A THOUSAND NIGHTS

A group of young refugees on a dangerous journey shore up hope by trading stories.

Seventeen-year-old Nusaybah has just buried her mother. She decides she must leave her war-stricken village for the safety of Noor, the city across the desert. Along the way she meets Khawla, a prickly girl who’s also traveling alone; Farzad, an imperious boy from a rich family; and Sameer, an older boy who’s guiding Farzad to Noor. To minimize the tedium and fend off despair, the quartet share stories, and those who offer them respite from hunger, relief from injury, and safety from human traffickers enrich them with new tales. The rhythm of prayer and the teachings of Islam offer Nusaybah and her companions an anchor amid their grief. While a real-world setting for the frame story is never specified, the 15 tales, each by a different Muslim woman author, are drawn from cultures around the world, and their integration with the frame story renders them remarkably cohesive. Standouts include Diana Ma’s “A Girl Called Goose,” about Yan’s quest for a healing phoenix, Zeyneb Holdridge’s “Beneath the Apple Tree,” about compassionate Safi and his sweet apples; and Ardo Omer’s “The Tale of Baxsan and the Cave of Birds,” about a clever girl who tricks a giant. Some transitions from frame narrative to short story are less seamless than others, but this work is a refreshing and effective variation on typical anthology formats.

A timely collection, full of marvels and hard-won hope.