Memory, Margins and the Heart of Istanbul in 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World

Elif Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World is a haunting and deeply compassionate novel that pushes the boundaries of how we think about death, memory, and marginalisation. Set in Istanbul, it tells the story of Tequila Leila, a sex worker whose life flashes before her eyes in the 10 minutes and 38 seconds after her heart stops beating.

Leila’s memories, each unfolding like a rich, textured vignette, transport the reader through her tumultuous life: from her conservative upbringing in Van to her survival in Istanbul’s brothels. These memories are full of feeling, evocative and anchored in the tastes and smells of the city. Through them, Shafak gives voice to someone often ignored in life as well as in death.

Yet, this novel is about more than Leila. Her five closest friends, each an outcast in their own way: a trans woman, a refugee and others, form a found family that is the emotional heart of the book. Their fierce loyalty and love offer a poignant counter-narrative to a society that shuns them. There was a particular part of the book that refers to these friends as ‘water family’ and how this can be different from ‘blood family’ that I especially enjoyed.  

Shafak’s prose is poetic and deliberate, and her exploration of Istanbul is both loving and disparaging. The city becomes a living, breathing character, pulsing with contradictions such as beauty and brutality, tradition and rebellion. The second part of the novel, shifting from Leila’s consciousness to her friends’ quest to give her a dignified burial, dips into dark comedy, surrealism, and satire, balancing the heaviness of the first half with a strange, tender hope.

While the change in tone between the two parts may feel strange to some readers, it ultimately works to underscore the absurdities and injustices of the world Shafak portrays.

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World is a powerful and empathetic novel that challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about identity, exclusion and the limits of societal compassion. Elif Shafak writes with urgency crafting a story that is both politically charged and deeply human. It is a celebration of memory, friendship, and the enduring dignity of those the world would rather forget.