SABRENA SWEPT AWAY

A girl’s destiny is linked to her heritage and her gift for storytelling.

With family lore connecting them to magic, water, and the legendary Sinbad the sailor from The Thousand and One Nights, Sabrena has always felt an affinity for her grandmother, a skilled storyteller. But the adjustment when her family moves from Brooklyn to Richmond, Virginia, to live with Grandma, who has dementia, weighs heavily on her. Sabrena grapples with loneliness as the new kid at her tightknit Islamic school and struggles with supporting Grandma through her own stories. She also fears that her mother and aunt may move her grandmother into assisted living, away from the cherished home she calls her “Palace of Memories.” Then, a mysterious flood unexpectedly transports Sabrena into the wondrous realm of The Thousand and One Nights. The days and nights are strangely altered, and familiar characters differ from her recollection of the tales. Finding an ally in Marjana, who in this world is Ali Baba’s adopted daughter, she seeks a resolution in a sunken undersea kingdom that’s connected to jinn and dark magic, all while discovering the role she must play to save the sultanate and return home to her family. Though occasionally dragging in pace after a strong beginning, Riazi’s narrative features beautifully written, lyrical descriptions. The tale speaks to the power and connection found in stories, family, and emotions that arise in the face of loss and change. Sabrena is Bangladeshi and African American.

A sometimes meandering but magically spun yarn.