Seemingly disparate lives are brought together in a clever, prism-like plot in this award-winning novel. The story is based on three people--Ali, Dogan, and Olcay--and vividly depicts the struggle between the older generation who were content with the new (post-Ottoman) Turkey and who are disturbed by changes sought and brought on by the rebellious young generation. In this unforgettable, epic portrait of 1960s Turkey, the personal and political are intertwined in a questioning of what fidelity means--to sibling, lover, country, and cause.