A powerful graphic novel that traces Turkey's descent into political
violence in the 1970s through the experiences of four students on
opposing sides of the conflict
Turkish Kaleidoscope tells the stories of four unforgettable
protagonists as they navigate a society torn apart by violent political
factions. It is 1975 and Turkey is on the verge of civil war. Faruk and
Orhan are from conservative shopkeeping families in eastern Anatolia
that share a sense of new possibilities. Nuray is the daughter of
villagers who have migrated to the provincial city where Yunus, the son
of an imprisoned teacher, was raised in genteel poverty. While attending
medical school in Ankara, Faruk draws a reluctant Orhan into a
right-wing nationalist group while Nuray and Yunus join the left.
Against a backdrop of escalating violence, the four students fall in
love, have their hearts broken, get married, raise families, and
struggle to get on with their lives. But the consequences of their
decisions will follow them through their lives as their children begin
the story anew, skewed through the kaleidoscope of historical events.
Inspired by Jenny White's own experiences as a student in Turkey during
this tumultuous period as well as original oral histories of Turks who
lived through it, Turkish Kaleidoscope reveals how violent
factionalism has its own emotional and cultural logic that defies
ideological explanations.
