Review of 'Mystery of the Golden Horn' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I first read this book (and many of Ms. Whitney's) as a teenager and reread it recently as an adult. I wasn't disappointed - it was as great as I remembered! I wish these books were still easy to find for young girls now. Minus the internet and smartphones, the stories are still so relevant with themes of friendship, growing up, taking responsibility, and knowing oneself.
Among many beloved girlhood authors I especially like Ms. Whitney's writing because (like two other favorites, Lucy Maud Montgomery and Maud Hart Lovelace) she works so many aspects of world culture into the stories. Years later because of this book I remembered a portion of Gerard Manley Hopkins poetry and some geography of Istanbul and culture of Turkey. Indulging in a great story while becoming a slightly more well-rounded, culturally literate person - it doesn't get any better :-)
Leaving the seraglio and haremlik …
I first read this book (and many of Ms. Whitney's) as a teenager and reread it recently as an adult. I wasn't disappointed - it was as great as I remembered! I wish these books were still easy to find for young girls now. Minus the internet and smartphones, the stories are still so relevant with themes of friendship, growing up, taking responsibility, and knowing oneself.
Among many beloved girlhood authors I especially like Ms. Whitney's writing because (like two other favorites, Lucy Maud Montgomery and Maud Hart Lovelace) she works so many aspects of world culture into the stories. Years later because of this book I remembered a portion of Gerard Manley Hopkins poetry and some geography of Istanbul and culture of Turkey. Indulging in a great story while becoming a slightly more well-rounded, culturally literate person - it doesn't get any better :-)
Leaving the seraglio and haremlik (this story takes place in an old Turkish pasha's palace and the fields and wagons of the eastern-Eurasian Romany people) for Cuban culture in New York: I also highly recommend [b:Secret of the Emerald Star|278735|Secret of the Emerald Star|Phyllis A. Whitney|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1391433173l/278735.SY75.jpg|270349] by Ms. Whitney. I'm off to add a review to that one now!