Labour of Love

James Eden

Published: 2017

Format: Paperback

Pages: 750

ISBN: 9781941634394

RRP: £9.99

As a young boy in Istanbul, Jemme Mafeze would sit enraptured at his Sufi grandmother’s feet as she recounted to him tales from the old Ottoman Empire. But when he comes of age, he leaves his Turkish roots behind him and moves to Paris to pursue a high-flying career in international banking. Success comes easy to Jemme, but in spite of his professional and personal achievements, he feels a spiritual void growing in his breast, and makes a decision that will change the course of his life forever: he decides to fulfil his childhood dream of recreating an Ottoman palace as a private museum. He and his family purchase an old French chateau in which to bring this childhood dream to life, but as the scope of the project widens and the harsh realities of renovating an old stately home become apparent, Jemme quickly finds out that the path to enlightenment is fraught with difficulties.