A novel set in Ankara during the late 70's, early 80's, when there was almost open warfare between left and right. Told from the perspective of a young boy whose family lives in a gecekondu, and a girl living in a middle-class left-leaning family. It looks at several things: 1) the general tenor and feeling of the time 2) the awkward relationship between the poor working class and the leftist intellectuals 3) generational differences in perspective on life, politics (and other things) 4) some of the violence perpetrated by rightist groups 5) The lack of understanding between various groups within the society, and the resulting backstabbing 6) corruption amongst both the military and the political class
Overall, the adults in the book do not show well, being obsessed with their own agendas and concerns, as seen by the little people looking on.
In spite of these themes, it presents a very touching and human perspective on the various main characters in the book.
As an aside, Temelkuran is a persona non grata currently in Erdoğan's Turkey.
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