Barbara Taylor Bradford - Letter from a Stranger

Здесь есть возможность читать онлайн «Barbara Taylor Bradford - Letter from a Stranger» — ознакомительный отрывок электронной книги совершенно бесплатно, а после прочтения отрывка купить полную версию. В некоторых случаях можно слушать аудио, скачать через торрент в формате fb2 и присутствует краткое содержание. Жанр: unrecognised, на английском языке. Описание произведения, (предисловие) а так же отзывы посетителей доступны на портале библиотеки ЛибКат.

Letter from a Stranger: краткое содержание, описание и аннотация

Предлагаем к чтению аннотацию, описание, краткое содержание или предисловие (зависит от того, что написал сам автор книги «Letter from a Stranger»). Если вы не нашли необходимую информацию о книге — напишите в комментариях, мы постараемся отыскать её.

SCaptivating and evocative, Letter from Istanbul will take you on an unforgettable journey from idyllic Connecticut to exotic Istanbul to war-torn Berlin then back to the present day.When award-winning film maker Justine Nolan returns to her beautiful childhood home, she is intrigued by an envelope she finds in her absent mother’s post. But the letter inside contains a shocking revelation. If genuine, it will change everything she believes about her family’s recent history, her mother and her adored grandmother, Gabriele.With the support of her beloved twin brother, Richard, Justine resolves to uncover the truth. To do so she must travel to Istanbul – the teeming, beguiling city on the cusp of East and West. It is a place which holds its own secrets, leading her to a fascinating man who appears to know more than he is prepared to disclose.Yet even when her quest succeeds, Justine is faced with a further mystery: Gabriele’s background is not what it seems. Justine is given a book of memories in which the real story unfolds, taking her back to the darkest days of European history, with its suffering and astonishing acts of bravery. At the heart of it lie the final facts of Gabriele’s identity – and her own.The letter from a stranger has brought her not only to the truth about her family but also a chance to heal the wounds of past betrayals, to embrace a new love and a new life.

Letter from a Stranger — читать онлайн ознакомительный отрывок

Ниже представлен текст книги, разбитый по страницам. Система сохранения места последней прочитанной страницы, позволяет с удобством читать онлайн бесплатно книгу «Letter from a Stranger», без необходимости каждый раз заново искать на чём Вы остановились. Поставьте закладку, и сможете в любой момент перейти на страницу, на которой закончили чтение.

Тёмная тема
Сбросить

Интервал:

Закладка:

Сделать

‘So am I.’ Iffet beckoned the waiter, and ordered for them, took a sip of water before continuing. ‘There are a lot of palaces to see, and other museums. We must go slowly. I do not want to tire you, Justine. It is a good idea to visit the Spice Market after lunch. Tomorrow perhaps you wish to go to the Grand Bazaar.’

‘I’d love it. You see, what happens to me is that I get visually overburdened if I view too many buildings and objects. I lose my judgement. I’m better if I pace myself. And listen, thanks for this morning. You are very knowledgeable. I was genuinely fascinated by Topkapi Palace – and especially the women’s quarters, the harem.’

Leaning forward, she then said, ‘I had something of a brainwave when we were going around Topkapi. It suddenly struck me that I would like to do a biography of Istanbul… on film, of course. This place has such an extraordinary story to tell… I think I would call it “Biography of a City”.’

Iffet was staring at her. ‘What a clever idea. Exciting.’

Justine was speaking the truth. The idea had suddenly hit her in the face when they were viewing the harem. She understood at once how fascinating a story about Istanbul could be. It was something she decided she would research once she had found her grandmother.

Iffet was asking how she could help Justine with this idea for the documentary when her cell phone buzzed. She answered it, listened attentively, gave her thanks and clicked off. ‘That was my office. I am so sorry, Anita Lowe is not listed at the land registry office.’

‘Oh.’ Justine felt a rush of dismay. She cleared her throat. ‘And Gabriele Hardwicke? Is she listed?’

‘No, she is not. If you knew which district they lived in, that could be a help. I could send someone to do an additional check.’

‘I have no idea,’ Justine murmured, and blinked, then glanced away.

Iffet realized immediately that Justine was tremendously disappointed. Her expression was crestfallen and her blue eyes looked moist, as if she might suddenly cry.

‘It is important to you, isn’t it, Justine? That you find these two ladies?’

‘Extremely important.’

A silence fell between the two women. Iffet couldn’t help wondering what this was all about and why her new friend was so upset.

Justine was asking herself if she should confide in Iffet, and immediately cancelled out that idea. She had met Iffet only yesterday, and could hardly tell her about the letter from Anita. She would hesitate to tell anyone. Her mother had done a horrifying thing and she didn’t want a soul to know. Other than Joanne, who was like a sister to her. On the other hand, perhaps she owed this very nice woman a bit of an explanation. An edited version of the truth.

She was about to speak out when the waiter arrived with the börek, and so she sat back in the chair, wanting to wait until they were alone.

Justine realized that she and her brother might have made a terrible mistake. They had decided Anita Lowe lived in Istanbul because the letter she had written bore an Istanbul postmark. But she might have simply been passing through the city, or on vacation. The truth was they didn’t have any idea where Anita lived, nor their grandmother either. And she was more anxiety ridden than ever.

