Today we talk about The fig leaf, a book by David Levi, published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author David Levi, to get to know him better, the reason why he chose a Fig leaf as the title of his book, as well as where he found the inspiration to write The fig leaf.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- Where did you find the inspiration to write your book?
As the writer of this book… I was born in a small town called Milas, at Western Turkey. We were grown up with certain qualities of lifestyle which are quite different then today. I do see the difference between myself and my kids. In general, our human values were quite different compared of what we are living today. Of course, this effects human behavior especially when we have difficult times in life. Today we are living in a very materialistic world. In one way I tried to touch these subjects in this book. When I look around to our society, today manywoman suffers from breast or uterine cancer. The numbers we hear cannot be neglected. In general woman has to fight for a long time period in order to overcome such a sudden situation she is in. Besides the medical aid she needs moral support, from the people that surrounds her. This can be her husband, her family members, some close friends in general. The more support and understanding she receives, makes her life easy. Unfortunately, we do not see this behavior in every house.
- What particularly significant experiences in your life find expression in your book?
In my life I have encountered this case. At the end we succeeded to overcome the disease and the situation we were in. Although in old days the medical technologies and possibilities were not like what we have today, we had a long way with various ups and downs along this fight. Finally, after long long fights of all kinds she overcomed the situation she was in. This made me to think a lot. In my vicinity I have seen similar cases and each time I think the case which I have been. At the end unfortunately we lost the war. I said this case have to be written somewhere as an example, an example that certain people can change their behaviours for the sake of their loved one.
- What were the messages you wanted to send out?
Now on the book itself…Today many peoples meet each other through the internet. We develop friendships, we exchanged ideas, we learn from others’ life experiences… Some of us meet each other, even we hear some people begin a new common life together. I meet a woman on ınternet also… who was very special in her way of thinking, culture, life experience, and the way she looked, in a different way, to life while she was having breast cancer. This reminded me a lot and brought me back, many many years, of what I have seen in my life. I decided not to live her alone, in her day-by-day struggles. And all this was in one condition ” to talk all the way the truth, not to hide behind the words”. She agreed on this. We developed a friendship, based on our human values, and putting some personal lines between us, not to cross them. In principle to be good friends, only and only friends. As far as what I understood, she was fighting alone with her breast cancer which the kind I have experienced before. I knew pretty well what was going to be each and every stage of this disease, and what was going to confront in near future. In one way she was alone in this fight. In general, people must have some kind personal support but unfortunately, she did not have it. We see many cases like that day by day. Husbands, boyfriends, and others, whoever were they, they prefer the easy life and leave the woman alone in her struggle. In order to give shoulders to her, they prefer their easy life and leave her alone. I have seen and heard many cases like that in my life. The message I wanted to send out through this book was….to support the woman in her difficult times. To support first mentally, like a human being, without expecting anything to get out of it. And…This was the main topic of my book.
- Why did you choose the fig leaf as the title of your book?
Why you are helping unconditionally such a woman, without expecting anything back from her? Helping without any love affair, personal entertainment, to be only and only human being..! This was not an easy thing to be understood by many many people surrounding you. The clear and sincere explanations you gave them sometimes were waste of time and effort. Some people interpret this clean and pure friendship as a kind of “love affair”. This is why “The Fig Leaves” were for them to cover their shame. To teach them something that they have never understood the meaning of “real friendship” and support needed by a woman who suffers from cancer. The Fig leaves are also for the people who left behind the sick woman and disappear who needed some help…What do they do? They leave their home and vicinity and continue their day-by-day life. I do believe that there is a lot to learn from this book. All these were worked out ın my book. Whatever and wherever we are, we must be kind, mercey and clever enough to help each other in our difficult times. In this book, the case was cancer, but it can be anything we confront in life… Sometimes few good words, humanitarian behavior, a helping hand and shoulder is needed…if it is not provided by some people who are your real friends “The Fig Leaves” are for these people… where they must be ashamed of themselves. Let’s not forget; when we married, we promısed one thing “for good and bad times we are together”. So, these are the main issues ın my book…
- Are you working on any new writing projects?
I begin to write about 10 years ago. After my retirement from dense project management works, begin to go over my books. Today in total I have 6 books, only two of them are published. Currently I’m working on a book called “Sponge Fishermen”, hope sometime in 2023 we will probably publish it together. All my books have different subjects, touching the human values and there is a lot to learn from each of them.” Leyla’s Coffee” which is published by you, with the initiation of Mrs. Ginevra Grasso received Montefiore Literary Award. I really would like to thank her…I am confident that “The Fig Leaves” will have some Awards also. I think during 2023 we will be able to publish two may be three more books. All my books are written originally in Turkish. And I make the necessary effort to translate them in English. The preliminary version of my unpublished Turkish books is very much liked by my author and also newspaperman friends, who are book criticers. I listen carefully their critics, comments, recommendations. We have a common target to create some valuable books where the readers we’ll get something out of their reading, my books. At the end I enjoy writing as a hobby.
Europe Books thanks the author David Levi once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside him on the editorial path that led to the publication of his book The fig leaf. We wish him the best of luck for his book and for his future works.
To you, my dear reader, I wish that this book leads you to reflect and helps you understand the importance of the moral support and love that a person with cancer may need, without being afraid and without being conditioned by; but in general, always help each other through difficult moments, with kind words, loving and generous human behaviors.
So, my dear reader, I just have to wish you to open your heart while reading the book and enjoy it!!!
Your editor!