dunmore lets the story reveal itself freely and truly.

One of Shafak’s many Magnum Opuses - A Must Read

It is my great privilege and pleasure to read Elif Shafak’s body of work. I salute Ms Shafak for her particular brilliance, insight and the genius of her captivating articulation of Eve. Her grasp of, and creative expression of such profound teachings have no equal! What a storyteller! Kudo! And, thank you!

accent

The narrator had an arabic accent. I wish she had a Turkish accent when talking for Pari.

Merging the decades

This book is beautifully written and I enjoyed every chapter. My only disappointment was the accent of narrator is an obvious Indian accent, not Turkish or Persian that are the characters of the story. I think in someone's eyes these are all "ethnic" languages and oh well no one will notice the difference. As a middle eastern woman who is very familiar with Turkish accent, this was a bit of a let down. Otherwise she did a great job. Loved this book.

One Superb Read! A Must!

A superlative novel that portrays brutal honesty and whimsy equally and artfully. The characters are as complex as the well scribed plot. I’d recommend this beautifully crafted book to readers who love history and fact and people and good reads. You will be moved and challenged. Worth the endeavor!

Completely satisfying in every way

This was such a rich listening/reading experience. I felt much smarter about Islam, Oxford and philosophy when I finished. The ending is a bit of a letdown, but that did not spoil the fun.