The Executioner’s Race
1834, Istanbul. When Zeyneb, a woman calligrapher, is condemned for using her talent to turn holy prayers into forbidden forms—those of animals and faces, among others—the only way for her to escape death is to race one of the Sultan’s bostanci, an executioner. If she loses, she dies. If she wins she lives, but in exile. Seven years later, soon-to-be famed writer of fairy tales, Hans Christian Andersen, has arrived in Istanbul seeking inspiration. He soon comes across Zeyneb’s tale, its ending unknown. What can he discover of this mysterious woman, and where will his path lead?
What follows is a debut novel from Andrew Bynom. It’s a rich tale, fully infused with the milieu of 19th-century Istanbul. It’s a sensual novel in that the senses are fed with each page, through colors, vistas, aromas, and the cacophony of the city. It’s a full cast, complete with puppeteers, dervishes, gardeners, and hotel staff. You’ll finish the novel believing you can grow any variety of tulip and paint any manner of calligraphy. The tone is literary, with more attention given to the setting than to the story development. Though the pacing threw me off somewhat, and though I didn’t find the ending satisfying, this is nonetheless a worthy debut novel.
