Behcet Kaya articulately portrays the story of a man’s life from childhood to death, with a unique underlying theme of the man’s Voice of Conscience, appropriately titled. The book cover, displaying a shadow of a man perplexed in thought, unlike Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker with his chin resting on his fist of strength; rather his head held in torment holding his possibly throbbing forehead in anguish. The shadow is cast upon a black and white boardwalk, bleak and colorless, as it is broken from its continuity from where it continues into a colorful, plush, welcoming forest of changing seasons towards its destination; as one sense the omnipresence daunting the character before even starting the novel.
The symbolism crafted into this cover photo becomes self-evident as the reader is immersed into a Turkish family, the Ozcomerts, and begin to learn the customs of Ramzi Senior, his wife Nermin, son Ramzi Jr., and their beautiful daughter, Erin. All seems different to those of us raised in Western civilization, yet sustainable in the lifestyles of the people in the town of Atamkoy, Turkey, back in the 1960′s. The events of then modern day are cleverly juxtaposed against the customs and heritage of the past generations in this segment of the Muslim culture when the unthinkable happens. The entire Ozcomert family is brutally murdered by the Korucu family, with the exception of Ramzi Jr., narrowly escaping. He is forced to hide for the rest of his life from the family of killers set upon revenge. Whereas the reader up to this point was led to believe the father, Ramzi Sr. was the main character of the book, upon his death the focus cleverly shifts to his son; Ramzi Jr. as being the protagonist. Hence, revenge besets revenge, an eye for an eye, only at this point young Ramzi needs to hide and survive, and is scared and confused.
A whirlwind of events occur at a fast pace, when next the story settles down in England. Ramzi Jr., now an adult, is studying engineering and has his social structure of supportive friends. It is there while working as a waiter he meets a young lady, Megan, the daughter of a wealthy American businessman, and they fall in love. All throughout their courtship the reader senses the omnipresence of the dark secret and pain held within the mind of Ramzi, but it is unspoken. What manifests itself as a form of quietness of his personality and in his social demeanor is always in the background recognized by the reader as being his tormented soul from his past. I found this part of Behcet Kayak’s story particularly well done, as he brought the reader into tight dialogue and challenging conversations with British society, and embellished Ramzi’s character into a credible, intelligent person.
Good fortune and family development bring the couple to California, as Ramzi becomes ever so busy running a successful company and with Megan raising their two daughters. Life is totally different than how it was in Atamkoy, but Ramzi isn’t. As Behcet Kaya wrote, “For several more weeks Ozcomert did battle with himself, with his conscience, with his soul. At night he tossed and turned in bed, his head spinning. What is happening to me? I have a right to be happy, my sister had God’s given right to live and pursue happiness. The voice in his head wouldn’t go away. Kill, kill, kill. I am getting older and will depart from this world, but my soul will not rest, until I do away with the Korucu sons. Even after I die I will find them in the other world and kill them.”
As systematic as one’s life is tiered upon the foundation of their childhood, so weakens the strength of character if one isn’t true to themselves, or honest in the respect they show to their parents. Ramzi sought the strength for revenge, however in doing so destroyed all that he had become. A tragic ending is brought to this book, which in turn powerfully imprints the character into the reader’s mind.
An excellent work worthy of the accolades it has been receiving, Behcet Kaya’s Voice of Conscience will become a voice within your mind. Ramzi will haunt you when and if at times animalistic revenge creep into your thoughts, you might then say to yourself, “Is it worth it?”
Voice of Conscience - By: Behcet Kaya - Book Review
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