Eleonara Cohen's introduction to nineteenth century Ottoman Empire intrigues began as a stowaway. From her childhood trunk hiding place, Cohen graduates steadily to bigger things and wider scenes. After her father dies, she is adopted by an influential insider; then under the tutelage of an American minister and educator, she becomes a valued, if somewhat reluctant advisor to the Sultan himself. Michael David Lukas's debut novel captures the atmosphere of this hinge-point in Mideast history. Exotic; romantic; suspenseful.
Publishers Weekly
A girl changes the course of the Ottoman empire in Lukas's middling debut. Eleonora Cohen--born in 1877 Romania, prophesied to alter history, and gifted with great intelligence--stows away at age eight to follow her father to Stamboul. Her first weeks there are a whirlwind of beautiful new dresses and cultural experiences, but the idyllic adventure takes a terrible twist after her father is killed in an accident and Eleonora is taken in by her father's wealthy and politically slippery friend. She proves to be a quick study, and once her tutor alerts the palace of Eleonora's immense intelligence, she finds herself in attendance at the sultan's court, commenting on a political standoff between the Ottoman empire, Russia, and Germany. As the sultan's interest in her grows, so, too, does her reputation and importance, though Eleonora is unsure if her new role is what she wants from life. The backdrop is nicely done, but Lukas can't quite get his characters to pop or the plot to click; indeed, the buildup of Eleonora's oracle-like powers culminates in a disappointing fizzle. It's well intentioned, but flatly executed. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
Beguiling. . . . Lukas veers from the tried-and-true, making The Oracle of Stamboul a novel that offers delightful surprises.” — Jane Ciabattari, Los Angeles Times
“Lukas . . . brings a raconteur’s sense of storytelling, a traveler’s eye for color and a scholar’s sense of history to his first novel. . . . Lukas has given us a Turkish delight.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“An enchanting, gorgeous read . . . Lukas captures the scents and sounds, the vivid beauty, the subtle intrigue and simultaneous naivety, of the Ottoman Empire unaware of its imminent demise.” — Siobhan Fallon, author of You Know When the Men are Gone
“A stunning debut . . . Lukas has managed to create an instant classic that feels as if it should be retroactively slipped into the great libraries of the old world.” — Reif Larsen, author of The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet
“Michael David Lukas charms in his debut.” — Vanity Fair
“A lyrical debut…A passionate novel that beautifully conveys the flavor of Turkish culture…focusing on the effect a young prodigy has on the political leaders of the time.” — Kirkus Reviews
“This first novel by a promising young writer is both vivid historical fiction and a haunting fable.” — Library Journal
“The exotic sights and sounds of nineteenth-century Turkey spring vividly to life in Lukas’ promising debut.” — Booklist (starred review)
“A magical debut.” — Good Housekeeping
“The Oracle of Stamboul is a delight, a gem of a first novel.” — Read All Day
“[An] impressive debut novel.” — San Francisco magazine
“THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL is one of those debuts that defies the norm.” — Bookreporter.com
“...this riveting debut novel not only captures the atmosphere of the exotic European crossroads but also introduces a young girl who is utterly captivating.” — Bookloons.com
“In his enchanting debut novel, Michael David Lukas captures the mystical world of the Ottoman Empire.”- — Book Beast
“A gem of a first novel…an appealing blend of magical and historical realism…This is a polished literary work that will appeal to a wide readership.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer
“A beautifully written debut novel. . . . Political intrigue, historical upheaval and Eastern mysticism come together in surprising ways as Lukas brings the book to a poignant conclusion tinged with magical realism.” — Mercury News
“An enchanting literary debut…A charming tale of passion and intrigue…that could be read in one sitting, spine-tingling descriptions will transport readers to another place and time.” — Today's Zaman
Siobhan Fallon
An enchanting, gorgeous read . . . Lukas captures the scents and sounds, the vivid beauty, the subtle intrigue and simultaneous naivety, of the Ottoman Empire unaware of its imminent demise.
Reif Larsen
A stunning debut . . . Lukas has managed to create an instant classic that feels as if it should be retroactively slipped into the great libraries of the old world.
Jane Ciabattari
Beguiling. . . . Lukas veers from the tried-and-true, making The Oracle of Stamboul a novel that offers delightful surprises.
Good Housekeeping
A magical debut.
Vanity Fair
Michael David Lukas charms in his debut.
