Turkish-born Yeshim Ternar is the author of the short story collections Orphaned by Halley`s Comet and True Romance with a Sailor (which was shortlisted for Mordecai Richler`s 1996 Prix Parizeau, and the 1996 QSPELL Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction). The Book & the Veil: Escape from an Istanbul Harem, a blending of essay and fiction, was described by Charles Foran in the Montreal Gazette as "daring in form and bold in intent."