New York Times: Book review – the woman who smashed a glass ceiling in the 16th century

Glass ceilings in the 16th-century Ottoman Empire were made of cut stone, secured by iron locks, ringed with imposing walls and guarded by armies of eunuchs. The Ottoman women closest to imperial power were not nobles, but slaves: stolen from their Christian families, selected for their health and beauty, and placed in the sultan’s private harem. For them, the stakes were high. Bearing a son would catapult a concubine to the summit of the female hierarchy, with apartments, slaves and an income to match. She would also never again sleep with the sultan. By Ottoman tradition, the mother of an imperial heir devoted herself solely to her child, preparing him to succeed his father to the throne. She was, of course, not alone. Other concubines, equally favored by the sultan, had their own heirs. All struggled mightily to position their sons against the others. For when the reigning sultan passed away, only one son could succeed him. And the victor would then kill his brothers.

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