Introduction

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, author of Luster "A book full of pleasures." --Kirkus 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, Inci 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.

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Discussion Questions

From the publisher:

1. The setting description in Holiday Country is very detailed. How did listening to the audiobook enhance picturing the Aegean sea and the small beach town?

2. At the end of the book, Ada finally decides to make the dangerous swim. What does she find while making the journey? Why do you think there was so much anticipation leading up to the swim?

3. Holiday Country is a coming-of-age story. Do Ada's thoughts mature as the story progresses? What lessons does Ada learn? Explain.

4. Ada struggles between her relationship with her boyfriend and the growing interest in Levent. What decisions does Ada make to maintain those romantic relationships? Why do you think Ada pursues the affair with Levent?

5. How does the Turkish setting affect the story? In what ways do you see Ada struggling between her Turkish identity and American identity? Do you think it's right that Ada's mother forces Ada to separate her two identities? Why or why not?

6. The narrator of the audiobook, Ayse Babahan, is Turkish American, just like the author and protagonist. Describe the experience listening to a Turkish American voice tell this story.

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