Becoming Austen

I loved reading when I was kid. I was my way of escaping the lonely dinner parties and long car rides home from school. But as I grew up I left the words and become much more engrossed in the world of social media. But I miss it. I miss reading and flying away to another time and place and I desperately needed a book to bring me back to the thing that I loved entirely. 

And then I found it.

And it was amazing.

Elif Shafak's Forty Rules of Love is beyond amazing. I am late to the bandwagon as the book came out a couple of years ago but nevertheless it didn't matter. 

The novel is set in two different centuries and multiple perspectives which is somewhat confusing but adds to the drama in the novel. Shafak successfully uses so many different voices to tell the story of two scholars Sham of Tabriz and Rumi and how they come together. She also tells the story of Elle and her modern life in 2009 and the effect Rumi has made in her life.

The forty rules of love by Shams of Tabriz are profound and made me ponder over life, love and Islam, somehow making me fall in love with my religion all over again! 

I read the book in two days and couldn't put it down! I adored every second and cannot wait to pick up other books written by Elif Shafak. She is a definite inspiration to my literature geek self.

I highly recommend the book for anyone who likes semi-romantic, finding yourself, history books.

Thank you Elif Shafak for letting me become myself again!