Elif Shafak Books — Every Novel Explained, Where to Start & Prices in Pakistan (2026)
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Updated November 2026 · Reading time: 7 minutes
Few foreign novelists are as loved in Pakistan as Elif Shafak. The Forty Rules of Love introduced a whole generation of Pakistani readers to Rumi and Shams of Tabriz, and her later novels about Istanbul, faith, migration and memory keep finding new readers here. This guide covers all the Elif Shafak books we stock: what each one is about, who it suits, which to read first, and its current price in Pakistan.
Shafak is a Turkish-British writer who writes in both English and Turkish. Her books are literary but readable, mixing history, Sufi ideas and strong women at the centre of the story. All the English titles below are printed in Master Grade Quality and can be ordered with cash on delivery anywhere in Pakistan.
Quick answer: which Elif Shafak book to read first
- Start here: The Forty Rules of Love – Rs 745
- Then: The Bastard of Istanbul – Rs 745
- For history lovers: The Architect's Apprentice – Rs 745
- Her most acclaimed recent novel: 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World – Rs 745
- Read them all: Elif Shafak Books Set (9 books)
The Forty Rules of Love (2010)
Buy The Forty Rules of Love – Rs 745
Two stories run side by side. In modern Massachusetts, Ella Rubinstein, a housewife in an unhappy marriage, starts reading a manuscript called Sweet Blasphemy for a literary agency. The manuscript tells the story of the 13th-century meeting between the scholar Rumi and the wandering dervish Shams of Tabriz, and how their friendship turned Rumi into the poet we know. Shams's "forty rules" of love and faith are scattered through the book, and many readers copy them into notebooks.
If you prefer to read in Urdu, we also stock the Urdu translation, Chalees Chiragh Ishq Ke (چالیس چراغ عشق کے) – Rs 1,250.
The Bastard of Istanbul (2006)
Buy The Bastard of Istanbul – Rs 745
A loud, warm Istanbul household of women, and an Armenian-American girl who comes to Turkey looking for her family's past. Funny and painful in turns, it deals with the memory of 1915. The novel led to Shafak being prosecuted in Turkey for "insulting Turkishness"; the charges were later dropped.
The Flea Palace (2002)
Set in Bonbon Palace, a once-grand apartment building in Istanbul now falling apart, with a mysterious stink rising from the rubbish. Each flat holds a different story. An early, playful, crowded novel, best read once you already enjoy her style.
The Gaze (1999)
An overweight woman and her dwarf lover try to escape the stares of strangers in Istanbul, and the book moves across centuries to explore how people look at bodies and difference. Her most experimental novel; for committed fans.
Honour (2012)
Twin sisters grow up in a Kurdish village; one moves to London with her husband and children, where her son later commits a terrible crime in the name of family honour. A powerful and very relevant read for Pakistani readers, about migration, sons and the pressure of "what will people say".
The Architect's Apprentice (2014)
Buy The Architect's Apprentice – Rs 745
16th-century Istanbul. A young boy, Jahan, arrives at the Sultan's palace with a white elephant named Chota, a gift from India, and becomes the apprentice of Mimar Sinan, the great Ottoman architect. Full of mosques, palace intrigue and adventure. A wonderful choice if you enjoyed watching Ottoman-era dramas.
Three Daughters of Eve (2016)
Buy Three Daughters of Eve – Rs 745
Peri, a wealthy woman in modern Istanbul, remembers her years at Oxford with two friends, one a devout believer and one a rebel, and the professor who changed their lives. A novel about faith, doubt and the space between them; great for book clubs.
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World (2019)
Buy 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World – Rs 745
As Tequila Leila's brain shuts down after her murder, she remembers her life minute by minute, and her five loyal friends set out to give her a proper farewell. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2019, it is tender, angry and hopeful at once.
There Are Rivers in the Sky (2024)
Buy There Are Rivers in the Sky – Rs 845
Her newest novel follows a single drop of water across centuries, linking an ancient Assyrian king, a boy born by the Thames in Victorian London and a Yazidi girl by the Tigris. Ambitious and beautifully written.
Black Milk (non-fiction)
A memoir about writing and motherhood, including Shafak's experience of postnatal depression after the birth of her first child. Honest and warm, and a good gift for new mothers who love books.
Suggested reading order
- The Forty Rules of Love – the gateway book.
- The Architect's Apprentice – Ottoman history, easy to love.
- Honour or The Bastard of Istanbul – family stories with real bite.
- 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World – her finest recent work.
- Three Daughters of Eve and There Are Rivers in the Sky.
- The Flea Palace and The Gaze for completists.
Liked Shafak? You will probably enjoy our Literary Fiction collection and Khaled Hosseini's novels, starting with The Kite Runner.
Ordering Elif Shafak books in Pakistan
- Cash on delivery to every city in Pakistan.
- Orders before 4 pm (Monday to Saturday) are dispatched the same day.
- Delivery Rs 199, or free on orders above Rs 3,000 (for example, any five of the Rs 745 novels).
- 50,000+ orders delivered and rated 4.8★ on Google from 1,417 reviews.
- Want The Island of Missing Trees or another title not listed? WhatsApp us on 0332 1626626.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best Elif Shafak book?
The Forty Rules of Love is her best-known and best-loved book in Pakistan. Critics often rate 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World, shortlisted for the Booker Prize, as her strongest recent novel.
Is The Forty Rules of Love available in Urdu?
Yes. The Urdu translation, Chalees Chiragh Ishq Ke, is in stock at Rs 1,250.
Do I need to read Elif Shafak's books in order?
No. Every novel is a standalone story, so you can start anywhere.
What is the price of Elif Shafak books in Pakistan?
At OnlineBooksOutlet, most single Elif Shafak novels currently cost Rs 745 (There Are Rivers in the Sky is Rs 845), with cash on delivery across Pakistan.
