Leyla’s House

An elderly woman is uprooted from her home in this compassionate novel from Livaneli (Disquiet). Having spent her lifetime on her family’s Istanbul estate along the Bosphorus, the aristocratic Leyla is devastated when bank owner Ömer and his arrogant wife, Necla, purchase the mansion and immediately remove the furniture, demolish the fixtures, and evict her. Stunned, Leyla sits on the sidewalk with her suitcase. Coming to her rescue is news reporter Yusef, the son of the estate’s groundskeeper, who moves her into the trendy Cihangir neighborhood, where Leyla clashes with and eventually befriends Yusef’s live-in partner Roxy, a struggling hip-hop singer. Livaneli takes a wide-angle view, showing how Ömer and Necla have betrayed not just Leyla but the mansion’s history as a safe haven for refugees from the Yugoslav Wars. Along the way, he capably explores the meaning of home and the importance of shelter, particularly in Leyla’s deep-seated attachment to the estate and Ömer’s chastising by his devout Muslim father, who views the eviction as a sin. It’s a satisfying morality tale. (Jan.)