The Kadin

by Bertrice Small

Book Overview

Abducted from a life of privilege, she was sold into slavery in a distant land. For Lady Janet Leslie there would be no escaping the harem of the wealthy and powerful Sultan Selim. But from the moment the handsome ruler spied his breathtaking Cyra, was captivated -- by the fiery desire that coursed through his veins. She belonged to him, body and soul -yet it was he who was enslaved.

Praised for her keen sense of history and remarkable storytelling...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380016990
• ISBN13: 9780380016990
• Release Date: February 1978
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 441 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Fantastically Romantic as well as Fasinating

I have just finished reading The Kadin. I really enjoyed this book. I am a lover of historic fiction and found it to be very acurate in its portale of 15th century middle east and europe. I hope if you read it because of this review that you enjoy it as much as I did.

Cyra is my idol!

I loved... abolutely LOVED this book. I first got it from a woman giving away a lot of her books due to moving and I read it until it fell apart. Then I bought another copy, which will likely also need replacing soon. Whenever I need a good dose of pick-me-up, I head straight for Ms. Small... usually to The Kadin. Lady Janet Leslie-turned-Cyra (Hafise) is a woman for women to be proud of -- a worthy heroine! Since I only objected to a tiny scene near the very end of the book, I could not remove even one star for trivialities such as that... but it was my own personal hang-up on the personality and identity of Cyra that the way her old friend Colin treated her near the end of the book should not have been tolerated, considering who she was - both the most powerful and beloved woman in the Ottoman Empire, and the strong-willed, not-to-be-trifled-with woman that she was. I don't care if she was past fifty by then; the Cyra I know should have had him killed for such presumption. I would have, if I were her... never doubt it! However, I may be more upset about that one small scene than necessary, considering Cyra is my hero, but what a worthy hero she is! Set in the fascinating world of a Turkish harem at a young age, Cyra is transformed from an impetuous child to a beloved and sweet, yet powerful woman. The nature of the harem life necessitated that she be ruthless when it was called for; and she had the strength of character to never shirk what needed to be done and the wisdom to know how and when to act in order to be in control of her own life. Though she lived in a harem, she was NEVER a slave or a victim, as harem life is usually portrayed -- indeed, she and her 'sisters' (Sultan Selim's other wives) made harem life seem very appealing. The four women shared a husband but there was never any jealousy or anger between them - they loved each other and each other's children more than anything. This story was touching and beautiful, the plot engrossing, the characters endearing and the setting fascinating. It made me extremely interested in Turkish history and harem life in that time period. This was one book that I most certainly would have loved to live in, had I the chance. I urge anyone to not pass it up. I have since read every Bertrice Small book that I could get my hands on, but "The Kadin" and Cyra still hold my heart, followed only closely by Cyra's descendant, Catriona, in "Love Wild and Fair," who most certainly has Janet Leslie's spirit - though staying mostly in Europe. What I love about Ms. Small is her attention to detail and being able to make wonderful pictures with her words. I know what Cyra's clothes looked like, her rooms, her jewelry, and of course her face. I enjoyed that aspect so much that to this day, it is difficult for me to enjoy a book unless I can picture every scene down to the last detail, and unlike many other authors, Ms. Small's detailing is never boring or used as a page-filler, but it's descriptive

The Kadin. Fantastic

Although, the idea of life in a harem really threw me off. I became glad that I find it hard to stop a book once I've started it. Despite, my initial reaction. This book had some incredibly touching moments. And yes. It did lose a bit of it's value When Cyra returned to her homeland but even then she did so with style. It showed the spirited woman she was and always would be. This book showed that people can adapt to anything. And do it gracefully. True it would have been different if she had gone into her situation (living in a harem) purposely. But she didn't. What she did was take a situation that could have turned really bad really fast and made it more than tolerable. She made it a joy. Cyra has style. And Selim is depicted as a man more than a Sultan which is marvelous. I've read this book several times over and I'd reccommend it to anyone. Cyra personifies a woman in complete control of her life. Even when things seem to be crashing down around her. The only draw back is of course that her son didn't grow up to be the ma wwe'd hoped and that The so many of the sons of Selim died. Accurate of the way history was perhaps. But a let down that someone as resourceful as Cyra and the other wives couldn't find a better way.