Udi by Fatma Aliye (Türkiye İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları, 2024, 112 pp., ISBN 9786254292668) tells the story of Bedia, a young woman raised in love of music — and through her, reflects on the lives of women during the constitutional period, the importance of education and self-reliance, and the way a single instrument can hold a life together.
Fatma Aliye. Udi. İstanbul: Türkiye İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları, 2024. 112 sayfa. ISBN: 9786254292668.
Udi is an impressive book by Fatma Aliye. It narrates the story of a woman who grew up loving music and explores how this passion influences her life from the perspective of the author.
The main characters of the novel are Bedia, her father Nazmi Bey, her brother Şemi, and her husband, Mail. Bedia is the youngest daughter of Nazmi Bey, and she shares her father’s musical talent. She was raised with special attention by her father; thus, she learns to play the violin and qanun. One day, she discovers an oud and falls in love with it, leading her to abandon the other instruments.
Throughout the novel, Bedia encounters various challenges. She overcomes each of them with the love for her oud. When she leaves her husband behind, even though she feels a deep love, she clung to her oud. When she loses her brother, she finds solace in her oud. Furthermore, Bedia’s oud enables her to make a living after her brother’s death. She takes care of her nephew and her servant by teaching the oud in Istanbul.
Udi is a brief yet impressive book that reflects on the life of women during the constitutional period. Moreover, it emphasizes the importance of education and self-reliance for women, particularly in terms of their ability to maintain a comfortable life when they face problems, as Bedia does.
[Image omitted — see PDF page 29 for an illustration of an oud crowned with roses.]