Crescent Moon

Madeleine travels to Turkey as a paid companion to Ursula Adeney, who is searching for her missing brother-in-law. When Ursula abruptly disappears to visit friends, Madeleine finds herself stranded and alone in Istanbul, adrift in an unfamiliar and exotic country. A vintage category romance first published in the 1970s, the novel pairs its central love story with richly drawn descriptions of Turkish settings and culture, in the tradition of the era's travel-flavored Harlequin romances. As Madeleine navigates a foreign world and the complications of the search that brought her there, she is drawn toward a compelling man whose intentions are not always clear. Gentle and atmospheric, the story offers the reassuring shape of classic mid-century romance, where misunderstanding and distance gradually give way to a satisfying union.