Disclaimer: I received a digital copy via Netgalley

Kuntman’s wonderful and poignant graphic novel is an account of her grandmother’s life and the lives of other women in rural Anatolia.. The primary story if that of her grandmother and her marriage, but there are also two other tales about Kuntman’s great grandmother and a friend of her grandmother.

The stories detail the lives of women were option and control over one’s own fate was limited. Most of the action is interior. It isn’t a spy story, it isn’t a super hero story. It is a life story and the stakes are very real. The stories are moving and the simplicity and beauty of the illustrations fits perfectly.

4.70 stars ⭐

"What good is holding onto memories if one has to leave them begind anyway?"

Damn I cried so hard reading this comic, it touched me in all the right places, it truly is a beautifully sad story, and I'm really sorry she actually went through this, there's still to this day women and children that are sold like cows...

A beautiful graphic novel that was really enhanced by its strong narrative. I could not think of a single improvement while I was reading it.

Thank you #NetGalley for the book #TalesFromBehindTheWindow I would have not come across this beautiful book if it wasn’t from here. Let’s talk about the 5 stars: The content is what matters the most when it comes to books for me. And it delivered! For a non-fiction, historical description it’s been done pretty amazingly. The art work is superb, the emotions depicted too clear, the dialogue/descriptions have been aptly put and concise. The book has been divided into two main sections telling in brief illustrations about the different lives of two women who faced the bitter truth of a patriarchal society of the past where they had no say; and another short section in between about the grandfather of the narrator. Even though it’s a solid star read for me considering it as a graphic format I would have loved it more if more details about the grandmother’s as well as the narrator’s lives were a bit elaborated. It’s one of the most satisfying reads ever! Who would have thought I would shed tissues of tears while staring at the sad eyes of a graphic book’s character?!

The author interviewed her grandmother about her life in a village in northern Turkey. It is such a different life, a life dominated by men, telling her what she had to do, and who she had to marry.

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Beautifully illustrated, the collection tells of three women, her mother who lost her husband, of the despair of a childhood friend who is sold to a man much older than she, as well as her own story, of being given to a man she was not interested in.

Lyrical, soft, sad, and beautifully written.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

This is an extraordinary book. The artwork is evocative and emotional. My best comparison is to Willow Tree angels which have no faces but are highly emotive. The artwork is the dominant part of the book. Many pages have no words. But it is no matter the story is full and rich and complete. I feel like I learned something, and I was enriched by this tribute to the author's grandmother. I will buy this one for my great-nephew.

I want to thank Netgalley, Edanur Kuntman and Europe Comics for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Tales From Behind The Window is a really short but powerful graphic novel, based on interviews Edanur Kuntman did with her grandmother. It tells the story of three women and how their lives were dictated by each of the patriarchal figures in their lives.

The art style was absolutely stunning and worked so incredibly well with the stories told. It managed to feel so sombre yet so hopeful at the same time, and that really helped it to make a huge impact on me emotionally for such a short book. I had to sit down in the quiet for a little bit afterwards just to digest everything.

Initially I thought that it occasionally went off on tangents that didn't need to be there, or included unnecessary information, but then I realised how appropriate that was. This is an old woman's story of her younger years, that is exactly how those stories are told. For me this tone was absolutely perfect and added to the authenticity of the graphic novel completely. 

There is a lot of things that happen and I do wish it had been a bit longer, really teased out all of the intricacies of each woman's stories. We do get moments to breathe throughout the book and they are well placed with beautiful art, but I think a few more would've really built up the emotion of the piece even more.

A beautiful tribute to a grandmother told with obvious love and affection. The cover design is very powerful and is what made me want to read it. The illustrations within are exquisite. I actually wished the book was longer so I could learn more about the relationships in Kuntman’s family.

I loved the unique art in this book, and the story worked well too. A very beautiful assembly of picture and text.

This story is heartbreaking but realistic. The author shares a brief stories her grandmother shared with her about her life and the lives of a couple other women. Taking place in Turkey, issues with oppression against women and them losing their identities is the main themes of this book. I like how at the end the author mentions how this is just her grandmother's viewpoint of her situation, not her grandfather's but voices the importance of her grandmother's words and her experiences. They are important and need to be heard.

The artwork and the flow was just beautiful and added to the overall reading experience. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in women's studies, diversity and gender inequalities in the world.

Moving and beautifully illustrated graphic novel based on the author’s grandmother’s memories of what life was like for women growing up in rural Anatolia. Three women’s stories are told, illuminating the practice of selling daughters, forced marriages, and lost love. Highly recommended.

I really liked this graphic novel. I'm not sure what age range it was targeting, but as a librarian, it is something I would suggest to middle school and high school aged kids. I kind of wish there had been more context/background information, like what country her village was in, the decade in which the story took place and etc.