The Architect’s Apprentice- Elif Shafak

The Architect’s Apprentice tells the magnificent story of a young boy named Jahan and his beloved white elephant, Chota. Jahan is deserted in a strange land with the instructions of stealing from the Ottoman palace. Under the false guise of a mahout, he delivers the Sultan’s gift,  Chota, and takes up residency in the palace menagerie. Jahan and Chota, two unfledged souls, reluctantly find themselves in a battlefield. 

Coming across the boy and seeing him laden with a troubled past, the great royal architect, Sinan, takes Jahan under his wing in hopes of guiding him towards a brighter future. This path leads the boy into a world of different kinds of danger but it is also a path to love in its many forms.

This story is an intricate tapestry strewn with clever symbolism and pearls of wisdom. Like an architect sketches their vision, Shafak does so beautifully with her words. You are transported behind the palace walls, onto the streets of Istanbul, and beyond with her palpable imagery. You find yourself among self-seeking royalty, kind-hearted if not a bit curious Gypsies, courtesans, soldiers, and lofty artisans. As the great Sinan instructs his misfit group of apprentices to erect buildings, so too does he guide them on building their lives. 

A multifaceted story, The Architect’s Apprentice delves into the emotions and actions of man and into which serve as building blocks and which serve as a sledgehammer. Greed, lust, betrayal, loyalty, and deep affection are just some of the human emotions touched upon against the backdrop of the simpler desires of the great white elephant named Chota.