A magic carpet ride examining the lives of Fatima Abdullah and her huge dysfunctional family. Imitating Scheherazade, Fatima spins her own tales to the legendary storyteller, Scheherazade. And she has plenty of material: Fatima is dying, and more interested in her prized possessions, including a house in Lebanon, than in reuniting her splintered offspring and her estranged husband, Ibraham.

Includes a reading group guide and questions for discussion (p. [369]-372).