Three Daughters Of Eve

Elif Shafak is the most widely-read female author in Turkey. An award-winning British-Turkish writer, Shafak has written numerous books in both Turkish and English, and her works have been translated into more than 50 languages (“Biography.” Elif Safak). Born in Strasbourg, France, Shafak moved to Turkey as a young girl and was raised in her maternal grandmother’s home. Besides Turkey, Shafak has lived in Spain, Germany, America, and London, but Istanbul is still where she considers “home” (Malhotra, Aanchal. “Elif Shafak: ‘My Connection with Turkish Is Very Emotional; with English, It Is More Cerebral.” Vogue India, 7 Sep. 2024).

Shafak’s identity and experiences vis-à-vis Turkey, in terms of politics, culture, faith, and gender, are apparent in several of her works, including Three Daughters of Eve. Being British-Turkish and residing in London while calling Turkey home, Shafak’s perspective as a writer caught between the west and the east is especially apparent in both the setting and characters of the book. Both Oxford and Istanbul are prominent settings in the book, and Peri, the protagonist, finds space for herself in both places while perpetually also remaining in conflict. Shafak uses Peri’s conflict to do what she often does: engaging with “some of the most pressing political and personal themes of [the] times” (Walter, Natasha. “Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Shafak Review—a Rich Journey into Romance and Religion.” The Guardian, 22 Feb. 2017). Shafak’s perspective on Istanbul itself influences the thematic importance of conflict. She deems it a “city of conflict and resistance,” even as she acknowledges the greed and gentrification that is impacting the city’s culture and history (Kellaway, Kate. Elif Shafak: ‘When Women Are Divided It Is the Male Status Quo That Benefits.‘“ The Guardian, 5 Feb. 2017). Thus, a dinner party set in contemporary Istanbul runs through the story. Just as it ties Peri’s present to her past, it also offers commentary on issues like politics, religion, and government as the Turkish upper class experiences them.

Shafak’s position as a Turkish woman who has had a global upbringing is also apparent in the themes she explores in her book. A confused Peri is the protagonist, but other people in her life continually shape and influence Peri’s views and perspectives. Shafak highlights the devout Selma, the firebrand Shirin, and the modest Mona’s stories through Peri’s perspective. This is Shafak’s trademark across her works. She rejects identity politics and insists on writing stories beyond just her perspective as a Turkish woman.

The role of faith in the Middle East, especially among women, also motivates Shafak’s focus on different stories and belief systems that are not hers alone, Faith, to Shafak, is not religious; she believes that moving to a new country or writing a new novel are also acts of faith by themselves (Kellaway). The exploration of faith as something that can be devoid of religion, as Shafak attempts to assert through Azur’s seminar, is her way of reclaiming faith from religion. Additionally, she centers the story on three Muslim women because faith can be a dividing issue among women. She notes how, across the Middle East especially, “women live as islands” (Kellaway), with conservative, headscarf-wearing women and secular women not believing they have anything in common. Shafak represents this conflict through Shirin and Mona’s equation, inserting a conflict-ridden Peri in between. Despite the arguments and external factors that impact this dynamic, the three women nevertheless cohabit and coexist, and their relationship with each other survives for decades. In this way, Shafak’s background, experiences, and world views regarding politics, culture, faith, and gender influence the Three Daughters of Eve.