Book Descriptions
for Anahita's Woven Riddle by Meghan Nuttall Sayres
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
As is the custom in late nineteenth-century Persia, Anahita’s future husband will be chosen by her parents. The offer from a local government official would ensure her family’s tribe would have plenty of access to the waterways upon which their nomadic existence depends. But Anahita has little desire to marry, and then only if she can choose her mate. Her real hope is to apprentice to her uncle the dyemaster and help create perfect hues for the weaving that has been the traditional craft in her tribe for centuries. But her father insists she marry, and she counters with a challenge. She proposes a contest: the man whom she will marry must solve the riddle she will weave into her marriage rug. To Anahita’s surprise, she finds herself taking great interest in three of the potential suitors in Meghan Nuttall Sayres’s captivating story that is woven with vivid details about Muslim customs and nomadic culture in the Middle East. Persia (now Iran) has a long tradition of beautiful lyric poetry which is also incorporated into this novel about a fiercely proud and independent young woman. Between the rich sound of the language and the rich colors of the carpets, it’s a book that is a treat for the senses. (Ages 11–15)
CCBC Choices 2007 . © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2007. Used with permission.
From The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY)
Children’s Book Council of Iran enjoys close ties with IBBY as the Iranian national section; it has contacts with both BIB and IYL and it implements projects with UNICEF and UNHCR. Almost all of its activities are carried out on a voluntary basis.
Bridges to Understanding: Envisioning the World through Children's Books. © USBBY, 2011. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
A critically acclaimed novel, available in paperback for the first time
One of YALSA's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults
In this enchanting historical novel, a nomad in nineteenth-century Iran takes fate into her own hands when her father promises her in marriage to a man she dislikes. Anahita convinces her father to let her hold a contest in which potential suitors must correctly answer the riddle she has woven into her wedding carpet. A diplomat, a schoolteacher, a shepherd, and a prince compete in Anahita's battle of wits for the heart of this extraordinary girl.
Weaving a bit of fairy tale into her rich exploration of Persian life, Meghan Nuttall Sayres has written a debut novel that delights and fascinates.
F&P level: Z
One of YALSA's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults
In this enchanting historical novel, a nomad in nineteenth-century Iran takes fate into her own hands when her father promises her in marriage to a man she dislikes. Anahita convinces her father to let her hold a contest in which potential suitors must correctly answer the riddle she has woven into her wedding carpet. A diplomat, a schoolteacher, a shepherd, and a prince compete in Anahita's battle of wits for the heart of this extraordinary girl.
Weaving a bit of fairy tale into her rich exploration of Persian life, Meghan Nuttall Sayres has written a debut novel that delights and fascinates.
F&P level: Z
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.
