Memory outlasts fate, telling a story that reaches into the past. ( )

The first and second halves of this book are quite different from one another, and unfortunately if you like one part, chances are you won't like other.

The first part focuses on the life of a prostitute. Her life is "passing before her eyes" as she lays dying for the 10 minutes, 38 seconds in the title. Each minute has a new scene that starts with an evocative sensory memory. I enjoyed the story of Leila, her tough upbringing and mostly the descriptions of Istanbul.

Unfortunately, eventually her brain stops functioning and her five friends, about whom we know a minimal amount, are left to carry the story. And since we barely know about them and care little, the rest of the book comes across like a madcap escapade as the friends make it their mission to give Leila's dead body a more suitable resting place than the one designated by the city.

The very end moved this book from the two star to the three star realm for me, but overall I am a bit puzzled as to how it is on the Booker shortlist. I am going with the very strong descriptive writing about Istanbul itself as the driving force. ( )

This novel begins with a Turkish prostitute who has been murdered. As the last of life leaves her body, she recounts her story and the stories of her friends. And then her friends take the novel the rest of the way.

I really enjoyed this page turner. Easy reading but well-written, with interesting characters, who were sometimes caricatures and could have been more nuanced and developed. It's about acceptance, friendship, and the lives of misfits. This is definitely a woman-centric book and would be a great book club selection. It's doesn't do any favors for Muslim men. The authors own story is also interesting and worth reading up on. ( )

Not great, but OK. I gave it an extra star for taking place in Istanbul, a city I’m fascinated with and hope to visit someday. ( )

Tequila Leila, a sex worker in Istanbul, has been brutally murdered. Her heart has stopped but her brain continues to function for 10 minutes 38 seconds. As she slips away, she tells her story through recounting memories of salient events of her life. We see her birth into a dysfunctional family, abuse at the hands of a relative, and formation of close bonds of friendship with five other social outcasts. We find out the reasons behind her flight from her small hometown of Van to Istanbul, and how she became a prostitute. The story then shifts to the group of friends, who conduct a well-intentioned escapade to give Leila a proper burial.

Şafak’s prose is expressive and insightful. Her vivid descriptions are filled with sensual details of the smells, tastes, and textures of Leila’s environment. She also includes historical references about Turkey and the Middle East, which educate, inform, and add local color. Although it is centered around a rather macabre premise, once the story gets going, the idea behind it subsides and it is easy to become engrossed in Şafak’s sophisticated storytelling. The first part of the book is structured into one-minute segments of memory, alternating with the backstories of Leila’s five eccentric friends. This structure is very effective in focusing the narrative on the essential information to understand Leila’s life, motivations, and how she ended up as a murder victim. The characters are beautifully drawn, and each friend has an important role in the second part that goes on after Leila’s death. I particularly enjoyed the way the friends love and support each other. The friends’ burial caper infuses a dose of dark humor and provides relief from the heavier content.

Themes of this book include bonds formed through friendships (which can be even more important when family disappoints); the exploitation of sex workers and lack of a system that addresses the root causes; the dynamics of power; and how hard life can be for those viewed as “different.” It takes place in the 20th century, but the topics and themes are eminently relevant in today’s world. Though it is about death, it is to the author’s credit that it ultimately feels life-affirming and hopeful, a story of unbreakable human spirit in the face of injustice. Leila becomes a catalyst for positive change in the lives of her friends. This is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

This book has been nominated for the 2019 Booker prize. I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Memorable passages:
Leila observes her thoughts as her brain shuts down: “Her memory surged forth, eager and diligent, collecting pieces of a life that was speeding to a close. She recalled things she did not even know she was capable of remembering, things she had believed to be lost forever. Time became fluid, a fast flow of recollections seeping into one another, the past and the present inseparable.”

Leila reflects on her close friends, thinking of them as her safety net: “Every time she stumbled or keeled over, they were there for her, supporting her or softening the impact of the fall. On nights when she was mistreated by a client, she would still find the strength to hold herself up, knowing that her friends, with their very presence, would come with ointment for her scrapes and bruises; and on days when she wallowed in self-pity, her chest cracking open, they would gently pull her up and breathe life into her lungs.”
( )