2.5 stars

I read the first 12 stories, and that's about as much as I cared to read. It's not that I disliked the stories, or what they had to say about the experiences of these women, it's that I didn't find anything compelling about them. They were all generally interesting in a bland sort of way; maybe a factoid here or a snippet of description there will surface in my memory some day, but there was nothing that I truly want to remember. Time for this reader to move on. ( )

I absolutely loved this book! Non-fiction, short stories that had me both laughing and crying, absolutely captivated. Each story provided insight to the particular author's thoughts and emotions, as well as insight into various aspects of Turkish culture. I never knew Turkey was a place I wanted to visit until I read this book! Would highly recommend to any woman who has travelled to or lived in Turkey, or is just interested in the culture. I would even recommend this to any woman who loves travel in general and experiencing other cultures. One of my favorite books, it has a permanent place on my bookshelf. ( )