Elif Shafak is the most widely-read female author in Turkey. An award-winning British-Turkish writer, Shafak has written numerous books in both Turkish and English, and her works have been translated into more than 50 languages (“Biography.” Elif Safak). Born in Strasbourg, France, Shafak moved to Turkey as a young girl and was raised in her maternal grandmother’s home. Besides Turkey, Shafak has lived in Spain, Germany, America, and London, but Istanbul is still where she considers “home” (Malhotra, Aanchal. “Elif Shafak: ‘My Connection with Turkish Is Very Emotional; with English, It Is More Cerebral.” Vogue India, 7 Sep. 2024).

Shafak’s identity and experiences vis-à-vis Turkey, in terms of politics, culture, faith, and gender, are apparent in several of her works, including Three Daughters of Eve. Being British-Turkish and residing in London while calling Turkey home, Shafak’s perspective as a writer caught between the west and the east is especially apparent in both the setting and characters of the book. Both Oxford and Istanbul are prominent settings in the book, and Peri, the protagonist, finds space for herself in both places while perpetually also remaining in conflict.