Who would call so late? Sarah lifted her head from her pillow and opened one eye when the phone rang. Mama, in the living room, said “Hello!”
Aunt Tabby Arrives, chapter 1
Sarah kept her head off the pillow to hear whether Mama spoke next in Turkish or English. If Sarah’s Turkish grandparents here in the city of Adana called, Mama would speak in Turkish. If one of her father’s friends called, Mama would greet him in Turkish and say, “Ahmet, it’s for you.” If Mama said crisply, “Sergeant Dikici here,” it would be a call from Incirlik Air Base. Then Mama might have to report for duty right away, even at night.
Silence.
“Ahmet, whoever-it-is got cut off.”
Sarah opened both eyes and sat up. Long distance calls from Sarah’s American grandparents had to come all the way from Idaho, across the United States, across the Atlantic Ocean, and across the Mediterranean Sea to Turkey. Sometimes the phone would cut off and the caller would need to ring again. This must be American relatives. The phone rang again, and after another hello, Mama shouted, “Aunt Tabby! Where are you?”
In this first book Aunt Tabby arrives–unexpectedly as usual–in Adana, Turkey. She thinks 11-year-old Sarah can help her write her next book, but Sarah must prove she’s responsible before Mama and Baba will allow her to travel around Turkey with Aunt Tabby.
But when Aunt Tabby is forced to change her plans and Sarah wants to help her beautiful Aunt Gulay escape an arranged marriage, both Sarah and Aunt Tabby are in big trouble.
More Adventures with Aunt Tabby
Sarah, and her little brother, are not Aunt Tabby’s only nieces and nephews. There are her nephew Richard’s three children in Texas–but what kind of story is it that Richard doesn’t want the children to hear?
And why would Richard even think Aunt Tabby might take them to Timbuktu?
So Jeremy and Katrina find a mystery when they visit Aunt Tabby’s house, and Dad’s not happy about it.