For a moment her frustration soared. How foolish they had been, and she in particular. She pressed down on these feelings, and made up her mind to confide in Iffet, although only to a certain extent. She was far too ashamed of her mother’s behaviour to reveal that awful part of the story. She would have to fudge the estrangement, and put the focus on finding the two women.

Taking steely control of herself, Justine drank some of the sparkling water, and settled back on the banquette, glancing around. Several rooms formed the restaurant, and they were all visible to each other through the wide doorways. The cool aqua-tiled rooms, the windows and the starched white-linen tablecloths created a fresh look, and the setting provided a pleasant respite from the noise of the nearby markets and ferry terminals; it was a relaxing haven away from the jostling crowds.

‘I am glad I brought you here, Justine. I think you like it,’ Iffet said before picking up a börek and biting into the small triangle of pastry.

‘I love it, is it a new place?’ Justine asked, also starting to eat her own börek.

‘No, it’s very old. It was opened in 1901 by a fellow called Pandeli, and it has been a success ever since.’

When she had finished eating the börek, Justine looked across at Iffet and said quietly, ‘I think I owe you more of an explanation about my search for Anita Lowe, but let’s have lunch first. We’ll talk over coffee.’

This they did, after enjoying the sea bass cooked in paper and the grilled vegetables. Both women smilingly declined the delicious-looking desserts, and ordered Turkish coffee. ‘Rife with caffeine, but why not, for once?’ Iffet murmured, smiling at Justine. ‘What do you wish to explain about Anita Lowe?’

‘I must start with Gabriele Hardwicke,’ Justine murmured, holding Iffet with her eyes. ‘She is our grandmother, and it is she I am looking for, and I believed I would find her through Anita.’

Iffet looked taken aback, startled, and was silent for a moment, then she said, ‘And I haven’t been able to find Anita for you. Perhaps there are some other ways I might be able to locate her, if you are certain she lives in Istanbul.’

‘That’s just the point, I’m not. But wherever she is, I do think my grandmother will be with her. They have been friends since they were young girls, and have remained close. Let me tell you how all this came about.’

Justine told her story swiftly, giving only the details, resisting any embellishments, and explained that she and Richard were out of touch with their grandmother because of a quarrel between Gabriele and her daughter, their mother Deborah. Finally she finished, ‘And I’m worried about Gran because Anita indicated in her letter she is so despondent and misses Rich and me. Also, she might not be well – she is almost eighty.’

Iffet had listened attentively, and now she said slowly, thoughtfully, ‘Everyone has been making assumptions… Anita, you and your brother. I shall make one. Let us assume Anita and Gabriele do live here. If that is so, there are several other things I could do. What nationality are they? American?’

‘No, they’re both English. As I told you, I think they grew up together. In London. Although my grandmother does have some sort of connection to Yorkshire, in the north of England. But why do you ask?’

‘Because there are many foreign consulates here. Often foreign residents visit their consulates just to say hello, leave their names for future reference. Or for social events the consulate might give. There are also other organizations that foreign residents can join. I could make enquiries.’

‘Thanks, Iffet, that’s great, and I have a couple of ideas myself. My grandmother seems to have past connections to Turkey, buying ceramics, antiquities and carpets for a showroom in New York which she and my father ran. They sold to interior designers. I was wondering if you knew any dealers… one of them could have known Gran, might still know her.’

A dark brow lifted, and Iffet asked, ‘What kind of carpets? Kilims?’

Justine shook her head. ‘No, not kilims – they were woven silk carpets from Hereke.’

‘This is a good thought of yours, Justine,’ Iffet said, sounding enthusiastic. ‘I know one excellent carpet dealer; we could go to the shop whenever you want. It’s not far from here.’

‘Let’s do that. But here’s my other idea, and I know you’ll be able to help. Last night I was watching television, going to different news stations. When I clicked onto the network I work with, Cable News International, I was taken aback when I saw my own face. I couldn’t believe it. There I was on Turkish television. The network had made a promo for my new documentary. That’s what gave me the idea – to be interviewed on a local show. Anita or Gran might just happen to see me.’

Читать дальше
Тёмная тема
Сбросить

Интервал:

Закладка:

Сделать

Похожие книги на «Letter from a Stranger»

Представляем Вашему вниманию похожие книги на «Letter from a Stranger» списком для выбора. Мы отобрали схожую по названию и смыслу литературу в надежде предоставить читателям больше вариантов отыскать новые, интересные, ещё непрочитанные произведения.


Barbara Taylor Bradford - To Be the Best
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Barbara Taylor Bradford - Angel
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Barbara Taylor Bradford - Being Elizabeth
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Barbara Taylor Bradford - Breaking the Rules
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Barbara Taylor Bradford - Her Own Rules
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Barbara Taylor Bradford - Secrets from the Past
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Barbara Taylor Bradford - Playing the Game
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Barbara Taylor Bradford - Power of a Woman
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Barbara Taylor Bradford - Voice of the Heart
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Barbara Taylor Bradford - The Triumph of Katie Byrne
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Отзывы о книге «Letter from a Stranger»

Обсуждение, отзывы о книге «Letter from a Stranger» и просто собственные мнения читателей. Оставьте ваши комментарии, напишите, что Вы думаете о произведении, его смысле или главных героях. Укажите что конкретно понравилось, а что нет, и почему Вы так считаете.

x