10 Minutes and 38 Seconds

"10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World" is one of Elif Shafak's most powerful works, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. The novel begins at a tragic turning point: the body of a young woman named "Leila" is found in a garbage dumpster in the outskirts of Istanbul. As her heart stops, her brain enters a final phase lasting ten minutes and thirty-eight seconds, during which her five senses recall pivotal moments of her life—her childhood in the countryside, her escape to Istanbul, the harshness of the streets, and her encounters with five close friends who form her outcast alternative family. Shafak masterfully combines realism and psychological suspense to shed light on the rights of the marginalized and the power of friendship, creating a touching tribute to forgotten souls.

Because it introduces a brilliant and unconventional narrative structure based on the final minutes of a human life. It offers a deeply empathetic reading experience that unpacks the darker layers of society through a linguistic blend of harshness, mercy, and unique literary beauty.

For fans of deep psychological and human fiction, those interested in the literature of the marginalized and social realism, and any reader wishing to explore the city of Istanbul from its invisible, backdoor alleys through the eyes of friendships born out of shared trauma.