Read All Day
The Oracle of Stamboul is a delight, a gem of a first novel.
San Francisco Chronicle
Lukas . . . brings a raconteur’s sense of storytelling, a traveler’s eye for color and a scholar’s sense of history to his first novel. . . . Lukas has given us a Turkish delight.
Booklist (starred review)
The exotic sights and sounds of nineteenth-century Turkey spring vividly to life in Lukas’ promising debut.
San Francisco magazine
[An] impressive debut novel.
Cleveland Plain Dealer
A gem of a first novel…an appealing blend of magical and historical realism…This is a polished literary work that will appeal to a wide readership.
Bookreporter.com
THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL is one of those debuts that defies the norm.
Today's Zaman
An enchanting literary debut…A charming tale of passion and intrigue…that could be read in one sitting, spine-tingling descriptions will transport readers to another place and time.
Book Beast
In his enchanting debut novel, Michael David Lukas captures the mystical world of the Ottoman Empire.”-
Mercury News
A beautifully written debut novel. . . . Political intrigue, historical upheaval and Eastern mysticism come together in surprising ways as Lukas brings the book to a poignant conclusion tinged with magical realism.
Bookloons.com
...this riveting debut novel not only captures the atmosphere of the exotic European crossroads but also introduces a young girl who is utterly captivating.
San Francisco Chronicle
Lukas . . . brings a raconteur’s sense of storytelling, a traveler’s eye for color and a scholar’s sense of history to his first novel. . . . Lukas has given us a Turkish delight.
San Francisco Magazine
"[An] impressive debut novel."
Booklist
"The exotic sights and sounds of nineteenth-century Turkey spring vividly to life in Lukas’ promising debut."
Library Journal
Eleonora Cohen's mother dies after giving birth to her in the Romanian city of Constantţa on the Black Sea in 1877. The child is raised by her doting father, Yakob, a rug merchant, and her cold and calculating aunt. By the time she is four, it is evident that Eleonora is a child prodigy; she reads and speaks several languages. When her father leaves for a trip to Stamboul (as Istanbul was then known in the Ottoman Empire), Eleonora, age eight, stows away on the ship. In Stamboul, Eleonora and her father visit her father's business partner, Turkish aristocrat Moncef Bey, and then tragedy strikes again. Meanwhile, Eleonora's extraordinary genius has come to the attention of the sultan himself, who invites her to his palace and seeks her advice. Soon rumors of the child's powers are flying around the city, and Eleonora has to make a very adult decision. VERDICT This first novel by a promising young writer is both vivid historical fiction and a haunting fable. It will appeal to a wide range of readers. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/10.]—Leslie Patterson, Rehoboth, MA
Kirkus Reviews
A lyrical debut novel of life in 19th-century Turkey, focusing on the effect a young prodigy (aka The Oracle of Stamboul) has on the political and cultural leaders of the time.
Born in 1877, Eleonora Cohen enters a world of tragedy, for her mother Leah dies in childbirth, and her father, the businessman Yakob, is scarcely prepared to raise a young girl on his own. Enter Leah's sister, the officious Ruxandra, who marries her brother-in-law and prepares to raise the child. When Eleonora is eight, her father goes to Stamboul—Istanbul—to sell rugs, and Eleonora secrets herself in the ship hold to be with her father. In the city she has an opportunity to further her considerable education. She demonstrates her penetrating mind by watching her father play backgammon, and then playing (and winning) her first few games. Eventually, she becomes a polymath and winds up learning seven languages. When her father dies in a ship explosion, she is left in the hands of her father's friend, Moncef Bey, who's both charmed and amazed by her erudition. Word of this precocious child gets to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, the Caliph of Islam, who tests her understanding and then begins relying on her for political advice. Though cautioned by Jamaludin Pasha, the Grand Vizier, to be careful taking advice from an eight-year-old, the sultan is impressed by her shrewd political evaluations and begins to make foreign-policy decisions based on her judgment. In fact, he sends her trunks of documents to study, for the Ottoman Empire is caught on shaky ground between the German Empire and Tsarist Russia, the latter sometimes openly attacking Turkish troops. It turns out that Eleonora is indeed an oracle, perhaps the incarnation of a divine prophecy made many centuries before, for certain omens seem to have heralded her birth and young life. She ultimately vanishes, leaving almost no trace of her influence.
A quiet but passionate novel that beautifully conveys the flavor of Turkish culture.
