An utterly captivating tale of eight Istanbul neighbourhoods. Each is an island, entire of itself. Each has met the vicissitudes of history in its own unique way. As he walks their streets, Evan Pheiffer is heroically attentive to all that continues to mark them as distinct, even as a new army of bulldozers and wrecker balls tries to render them identical. But his greatest achievement is to have captured the soul – and the fighting spirit - they all share.

Maureen Freely, novelist, former president of English PEN and translator of Orhan Pamuk

A rollocking read about Istanbul that passes freely between nation and neighborhood, history and hearsay. A colorful, entertaining, and informative visit to some of Istanbul's iconic neighborhoods.

Jenny White, author of Muslim Nationalism and the New Turks

You read a book, and suddenly you begin to view the city you live in through fresh eyes. Evan Pheiffer's City of Refuge enabled me to look at Istanbul, a city I know intimately and have written novels about, from a different perspective or rather, from multiple perspectives. I felt as though this book was written for Istanbul enthusiasts like myself. Yet, I also realized it was written for everyone: a historian researching the city, a university sociology student, or a tourist visiting for the very first time. Blending everything from the founding of Kadiköy to the nightlife unfolding on the city's streets today, and from Byzantine culture to the vibrant hues introduced by migrants, the author masterfully combines the voices of both a historian and a literary writer. Few authors can take the material before them and shape it from such diverse angles to present to the reader. By achieving this, Evan Pheiffer has created an enduring work on Istanbul, a book that deserves a place in everyone's library.

Burhan Sönmez, President of PEN International