The Missing Rose

by Serdar Ozkan

Overview

The international bestseller—published in more than forty languages! A twenty-first-century parable in the tradition of The Alchemist, The Little Prince, and Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

The Missing Rose is the story of Diana, a willful young woman who, following the death of her mother, sets out on a quest to find the twin she never knew she had. Although she is both beautiful and wealthy, Diana is confused and angry with life. Her overwhelming desire for approval has caused her to let go of her dreams, and now she does not know who she really is.

 Diana’s search for her twin, Mary, leads her to a magical garden in Istanbul, where she learns the philosophy of roses. Later at home, by the sea in Rio, she meets the enigmatic artist Matthias, who also challenges her understanding of the world.

 An enchanting and multilayered tale of chance encounters, magical gardens, vibrant cityscapes, and transformative learning, The Missing Rose is a profound modern-day fable about the wisdom of the heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101603864
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	12/27/2012
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	911 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Serdar Ozkan attended Robert College in Istanbul. He completed his university education in the United States, where he earned his BA in business administration and psychology at Lehigh University. He has been a full-time novelist since 2002.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"What a fantastic book."—Paulo Coehlo, author of THE ALCHEMIST

"If you like books such as The Alchemist and The Little Prince you will love The Missing Rose." —Time Out UK

"[Ozkan's] book is a modern fable, profound and wise—similar to the masterpiece The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry." —Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Germany

"What this novel does is so magnificent. One could say that this book has the power to unite us." —TVA Television, Canada

"His name is already being mentioned together with Paulo Colho, Richard Bach and even Saint Exupéry. . ." —Corriere della Sera, Italy

"Turk's Little Prince charms the whole world." —Helsinki Sanomat, Finland

"A major global success. Compulsory reading for all who are thrilled by The Alchemist, The Little Prince, and Jonathan Livingston Seagull." —Air Beletrina, Slovenia

"The Missing Rose is a bridge between East and West." —Vijesti, Serbia

Editorial Reviews

When 24-year-old Brazilian heiress Diana Oliveira learns from her dying mother that she has a twin, Mary, who was taken by their father when the girls were only one, a grieving Diana embarks on a quest to find Mary and, perhaps, meaning in her own life. But Mary, upon learning that the mother she’d long thought dead was alive, began writing her letters before disappearing under ominous circumstances only weeks before her mother’s death. Finding clues in the letters, Diana leaves behind her close friends to look for Mary, taking guidance from a beggar and an artist who impart koanlike advice on how to live and stoke Diana’s artistic dreams. Diana makes her way to Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, a magical rose garden where all her questions might be answered. Ozkan mentions The Little Prince early in the story, taking his title from the book and invoking its reputation as a modern-day parable. He intends his tale to be read in the same tradition, but his effort falls flat, saddled with a clunky translation and rife with clichés, a shopworn story line, and plot twists that will come as no mystery to perceptive readers. Likewise, the moral fails to inspire: value those you love and follow your dreams. Excellent advice, but we’ve read it before. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"What a fantastic book."—Paulo Coehlo, author of THE ALCHEMIST

"If you like books such as The Alchemist and The Little Prince you will love The Missing Rose." —Time Out UK

"[Ozkan's] book is a modern fable, profound and wise—similar to the masterpiece The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry." —Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Germany

"What this novel does is so magnificent. One could say that this book has the power to unite us." —TVA Television, Canada

"His name is already being mentioned together with Paulo Colho, Richard Bach and even Saint Exupéry. . ." —Corriere della Sera, Italy

"Turk's Little Prince charms the whole world." —Helsinki Sanomat, Finland

"A major global success. Compulsory reading for all who are thrilled by The Alchemist, The Little Prince, and Jonathan Livingston Seagull." —Air Beletrina, Slovenia

"The Missing Rose is a bridge between East and West." —Vijesti, Serbia

From the Publisher

A month before her 24th birthday, Brazilian heiress Diana Oliveira lost her mother to a quick and devastating illness. With her father long dead, her mother had been her existence, guiding the chic and stunning Diana through the shallow world of material wealth where image took priority. A letter left to Diana by her mother reveals that Diana’s father is alive and that she has a twin sister, Mary. Her mother’s last wish is for Diana to find Mary. Diana’s journey takes her to Turkey to visit a mystical rose garden in the effort to find her sister and her own true self. Verdict This debut misses the spiritual spark. It’s hard for the reader to develop any empathy with the two-dimensional characters. And instead of journeying with the characters on their spiritual quest, the author presents the same lecture multiple times, loosely disguised as fables and parables, and all told by the same character. A disappointingly mediocre effort for the timeless theme of “know thyself.”—Joy Gunn, Henderson Libs., NV(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Library Journal

A young heiress, carrying out her mother's deathbed wish, searches for her twin sister. Özkan's heroine, Diana, scion of a wealthy Rio de Janiero family of hoteliers, was named after the Roman goddess of the hunt. Twenty-four years ago, her beloved mother tells her, Diana's father left, taking with him Diana's twin, Mary, who was named after the Virgin. Before she dies, Diana's mother instructs her to find Mary and gives her four envelopes containing letters from her sister. Diana does not really wish to embark on this quest. Her life has become a round of drinking with shallow friends, who fawn over her and call her Goddess. Bored with the gifts and accolades she receives every day, Diana goes walking in a seaside park, where a mischievous old beggar hints that Mary is actually very close to her. An artist, Mathias, captures her attention, and he thinks Diana is his soul mate. He can only be sure if he leaves Rio after their coffee date. (This is one of many pseudo-mystical koans seeded throughout.) When Mary's letters reveal that, like St. Exupery's Little Prince, she left her comfortable surroundings to take "responsibility for a rose," Diana resolves to alter her own life. She's off to Istanbul where Zeynep Hanim, a wise woman who inhabits a mysterious garden, promises to teach her, just as she had taught Mary before her, how to listen to roses. After Zeynep imparts contradictory advice, e.g., always be on time, but don't hesitate to knock after midnight, Diana is ready for enlightenment. Soon, she's listening raptly as two roses named Artemis (Greek counterpart of Diana) and Miriam debate the true meaning of holiness. But not until she returns to Rio will Diana solve the puzzle of Mary's whereabouts. The message--that definition by others is no match for self-realization--is obvious. However, in failing to depict the depths of Diana's pre-enlightened existence, Özkan minimizes the stakes that any novel of redemption requires. A formulaic allegory.

Kirkus Reviews