Madonna in a Fur Coat - Sabahattin Ali

The bestselling Turkish classic of love and loss in a changing world, with a new introduction by David Selim Sayers

''A heart-breaker . . . it has the kind of indefinably powerful impact of The Great Gatsby'' Observer

''It is, perhaps, easier to dismiss a man whose face gives no indication of an inner life. And what a pity that is: a dash of curiosity is all it takes to stumble upon treasures we never expected.''

A shy young man leaves his home in rural Turkey to learn a trade in 1920s Berlin. The city''s crowded streets, thriving arts scene, passionate politics and seedy cabarets provide the backdrop for a chance meeting with a woman, which will haunt him for the rest of his life. Emotionally powerful, intensely atmospheric and touchingly profound, Madonna in a Fur Coat is an unforgettable novel about new beginnings and the unfathomable nature of the human soul.

''A miniature masterpiece'' The National

''A gorgeously melancholic romance'' Irish Times