When the Mirror Cracks by Jan Coffey (penname of May McGoldrick)
This novel has a lot going on. One of the main characters, Christina Phillips, is grieving the loss of her newborn child, but has chosen to attend an important business meeting for the company her mother and stepfather started and for which she works for. Her stepfather has passed away recently, and the decision was already made to sell the company. There are three companies bidding for ownership, and the Istanbul has been chosen as the place they will present their offers and Christina's mother and the board will decide. The company is a gaming company and Christina and her estranged boyfriend are also very involved in the company's development.
The location was also chosen for another reason. Christina was born in Turkey, and moved to the US with her American mother when she was just a toddler. She doesn't remember her early life and her mother has never shared information about her father's identity with her.
The other main character is Zari Rahman, a Kurdish woman who fled Kurdistan in Iraq when war and chemical weapons made living there untenable. Her husband had fled to Turkey before her, and she followed him to Ankara after giving birth to their daughter, but she found he was no longer there. We know a little about her life during this time, and learn more over the course of the novel.
Zari had brought her daughter to a hospital in Istanbul years ago, hoping for treatment and has found a community of other Kurds that she is supported by. Her daughter is now grown and starting her own career while still struggling with her health.
As Zari's and Christina's paths cross, they find they have much in common around the relationships in their lives, but we also see major differences.
Christina's life has the benefit of money and status, while Zari's life as a refugee has been uncertain and traumatic.
I found this to be a really intriguing read with a fascinating plot and lots of social commentary underlying the story.
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