Elif Safak — Turkish Author born on December 30, 1971,

Elif Şafak is a Turkish author, columnist, speaker and academic... (wikipedia)

I find families intriguing, perhaps because I did not grow up in one. I was raised by a feminist, independent, single mother, a divorcee.
God is the biggest storyteller, and when we create stories, we connect with him and with each other across cultural, religious and gender boundaries.
Books change us. Books save us. I know this because it happened to me. Books saved me. So, I do believe through stories we can learn to change, we can learn to empathize and be more connected with the universe and with humanity.
For me, writing stories is one way of feeling connected to the universe and God.
I love commuting between languages just like I love commuting between cultures and cities.