Cele trei fiice ale Evei

A thief steals Peri’s bag from her car. She is on her way to dinner with friends. Peri is a wife and stay-at-home mother of three. She gets her bag back and finds a Polaroid inside. The photo brings back her past as an Oxford student. It shows three young women with a charming professor. He breaks with the rules of his world.

Elif Shafak’s novel looks at faith, doubt and friendship. It also asks what it means to belong. Peri recalls how her parents’ clashing views shaped her childhood. Her mother values the roots of their faith. Her father trusts reason and sees faith as ignorance.

At Oxford, Peri makes friends with Shirin and Mona. Shirin is British-Iranian and does not believe in God. Mona is Egyptian-American and holds a deep faith. The three share a house in Jericho. They debate Islam and feminism, the cause of women’s rights. Shirin rejects faith, Mona holds to it, and Peri feels unsure. They try to get past their biases and what divides them. Each seeks a place in a world that feels less safe.

Ada Tanasă translated this edition from English and added notes. It forms part of the TOP 10+ series.