'Quietness is a mysterious trait.' This is the story of Fehmi who grew up in a liberal family in Istanbul but became religious later in life. In the summer of 1998, the time when political Islam is on the rise in Turkey, his brother comes on holiday from the USA with his American wife. The moment Fehmi sees her something in him stirs. At the meeting point of the East and West, what unfolds is a tale of self-exploration, Fehmi's search for an anchor, fuelled by politics, religion, passion, sex... with the assistance of Soviet binoculars... At a time when debates about Turkey's EU membership bid and Islam are making the headlines, this novel sheds light on the myth of present-day Turkey.