Ottoman Empire, 1876. Amid the political turbulence of the summer of three sultans, a Belgian woman secretly marries the future Sultan Abdul Hamid II. Weeks later he deposes his brother to take the throne, and she disappears without a trace. BEFORE HE WAS RED reimagines a forgotten but pivotal moment in Ottoman history. On the eve of a loveless marriage, glove maker Flora Cordier rescues a stranger from Ottoman troops, unaware he is Prince Hamid, second in line to the throne, risking his life for one night of freedom. Their meeting sparks a forbidden love and a shared longing for self-determination. Set against the plotting that propels Hamid to power and the rivalries of the European empires, the narrative unfolds through five voices: Flora; Hamid; Perestu, the ambitious step-mother; Murad, the brother-turned-rival; and Reshid, a Jewish dervish-tutor determined to survive. Atmospheric and rich in political intrigue and subversive love, this sweeping historical novel brings a vanished world to life. It will appeal to readers of Maggie Shipstead’s Great Circle for its emotional stakes and pursuit of freedom, and to fans of James Clavell’s Shōgun for its cinematic scale, court intrigue and immersive, little-known history. Ideal for book clubs, it offers a story of love, freedom and belonging in the shadow of empire, inspired by true events and real figures history has all but forgotten.
