Armanoush, an Armenian American living in San Francisco, feels a part of her identity is missing. Determined to reconnect with her roots, she embarks on a journey back to Turkey, hoping to find the missing pieces of herself.

In Istanbul, nineteen-year-old Asya lives in an unconventional, all-female household. She adores Johnny Cash and the French existentialists, but beneath her rebellious exterior, she grapples with her own questions about identity and belonging.

When Armanoush and Asya's worlds unexpectedly collide, their families become entwined, uncovering a secret connection linked to a violent event in their homeland's history. As memory clashes with forgetting, and the need to examine the past confronts the desire to erase it, long-buried truths surface.

Filled with humor and understanding, The Bastard of Istanbul is an exuberant, dramatic novel about identity, heritage, and the complexities of Turkey itself. Will delving into the past heal old wounds or unravel everything they hold dear?