The legendary Turkish writer Sabahattin Ali became a belated triumph for European literature. In his work, he explored the problems of intercultural and ethnic relationships through the example of ordinary people, and thus quickly won the favor of the literary bohemians.
'Madonna in a Fur Coat' is a poignant, 'Remarque-esque' love story between Raif Efendi, the scion of a wealthy Ottoman family who, by the will of fate, became a minor clerk, and the German artist Maria. The novel is set in 1920s Berlin and Ankara, and its atmosphere is close to the pre-war novels of Erich Maria Remarque.
A significant part of the novel is the story of Raif Efendi's life in Turkey and Germany, the twists and turns of his love for the German artist Maria Puder, his spiritual quests, and his torments. The hero's life in Europe unfolds against the backdrop of a masterfully depicted Germany in the period after its defeat in the First World War.
