Judy Light Ayyildiz

TODAY’S ZAMAN October 2011

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Turkish mother-in-law’s memoirs become inspiration for novel

American Judy Light Ayyildiz honors her mother-in-law Adalet Ayýildiz with her new book “Forty Thorns.”
14 October 2011 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, ISTANBUL
A novel named “Forty Thorns” written by an American, Judy Light Ayyildiz, and based on the memoirs of her Turkish mother-in-law were recently published by a Turkish publishing house.
Taking Ayyildiz 10 years to write, the book was recently published in Turkish by the Remzi Book House in Istanbul. The English version is set to be published by the same publishing house in November.
Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Ayyildiz, who lives with her Turkish husband, Vedii Ayyildiz in Virginia, discussed what led her to write the book. “My mother-in-law called me in 1991 telling me to go to Istanbul and stay with her in order to listen and record her memoirs. She told me that she did not regard herself as an important person, but what she had been through was important. She said she was afraid that her story would be lost when she died. Following our conversation I immediately went to Istanbul and as I did not speak Turkish at that time, I listened and recorded Adalet’s story with the help of an interpreter,” she said.
Ayyildiz added that she could not start writing the book right away since she knew little about Turkish history, but when she got a call from her mother-in-law in 1994 asking about the book and saying that she felt she was going to die and passed away soon after the call, Ayyildiz began conducting research on her story, reading history books, visiting the places mentioned by Adalet and talking to people in those places. The book was finally completed after seven years of research.
The historical background of that period, the plot and even the main character, Adalet, are based on a true story, Ayyildiz said. But the details and dialogues in the book are a work of her imagination. That’s why this book is not a biography, but a novel that is based on real historical events and a real person.
In the book, Adalet is the daughter of a wealthy landlord who elopes with a blacksmith’s son, leaving her family and wealth behind. When World War I breaks out she experiences great hardship. She managed with her husband and seven children, and starts teaching in schools in various cities of Anatolia. Despite her difficulties and suffering, she never loses her faith in progressive Islam or her country. She is one of the many “Anatolian heroes” of that period who devoted themselves to the Turkish War of Independence. Ayyildiz defines her as “a symbol of Turkey’s development, Anatolian life, the War of Independence and finally the republican period.”
Ayyildiz found a resemblance between Adalet and Kibele, the Phrygian deification of Mother Earth, symbolizing fertility, sacrifices and the power of nature. Explaining her views, Ayyildiz said: “Adalet has a different kind of power; she strived not only to survive, but also to live a good life. She never upset herself and complained about what she had been through; on the contrary, she celebrated having new experiences and what they gained her. Standing strong despite hardship and great loss is not easy. That’s why she is an important figure not only for Turkey but for the whole world as well. For this reason I believe my book will attract readers, whatever their nationality.”
Ayyildiz was attracted most by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s life and character. “I was amazed at how Atatürk revived the country after it became a wreck during World War I. When I read books about him and on Turkish history, my admiration grew for Atatürk. Many historical figures in the US, such as Martin Luther King Jr., are seen as ‘gods’ because of their influence and power to change their country and determine its destiny. I see this in Atatürk. Who else could have revived Turkey and built a brand new country that is much more developed? It is almost a miracle,” she said.
Mentioning the Turkish people living in the US, Ayyildiz said: “Although the Turkish people living there, especially the children, are maintaining some parts of their culture like eating yogurt, celebrating Ramadan and other [holidays], they are more American than Turkish. The children need books and other kinds of sources where they can find out about their ‘true’ history.”