Holiday Country

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A seductive and lyrical debut following a young woman's dangerous summer romance during an idyllic vacation on the Aegean coast

"A gorgeous exploration." — Raven Leilani, New York Times bestselling author of Luster

Ada adores spending every summer in a Turkish seaside town with her mother and grandmother at the family villa. The glittering waters, endless olive groves, and her spirited friends make it easy to leave her idle life in California behind. But no matter how much Ada feels she belongs to the country where her mother grew up, deep down, her connection to the culture feels as fleeting as the seasons.

When Levent, a mysterious man from her mother's past, shows up in their town, Ada can't help but imagine a different future for her mother — one that promises a return to home, to love, to happiness. But while playing matchmaker, Ada has to come to terms with her own intensifying attraction to Levent. Does the future she's fighting for belong to her mother — or to her alone?

Lush and evocative, İnci Atrek's Holiday Country is a rapturous meditation about what it means to experience being of two worlds, the limitations and freedom of a life in translation, and the intricacies of a love triangle that stretches across generations and continents.

"This is a book full of pleasures: Turkish food, the sparkling Aegean, the laze of late summer, and, ultimately, of the difficult mysteries of mothers and daughters." — Kirkus Reviews

"Atrek's debut is immersive and sensual; readers will feel as if they're truly on the gorgeous beaches with Ada." — Booklist (Starred Review)

"A beautiful novel from a promising new voice." — Elif Batuman, author of The Idiot and Either/Or

İnci Atrek holds a BA in English and creative writing from Wellesley College. Holiday Country is her first novel.