Blood Tie

An odd novel, Blood Tie has some stretches which leave the reader wondering where this novel is going, if at all. Yet through some clever moves, Settle makes the novel redeem itself, if the reader can hang on through some midcourse excursions. The strongest part of the work is Settle's exploitation of the theme of blood (as in the title) which gets strung along throughout, from hand prints on a cave wall, to the bloody body of a beating victim. The moral is, I suppose, that sacrifice is sacrifice, and in the modern world, the results can be very ambiguous indeed. In a world where people are being squeezed by internal and external forces they can't control, what is the point of sacrifice, in any form, at all?

Her "Turkish Reflections" is also a marvellous read. This time, the author offers a true story in a "fictional" format along with her escapades in Bodrum. Her ability to understand and convey to readers Turkish cultural nuances is remarkable. The story itself is wonderful. Enjoy!

In ways reminiscent of "The Ugly American", "Blood Tie" explores the lives of a group of expatriates and reveals the impacts they have on the Turks living in a small coastal community along the Aegean. Settle does a beautiful and poignant job of immersing the reader in the landscape and lives of the characters. The story is believable and accurate. Her writing transported me back the town on which the setting is based. Excellent reading for those seeking to understand social transformations taking place in Turkey in recent decades.