Anatolian Days and Nights

“Compassionate, nuanced, tender and informative, this book will change your perspective on contemporary Turkey.” - Elif Shafak, author of The Bastard of Istanbul and Black Milk. – - Elif Shafak, author of The Bastard of Istanbul and Black Milk. – 20120301 “Anatolian Days and Nights is an intimate, clear-eyed view of a fascinating country. Joy Stocke and Angie Brenner have captured the contradictions of modern day Turkey, while exposing the complex web of history at the heart of our human story. This book will make you want to grab your bags and hop the next flight to Istanbul.” Alan Drew, author of Gardens of Water – - Alan Drew, author of Gardens of Water – 20120301 “In their touching, often humorous memoir, Anatolian Days & Nights: A Love Affair with Turkey, Joy Stocke and Angie Brenner write vividly about their journeys through a one of the world’s most vibrant countries. The landscape and people slip beneath your skin until you are no longer sure whether you’ve become a part of Turkey or whether Turkey has become a part of you. As a frequent visitor to Turkey, I applaud Stocke and Brenner for skillfully weaving a tale that leaves me yearning to return.” Harriet Mayor Fulbright, Widow of Senator J. William Fulbright, Founder of the Fulbright Scholarship Program and President of Harriet Fulbright College – - Harriet Mayor Fulbright, Widow of Senator J. William Fulbright, Founder of the Fulbright Scholarship Program and President of Harriet Fulbright College – 20120301 “Filled with smiles, laughter, dancing, whirling; exotic foods I want to taste and exquisite crafts I want to buy. Joy and Angie walk us down ancient paths where ghosts of the past still dwell; they lead us into cooking kitchens where eggplant and lamb fill today with magic blends of herbs and spices. The authors’ love of the culture, then and nowits joy, its challenges, its exuberance is contagious. After reading this book, I have moved Turkey to the top of my list.” - Rita Golden Gelman, author, Tales of a Female Nomad, Living at Large in the World. – - Rita Golden Gelman, author, Tales of a Female Nomad, Living at Large in the World. – 20120301 In their vivid memoir, Joy Stocke, a travel writer from New Jersey; and Angie Brenner, a former travel bookstore owner from California, document their travels through Turkey, spanning nearly 10 years and stretching from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean coast, and from the Iranian border to Istanbul…Every destination on their itinerary is home to ghosts of Turkey’s past, but the friends also take time to enjoy “whitewashed facades tinged sienna in the late afternoon sun” and “breeze[s] rustl[ing] through the cobbled streets.” Over-eager guides embody the country’s tumultuous national identity–a melange of Muslims, Christians, Jews, Armenians, Turks, and more–and descriptions of the past weaved into the present provide a rich portrait of the region. -Publisher’s Weekly – Publisher’s Weekly, 20120530 “There is a lot to be said for two women, one married with children, the other single, who choose to travel through a country where such a thing provokes shock, distrust, and assumptions about the flexibility of their moral character. The two handle awkward or frightening situations with grace and intelligence.” -Philadelphia Inquirer – Philadelphia Inquirer, 20120530

Angie Brenner began her love affair with Turkey when she embarked on a quest to see Whirling Dervishes in Konya, where Sufi mystic Jelaluddin Rumi taught. An avid traveller and illustrator, Brenner would spend the next twenty-five years searching the remote corners of Turkey for historical and cultural links between Turkey’s past and present. A former travel-bookstore owner and freelance writer, Brenner is the West Coast Editor for the online magazine Wild River Review. She lives in the rural mountain community of Julian, California.