by Roberta Rich
hamam:
steam bath or sauna.
hocas:
witches.
Janissaries:
an elite private corps of soldiers who guarded the sultan.
kaddish:
the Jewish prayer of mourning.
Karagöz:
a type of marionette theatre, popular at the harem.
keriah:
a ritual of mourning; the cutting of garments to show grief for the dead.
ketubah:
a Jewish prenuptial agreement. Many beautifully adorned examples of these marriage contracts can be found in museums, such as the Jewish Museum in Paris.
ketzele:
a Yiddish term meaning “little kitten.”
klezmer:
Jewish music—lively and spirited, often played at weddings and dances.
köchek:
the “fauns of Constantinople,” as they were known by the Janissaries, were very handsome young males, often provocatively cross-dressed in feminine apparel, who danced for the entertainment of other men.
lapis lazuli:
a semi-precious blue stone found in many parts of the world. The finest examples come from Afghanistan.
loghetto:
a tiny, cramped, one-room apartment in the Venetian ghetto.
lokum:
Turkish delight—sticky candies dusted in confectionery sugar.
mahalle:
an Arab word meaning “district,” “quarter,” or “ward.”
mezes:
hot or cold appetizers, usually served as snacks or as the prelude to a meal.
mikvah:
a ritual bath where Jewish woman cleanse themselves after menstruation.
nahils:
a festive decoration and form of art used during certain ceremonies in Ottoman tradition. It is a highly decorated artificial tree fashioned from beeswax or coloured paper. They were a sign of power, and accordingly were as big and extravagant as possible.
nargileh:
a water pipe used to smoke flavoured tobacco.
nazar boncuğu:
an amulet believed to be protection against the Evil Eye. In modern Turkey, it is common to see nazars hanging in houses, shops, and offices and worn as jewellery.
odalisque:
a female slave, a candidate for the sultan’s affections.
Osmanlica:
the language of the Ottoman Empire.
pattens:
high, wooden shoes designed to keep the wearer off the wet, hot floor of the steam baths.
plov:
rice.
shul:
a synagogue, the Jewish house of prayer.
rebbetzin:
a rabbi’s wife.
repoussé:
a metal-work technique in which metal is shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design.
scudo:
a Venetian coin of small denomination.
Shabbat:
the Jewish day of rest, the seventh day of the week. It begins a few minutes before sunset on Friday until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night.
Shabbat goy:
a gentile servant who performs tasks not permitted for Jews to perform on the Sabbath.
şhalvar:
loose trousers worn by Turkish women.
shiva:
a Jewish period of mourning lasting seven days.
tallis:
prayer shawl worn by men, fringed and reaching below the knees.
Talmud:
refers to the “six orders” in the Oral Law of Judaism. The Talmud has two components—the Mishnah and the Gemara.
tughra:
the seal (or monogram) of the sultan, written in calligraphy.
yali:
a handsome country house, especially on one of the Princes’ Islands in the bay of Istanbul.
yaşmak:
a veil worn by Muslim women wrapped around the upper and lower face so only the eyes are exposed.
yeshiva:
a Jewish educational institution focusing primarily on the study of the Torah.
yufka:
Turkish bread, thin, round, and unleavened.
FURTHER READING
Ashenburg, Katherine. The Mourner’s Dance: What We Do When People Die. North Point Press. 2004.
Brox, Jane. Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light. Mariner Books. 2011.
Croutier, Alev Lytle. Harem: The World Behind the Veil. Abbeville Press. 1991.
Faroqhi, Suraiya. Subjects of the Sultan. I.B. Tauris. 2005.
Freely, John, and Hilary Sumner-Boyd. Strolling Through Istanbul: The Classic Guide to the City. Tauris Parke Paperbacks. 2010.
Goodwin, Godfrey. The Private World of Ottoman Women. Saqi Books. 2007.
Greenfield, Amy Butler. A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire. Harper Perennial. 2006.
Hanimefendi, Leyla. The Imperial Harem of the Sultans: Daily Life at the Çirağan Palace During the 19th Century: Memoirs of Leyla Hanimefendi. Peva Publication. 1994.
Hutter Epstein, Randi, M.D. Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank. W.W. Norton Company. 2010.
Inalcik, Halil, and Donald Quataert, eds. An Economic and Social History of the Ottoman Empire, 1300–1914. Cambridge University Press. 1995.
Kia, Mehrdad, Daily Life in the Ottoman Empire. Greenwood Press. 2011.
Lewis, Bernard A Middle East Mosaic: Fragments of Life, Letters and History. Modern Library. 2001.
Peirce, Leslie P. The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire. Oxford University Press. 1993.
Polk, William R. Neighbors and Strangers. University of Chicago Press. 1997.
Rozen, Minna. A History of the Jewish Community in Istanbul. The Formative Years 1453–1566. Brill Academic Publishers. 2002.
Sancar, Asli. Ottoman Women: Myth and Reality. Tughra Books. 2007.
Wertz, Richard W., and Dorothy C. Wertz. Lying-In: A History of Childbirth in America. Yale University Press. 1989.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To Nita Pronovost, my talented editor, whose impeccable judgment has kept me from my own folly on more occasions than I care to contemplate. Her meticulousness and patience have been unfailing, her instinct for plot and pacing sublime.
To the indefatigable and resourceful Beverley Slopen, my agent, adviser and manager of my overblown expectations. Her good common sense, humour and friendship have been a continuing source of support.
To Martha, Ben and Sam, who taught me everything I know about childbirth.
To my wonderful sister-in-law Barbara Vance, my cyber-genius who navigates the misty shoals of Facebook and Twitter with aplomb.
To Gay Ludlow and Roland Lougheed, videographers extraordinaire.
To the Jewish Book Council of New York, a wonderful organization that acts as shadkin between reader and writer to such brilliant effect, keeping alive the love of reading.
To Adria Iwasutiak, my publicist, who has promoted my books with such flair, imagination and zeal and, like all true professionals, has made it look so easy.
To Terri Nimmo, who designed the magical book cover. To Kiara Kent for her helpful editorial support.
To the talented Jordan Hall of the Booming Ground program at the University of British Columbia.
To Dr. Minna Rozen of the University of Haifa, Israel, and Dr. Ashley Krisman of Vancouver.
To my many friends and family who encouraged me by their support, love and expertise: Katherine Ashenburg, Pam Barnsley, Sandy Constable, Caitlin Davis, Carla Lewis, Sharon Rowse, Lynne Fay, Wendy Matthews, Gale Myers, Shelley Mason and Jim Prier, Diane Sanderson, Diane Saarinen, Catherine and Terry Warren, Alice Rich and Adrian Palmer, Ruth and Von Peacock, Kübra Uçar, Gayle Raphanel and Guy Immega, Jacqueline Brown, and Doreen and Don Reimer, and, of course, to Beryl Young, my wise friend and invaluable mentor.
And to readers everywhere who urged me to write a sequel.
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First published in Canada in 2013 by Doubleday Canada, an imprint of
Random House of Canada Limited
Published in the UK in 2013 by Ebury Press, an imprint of Ebury Publishing
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Copyright © 2013 Roberta Rich
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This novel is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental
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