Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Rating Explanation

Violence: After being betrayed by his wife, the sultan has her and all of the women in his harem killed except his own mother. He then marries a new wife each night, only to kill her in the morning so that he can never be betrayed again. There are no gory details, but the killings are mentioned several times. The sultan’s mother kicks Marjan, the main character, repeatedly and imprisons her. A girl of the harem is found drowned in a fountain and it is assumed that she was murdered.

Sexual Content: A very little sexual language, such as “make love to.” Concubines are mentioned a couple of times but not explained. The sultan’s mother accuses Shahrazad of taking a lover.

Adult Themes: The idea of the sultan killing so many women could be disturbing for some readers. The theme of betrayal carries throughout the book, but forgiveness enters the story at the end. Marjan’s mother appears to have betrayed her as a child, but the resolution of this is a beautiful part of the story.

Synopsis

Marjan is a storyteller, so when Shahrazad begins to save all of the young girls in the city from certain death by telling the sultan stories, she becomes Marjan’s hero. But after almost 1000 nights, Shahrazad has run out of stories. A chance meeting between the two “shadow spinners” brings Marjan to live in the harem. Shahrazad then sends her on a dangerous errand to find an old story the sultan heard as a boy and now longs to hear again. This quest takes her out of the palace and into the city where she discovers many things, only one of which is the story she is searching for.

I read this book over a year ago and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to read it again so I could post it on our site. It is a rich and interesting story with intriguing characters. I really like how the author presents the theme of forgiveness in the storyline of Shahrazad and the sultan and also Marjan and her mother. We can all use a good lesson on forgiveness – youth included!

©2009 The Literate Mother