Gathered and passed down over the centuries from India,
Persia, and across the Arab world, the mesmerizing stories
of One Thousand and One Nights tell of the real and
the supernatural, love and marriage, power and punishment,
wealth and poverty, and the endless trials and uncertainties
of fate. They are related by the beautiful, wise, young
Shahrazad, who gives herself up to murderous King Shahrayar.
The king has vowed to deflower and then kill a virgin every
night—but Shahrazad will not be defeated by the king’s
appetites. To save herself, she cunningly spins a web of
tales, leaving the king in suspense each morning, and thus
prolonging her life for another day.
Acclaimed
Lebanese writer Hanan al-Shaykh has selected nineteen of
these stories, retold them in modern English, and knitted
them together into an utterly intoxicating collection.
In al-Shaykh’s hands, Shahrazad’s tales are lush and
evocative, rich with humor, and utterly captivating
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