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 cultural and ethnic relationships through the example of ordinary people, quickly gaining the favor of the literary bohemia.

“Madonna in a Fur Coat” is a poignant “Remarque-style” love story of Raif Efendi, a scion of a wealthy Ottoman family who, by the will of fate, has turned into a minor clerk, and the German artist Maria. The action of the novel takes place 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 ups and downs of his love for the German artist Maria Puder, spiritual quests, and torment.

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.