Göktay—that loving husband, tender father, and academic deeply passionate about language and history—has been thrown into prison. Not because he committed a misdemeanor or a crime, but simply because he dared to sign a petition demanding an end to the killing of civilians based on their ethnic identity. In this gripping and emotionally charged novel, Minoui draws upon her extensive experience as a journalist in the Middle East to transport the reader into the very heart of Turkey—to an Istanbul torn between the impulse for freedom and the constraints of reality; to a capital city that welcomes the convergence of all people, yet forbids their assembly. Through her narrative journey, the author tells the stories of citizens whose voices have been silenced, yet who have charted their own paths toward freedom. She also speaks of love: the love of a homeland that binds you to a land where living is impossible—and living without it, even more so. And the love for another—the bond uniting a husband and wife torn apart by the authorities of a country they will continue to fight for until their very last breath. For when it comes to matters of justice, compromise is not an option. The authorities may succeed in silencing dissenters, but they remain utterly powerless against the resounding echoes of their silent battles.