The Architect's Apprentice by Elif Shafak (Paperback)

Elif Shafak's historical novel opens in sixteenth-century Istanbul, where a young stowaway named Jahan arrives with Chota, a rare white elephant meant as a gift for the Sultan. Alone in a strange land, the boy works his way up from nothing towards the palace, and a chance meeting with the royal architect Sinan changes the course of his life.

Told as a coming-of-age adventure, it is rich in the sights and intrigues of the Ottoman world and suits readers who enjoy historical fiction set in Turkey and the wider Middle East.

• Setting: Istanbul at the height of the Ottoman Empire
• Cast: scheming courtiers, false friends and the spirited Princess Mihrimah
• Journey: travels across the empire on the back of an elephant
• Book club pick: chosen for The Reading Room, the Duchess of Cornwall's online book club

Details

• Author: Elif Shafak
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Published: April 2015
• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9780241970942