RaveThe Times Literary SupplementKnowing that the writer of these words is himself in a prison cell for the rest of his life renders lines like these almost unbearably poignant ... The beauty of Altan’s writing is most finely tuned on the nuances of people trapped in unhappy relationships, on frustrated longing and futile hope for redemption – passages that chime horribly with the image of an imprisoned writer ... From his prison cell, [Alan] gives us a reason – a duty, even – to keep reading his work, and the work of Turkey’s many fearless writers.
Kapka Kassabova
PositiveThe Financial TimesWith the deft touch of a historian, she connects the voices of those who have struggled to cross borders across the centuries ... Kassabova is a poet, and her writing is beautiful — moving and witty by turns. Her interest in the spirituality of Strandja, the mountainous border region, however, outstrips mine, and she lost me in lengthy passages describing local supernatural phenomena ... She is more convincing when attributing her emotions to the personal sense of displacement that allows her to so keenly empathise with the people torn apart by war, bureaucracy and the stifling borders of 'the edge of Europe.' In a world ever more divided, ever more threatened by Mexican walls, restrictive new passports and fear of the unknown, we need books like this.
