A Migrating Bird

A short story by Elif Shafak from the collection Reader, I Married Him: Stories inspired by Jane Eyre.

In ‘A Migrating Bird’, a young Turkish woman is drawn to a Dutch student on foreign exchange at her university.

Edited by Tracy Chevalier, the full collection, Reader, I Married Him, brings together some of the finest and most creative voices in fiction today, to celebrate and salute the strength and lasting relevance of Charlotte Brontë’s game-changing novel and its beloved narrator.

Reviews

Praise for the full collection, READER, I MARRIED HIM:

‘Dazzling’ DAILY MAIL

‘The success of this book owes much to [Chevalier’s] enthusiasm … it’s quite amazing to see the quality of work on show’ EVENING STANDARD

‘A terrific set of stories by some of our leading novelists, each of whom engages with a chosen aspect of Jane Eyre’ THE NEW STATESMAN

‘A clever idea well-executed; a treat for fans of short fiction and for Brontë's many ardent fans’ KIRKUS REVIEWS

‘Exemplary…written by some of today's best female writers’ THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

‘These pieces create a beguiling picture of women and men and desire, in which everyone is searching, like Jane, for happiness and wondering whether marriage is really an answer. The book acts as a prism spreading all kinds of literary and historical refractions, and it’s a reminder that Charlotte Brontë, too, has many sides’ GLOBE AND MAIL

About the author

Elif Shafak is Turkey’s most-read woman writer and an
award-winning novelist. She writes both in English and in
Turkish, and has published thirteen books, nine of which
are novels, including The Bastard of Istanbul, The Forty
Rules of Love, Honour, The Architect’s Apprentice and her
genre-crossing memoir Black Milk. Shafak blends Western
and Eastern traditions of storytelling, bringing out the
voices of women, minorities, subcultures, immigrants and
global souls. Defying clichés and transcending boundaries,
her work draws on different cultures and cities, and reflects
a strong interest in history, philosophy, culture, mysticism,
Sufism and gender equality. www.elifshafak.com