Description
Before she was the legendary Persian queen who spun a thousand tales, Shaherazade was a girl who saw something she shouldn't have.
She told the king.
She thought she was doing what was right.
She couldn't have imagined what was to come.
The Seljuk Empire is on fire and the king is on a rampage after learning of his wife's infidelity. Unsated by her execution, he has gone on to wed and behead a new wife night after night. Fear spreads through the city and Shaherazade must do something, anything, to halt the horror she has set in motion. When the king starts searching for his next bride, Shaherazade steps forward.
As the sun sets on her wedding night, she begins to weave a tale that will go down in history.
If you had to tell one story to save your life, what would it be?
About the Author
Jamila Ahmed is a Pakistani-American lawyer and writer whose writing focuses on the stories and histories of the South Asian and Muslim diaspora.
Coming of age during the American wars and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan - and the attendant propaganda about the barbarity of Islam - Jamila wanted to find novels that authentically reflected her experience as a young Muslim woman and the rich complexity of Islamic history. When she couldn't find any, she picked up her pen and began writing Every Rising Sun.
Jamila is a graduate of Barnard College, where she studied medieval Islamic history, and Harvard Law School. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Reviews
A sumptuous, moreish novel infused with the joys of storytelling. A bold, heady journey into the riches and passions of Crusader history, presenting a fresh and fascinating Muslim perspective -- Leila Aboulela
Richly imagined and sumptuously told . . . Ahmed deftly interweaves history and myth to create a world that is as compelling as it is magical. Every chapter leaves you eager to sit at Shaherazade's feet once more -- G. Willow Wilson, author of The Bird King
Fresh and fascinating . . . Every Rising Sun is a deft and elegant novel which celebrates the power of the storyteller to transform and inspire -- Nikki Marmery, author of Lilith
I was entranced by this marvel of a book, wound about by the weave of its tales, unable to put it down, astonished at the power of a story to change everything -- Claire Gilbert, author of I, Julian
A beautifully imagined and fiercely feminist retelling of a cherished classic . . . You won't want to miss Ahmed's gorgeous writing, this rich and vibrant world, and of course, Shaherazade, a timeless heroine who speaks with an urgency it's impossible to deny. I turned the last page grateful to be reminded of how during humanity's darkest nights, stories are what keep us alive -- V. V. Ganeshananthan, author of Brotherless Night
Ahmed flawlessly weaves together countless threads to create a stunning tapestry revealing the bonds that tie people together and the deceptions that tear them apart. A gorgeous novel that rejoices in the legacy of the woman who tells tales -- Kirkus
With imaginative creativity and embellishment of its 12th-century Persia setting, this novel is a striking testament to the power of stories * Library Journal *
A vibrant spin on the Arabian classic One Thousand and One Nights . . . Ahmed brings new life to Shaherazade's thrilling tales * Publishers Weekly *
Book Information
ISBN 9781399805971
Author Jamila Ahmed
Format Paperback
Page Count 432
Imprint John Murray Publishers Ltd
Publisher John Murray Press
Weight(grams) 540g
Dimensions(mm) 232mm * 154mm * 36mm
