by Elif Şafak
First published 2019
In the first minute after her death, Tequila Leila's consciousness begins to recede. But each fading memory brings back the friends she made in her bittersweet life - friends who are now desperately trying to find her. As Leila's final moments replay, we experience the sights, sounds, and smells of her past: the spiced goat stew sacrificed by her father, the bubbling vats of lemon and sugar in the brothel where she worked, the cardamom coffee she shared with a handsome student. Through these visceral recollections, a story of love, loss, and the meaning of existence emerges, culminating in a poignant reflection on the fleeting nature of life.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, magical-realism, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: bittersweet, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: This Strange World
Period: 10 Minutes 38 Seconds
320 pages · ebook · Penguin UK
Content warnings: death