Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Shafak Summary

Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Shafak follows Peri, a wealthy Turkish housewife in Istanbul whose stolen handbag contains a photograph from her Oxford University days. The novel alternates between one evening at a dinner party and Peri's memories of her time at Oxford, where she befriended two women—Shirin and Mona—and studied under the controversial Professor Azur. The story explores religion, identity, feminism, and a traumatic scandal that caused Peri to leave Oxford without graduating.

Elif Shafak is a Turkish-British novelist born in Strasbourg in 1971 who writes in both Turkish and English. She has published 21 books translated into 57 languages and is described by the Financial Times as "Turkey's leading female novelist". Shafak is known for addressing politically challenging topics like women's rights, cultural identity, and the Armenian genocide, which led to legal action in Turkey and her eventual emigration to the United Kingdom.

Three Daughters of Eve is ideal for readers interested in contemporary women's fiction that tackles religion, cultural identity, and feminist themes. The novel appeals to those curious about the tensions between East and West, secularism and faith, and the complex position of women in Muslim societies. Readers who enjoy dual-timeline narratives, psychological depth, and nuanced explorations of Turkey's political and social landscape will find this book particularly engaging.

Three Daughters of Eve offers a thought-provoking exploration of religion, identity, and women's roles that avoids stereotyping and presents nuanced, complex characters. Shafak provides insights into Turkey's turbulent political history, including military coups and cultural tensions, while weaving a compelling personal story about friendship, trauma, and self-discovery. The novel's dual timeline structure keeps readers engaged as the mystery of what happened at Oxford gradually unfolds. However, some readers may find the pacing uneven between the two timelines.

Three Daughters of Eve explores multiple interconnected themes including religion and spirituality, particularly the meaning of God in individual lives. The novel examines women's positions in Eastern and Western societies, cultural and national identity, and the tensions between secularism and religious faith. Shafak addresses Turkey's turbulent political past, including military coups, torture, and imprisonment for dissent. The book also investigates feminism within Islamic contexts and how cultural circumstances shape individual lives.

The three daughters of Eve represent different approaches to faith:

• Shirin, the American-Iranian student, is the secular "sinner" who is outgoing and popular.
• Mona, the British-Egyptian hijab-wearing student, is the devout "believer" who is reserved but outspoken about her religion.
• Peri, the Turkish protagonist, is the "confused" one, caught between her secular father and pious mother, struggling to reconcile opposing worldviews.

Together, they form a symbolic trinity of religious perspectives in Muslim women's lives.

Professor Azur is a charismatic but controversial divinity professor at Oxford who teaches theology in unorthodox ways. He becomes the intellectual and emotional focus for Peri, Shirin, and Mona as they debate Islam and feminism. The professor's unconventional approach to religious questions draws the three women into his orbit, ultimately leading to a scandal that tears their friendship apart. His character represents the allure and danger of challenging traditional religious boundaries and the complexity of student-teacher dynamics.

The Polaroid photograph showing young Peri with Shirin, Mona, and Professor Azur outside the Radcliffe Camera at Oxford represents Peri's suppressed past and lost identity. When it falls from her stolen handbag, the image triggers a flood of memories Peri had desperately tried to forget. The photograph symbolizes the tension between who Peri was—an ambitious Oxford student—and who she became—a wealthy corporate housewife who never mentions her education. It represents unfulfilled potential and unresolved trauma.

Three Daughters of Eve explores secularism versus religion through Peri's family dynamics, where her father is secular and wants her educated and independent, while her mother is very religious and views her daughter's future through a patriarchal lens. Shafak presents a nuanced perspective that avoids stereotyping, showing that characters are never simplistic or shown in black-and-white shades. The debates between Shirin, Mona, and Peri at Oxford represent broader conflicts within Muslim societies about modernity, faith, and women's autonomy.

Three Daughters of Eve alternates between two timelines: one evening in contemporary Istanbul as Peri attends a dinner party where terrorist attacks occur across the city, and flashbacks spanning nearly two decades beginning with her childhood in Istanbul and continuing through her Oxford years. The present timeline unfolds over hours at a seaside mansion filled with wealthy guests, while the past gradually reveals what happened at Oxford and why Peri never graduated. This structure creates suspense as readers piece together the traumatic events Peri has suppressed.

Three Daughters of Eve provides insights into Turkey's turbulent political past, particularly the military coup in the 1980s and life under military rule. Shafak describes house searches, torture, imprisonment of individuals for holding opinions different from government-accepted views, and the long-term psychological damage these experiences caused. The novel shows Turkey as a crossroads country navigating tensions between East and West, religious and secular identities, and rich and poor populations. The dinner party setting highlights contemporary class divisions and potentially ill-gotten wealth.

Three Daughters of Eve shares thematic DNA with Elif Shafak's other works, particularly her focus on Istanbul, cultural identity, and women's experiences across cultures. Like The Bastard of Istanbul, it addresses politically sensitive topics and Turkey's complex history, while The Forty Rules of Love similarly explores spirituality and Sufism. However, Three Daughters of Eve is more focused on contemporary issues of feminism and religious identity among educated Muslim women. Shafak's signature style of blending Eastern and Western storytelling traditions and addressing minority perspectives remains consistent across her body of work.