In The Aviary Gate by Katie Hickman, graduate student Elizabeth Staveley is researching captivity stories from the late 16th century when she comes across a four hundred year old manuscript tucked inside of a book in the Oriental Library Reading Room at Oxford University. Knowing the treasured, never before told story she is about to uncover, she transcribes the manuscript before turning it over to the library staff.
While tied up in a frustrating relationship with a suspected womanizer, Elizabeth takes off from Oxford and flies to Istanbul to further research the story of Celia Lamprey, the daughter of an English sea captain who dies at sea leaving her to eventually be sold into the harem of the Sultan of Constantinople. While a controversial member of the Sultans harem, she discovers that her fiancee, Paul Pindar, whom she was supposed to marry prior to being sold into captivity, is in fact in Constantinople as the secretary to the English ambassador to deliver a gift to the Sultan thus opening English trading opportunities.
The story is woven between the present day and the year 1599 in Constantinople (now present day Istanbul). The story of the secret life inside the harem has been well-researched and very intriguing, although the present day story of Elizabeth lacked a little intrigue. Other notable, fascinating characters in this book are the Valide Sultan (Sultan’s mother), the black eunuch guards, and Jamal al-Andalus, an outstanding astronomer. Overall, this was a very rich, exotic, and interesting read, especially since I enjoy historical fiction.
6 Comments
June 5, 2008 at 3:25 am
My copy of Aviary Gate just arrived today! I am really looking forward to reading it!
June 5, 2008 at 3:40 am
I enjoyed this book, but I thought it could be a bit better. I honestly could have done without all of the Elizabeth parts. Although I generally like split-time period novels, I would have prefered if the entire story was about Celia and Paul.
June 5, 2008 at 5:26 am
DoB, I couldn’t agree more. I just finished reading The 19th Wife which was split time period narrative like The Aviary Gate. I’ve read at least 4 books this year with this format, which seems to be popular lately. I see you also read The 19th Wife as well. Perhaps the authors writing in this style feel that the reader might relate more closely with the modern character and is guiding the reader to see through the lens of the more contemporary character?
June 5, 2008 at 4:57 pm
This book sounds very much like something I would enjoy. I have an interest in all things harem related. I really liked your review, and have put this book on my wishlist. Another book you might enjoy on the subject is The Fourth Queen by Debbie Taylor. It was a little trashy at times, but it was very interesting.
June 5, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Kristen,
That is entirely possible, if not likely. My problem with the modern story in “The Aviary Gate” is that I wanted either more, or none. While in “The 19th Wife” the modern story was well-developed and interesting, it seemed in “The Aviary Gate” to be there ‘just because.’ I would have been fine had Hickman taken her book to 600 pages and more fully fleshed out Elizabeth’s story. I wanted to know WHY she felt this near-mythical connection with Celia. If that wasn’t an option, I would have preferred a novel solely set in the past (which Hickman described so lavishly).
June 9, 2008 at 1:00 am
An enticing review. I really enjoy past/present tales that show something of life in another time and place. It’s now on my TBR list. I see from your other selections that we would probably share the same taste in books! Wonderful!
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