"Die fremde Braut" became a best-seller, and was praised in general, even by the critics. The emotionality of the book was felt by the reviewers to be a strength, but there was also clear criticism of sweeping negative statements about the entire segment of the population consisting of Turkish Muslims. A typical example of a reviewer who mixed praise and criticism in this way is Alexandra Senfft in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) on May 31, 2005. Kelek received the famed Geschwister-Scholl-Preis for "Die fremde Braut", a prize which is awarded to a current book that shows intellectual independence and supports civil freedom, moral, intellectual, and aesthetic courage, and that gives an important impulse to the present awareness of responsibility. The laudatory speech was given by Heribert Prantl, head of the domestic policy department of the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" and former state prosecutor.