Leyla: The Black Tulip

The year is 1720. Twelve-year-old Leyla has always been privy to a happy lifestyle in Istanbul. The daughter of a magnificent painter, Leyla's existence has been one full of art, culture, gardening, and love. She is passionate about her family, and thrives on tending her garden where she grows the most amazing flowers. But when her father heads off to war to paint the battle scenes and never returns, Leyla's life changes drastically. Leyla could have never imagined that when she kissed her father goodbye on that fateful day, that she would never see him again. But as the months pass, there is no sign of her father, and Leyla can't help but feel dreadful. But feeling sorry for herself is out of the question; especially with the shambles that her family is in. Since her father's departure, there is little to no food, and the cold is so strong that Leyla and her family often find themselves sleeping side-by-side in a little ball, just to stay warm. He only consolation for her family's troubles is the work she does in her garden. There she has begun to grow flowers of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. But her most prized flower is the tulip. Legend has it that no one has ever been able to grow a black tulip. Leyla is determined to do just that. But she is forced to put her dreams on the backburner when her family's troubles begin to worsen. Soon she finds herself at Topkapi Palace, a newcomer to the royal harem. When her talent for gardening surfaces, however, Leyla is placed under the guidance of the Mistress of the Flowers. It is here where she secretly plants the special tulips she has brought with her from her home. Now her only worry is what will happen to her if the tulip bulbs are discovered. I have loved each and every book in the GIRLS OF MANY LANDS series, and Alev Lytle Croutier's LEYLA: THE BLACK TULIP is no exception. I read historical fiction all the time, but Croutier's addition to the series gave me the opportunity to embark on a tour of Istanbul - something I have yet to do in my reading travels. Leyla is such a refreshing, remarkable character. Her loyalty to her family is admirable, as is the maturity she displays in having to do what's right to assist those she loves in surviving. I love the time that she spends in the gardens, and how she speaks of the flowers; but it is the way that she captures her thoughts, dreams, and hopes in her painting that is quite lovely. While she is not a prevalent character, I found the inclusion of the Mistress of the Flowers to be wonderful. She seems like such a bright, observant, kind individual, that I couldn't help feeling interested in her whenever she popped up. An engrossing and powerful read with strong characters who won't soon be forgotten. Bravo Ms. Croutier! Erika Sorocco Freelance Reviewer

Before reading Leyla: The Black Tulip, my favorite of the Girls of Many Lands was Cécile. However, I enjoyed Leyla's story so much that Leyla is my new favorite. Laleena is a twelve-year-old girl living in the country of Georgia with her mother and brothers. To give her family the money they have needed desperately since her father went missing in war, Laleena sells herself into an arranged marriage, only to find that she has been tricked into selling herself into slavery. She finds herself being taken to the harem of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, where she is given the Turkish name Leyla. In the Topkapi Palace, Leyla finally discovers her destiny. I enjoyed the vibrant descriptions of harem life, and loved getting to know the characters - Princess Fatma, Leyla's friends Belkis and Lena, and Leyla's family. I recommend this to girls who are interested in historical fiction, or have enjoyed books from the American Girl or Girls of Many Lands collections.

This book is about the long lost world of the harem that many people might not know about the turkish worlds of the sultans and servants I knew about it very little before I read this book but since my family is from Istanbul,Turkey i knew few. It`s about this girl named Laleena (which soon gets changed into Leyla!) who suffers from her family`s money problems after her father leaves her and her family to go off to a war. Laleena tries to help to help her family by going on a great adventure to Turkey where she becomes a servant, makes friends, and finds her true destiny. Overall this is a great book to read and I just get stop reading it over and over again it shows the true world of the ottaman empire before it was lost in the war for years.

Leyla the Black Tulip By Alev Lytle Croutier Historical Fiction Character Trait "How could they have done this to me?" Wondered twelve year old Laleena. "Tricked me like this, turning me into a slave?" This book is about twelve year old Laleena and how her life got turned topsy turvy. When her father disappered Laleena sold herself and became a slave. But as time passes she gets to do the two things she loves to do most, planting tulips, and painting art. But she still misses her entire family. Will Laleena ever find her father? Will she ever see her family again? Read the book and see! Laleena's personality changes throughout the book. At the beginning of the book Laleena is helpful around the house by doing chores, planting tulips and seeing what colors they will turn. She doesn't feel her inner freedom even thought she is surely free. She is a caring and kind person because in the book she thinks about her family first by selling herself so her poor family can have money for a long, long time. In the end of the book she still is caring and kind by following the rules even though she doesn't like the rules. She is also elegant because she learns to be more ladylike which was considered elegant in 1720. Even thought the book is historical fiction, I felt like this was really happening and I felt like I was Laleena and my life got all topsey turvey and I was going through all of that trouble. I recommend this book for girls ages 9-15 who want to learn something about the past but don't like reading non-fiction. Reading this book gave me knowledge but in a fun way.

I'm kind of old to be reading American Girl books, and I always hated the boring-and-blah books about the American Girls of Yesterday, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I was babysitting for an 11-year-old and her copy was on the coffee table, so I started to read it and couldn't put it down. It isn't slow to get started and it has a very interesting storyline. The fact that it was written by a woman who grew up in Turkey makes the narration that much more authentic and engaging. Even though the age recommendation is 9-12, I didn't find the writing style patronizing at all. I'm interested now to see what the other books in the "Girls of Many Lands" series are like.