Madonna in a Fur Coat

The legendary Turkish writer Sabahattin Ali became a late triumphant discovery for European literature. In his work, he revealed the problems of intercultural and interethnic relationships through the experiences of ordinary people, quickly winning the favor of the literary elite.
«Madonna... in a Fur Coat» is a poignant «Remarquean» love story of Raif Efendi, a scion of a wealthy Ottoman family who, by the will of fate, becomes a minor clerk, and the German artist Maria. The action of the novel unfolds in the 1920s in Berlin and Ankara, and its atmosphere is reminiscent of the pre-war novels of Erich Maria Remarque.
A significant part of the novel is the story of Raif Efendi's life in Turkey and Germany, the twists and turns of his love for the German artist Maria Puder, his spiritual quests, and torments. The hero's life in Europe unfolds against the backdrop of a masterfully depicted Germany in the period after the defeat in World War I.