Shoes, Shopping, and the Search for Mr. Right: Investigating the Trivial in Recent Turkish-German Chick Lit

• Published in: Monatshefte (Madison, Wis. : 1946) Wis. : 1946), 2017-03, Vol.109 (1), p.100-123
• Main Author: Maier, Gabriele Eichmanns
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0026-9271; 1934-2810
• DOI: 10.3368/m.109.1.100

In this article, I explore how popular Turkish-German fiction written for a primarily female audience—a genre also known as "chick lit"—negotiates differences between German and Turkish culture. Examining Sibel Susann Teoman's Türkischer Mokka mit Schuss (2007) and Hatice Akyün's Einmal Hans mit scharfer Soße (2005) and Ali zum Dessert (2008), I depict how these texts play with typical devices of the chick-lit genre, such as the use of humorous narrative strategies and the topos of the fairy-tale, in an attempt to erase cultural differences and long-standing stereotypes held against Turkish-German women and, in turn, to advocate for a more inclusive view of German society. I investigate how the humorous remarks of their respective protagonists serve as important literary devices employed to negotiate complex hybrid identities and how humor bridges perceived differences and exposes false beliefs that inhibit the development of a just society.