Jayida by Natacha Pavlov

tigers68

April 28

BLURB

Born in early 525 AD in northwest Arabia, Jayida is secretly raised as a boy for her safety. In defiance of al-'ayn, the evil eye, she grows up as Jonder and soon becomes known for perceptiveness and bravery. But her meeting of Khaled, whose father is the reason for her unusual upbringing, turns her world upside down. Will she risk revealing her true identity and win his love? And whose lives must be sacrificed when her fame finally draws her into 'Antarah's quest, the mixed-race badawi-Aksumite poet of the Banu 'Abs, whose last challenge is to capture her to win his own beloved 'Ablah?

This is the timely retelling of a little-known tale of Sirat 'Antar. Set in the 1500-year-old historical context of Arabian tribal poetry, Roman-Persian-Himyarite-Aksumite relations, and climatic and plague events recorded worldwide, this colorful era is once more revived.

620 pages, Paperback

Published July 20, 2023

REVIEW

In 2013, I began writing reviews for the many historical fiction books I had read. So far, I've penned over 700 reviews, and have read the works of a plethora of excellent authors some of whom I am in awe of for their abilities to draw me into the tale they're telling. I was immediately drawn into Jayida and the remarkable tale of her life. The time and setting were new ones for me, but the further I traveled in 6th-century Arabia, the more fascinated I became. The breadth of the story; the compelling narrative; the unexpected plot twists; the mingling of so many religious and cultural beliefs…the list goes on. The prose is sublime, and the poetic strands that hold the tale together are beautifully entwined. To this humble scribbler, Jayida is reminiscent of Guy Gavriel Kay's The Lions of Al-Rassan…Jayida is quite simply one of the best novels I have read. Not only does the tale keep the reader turning the pages, but it is also a lesson in the history of the land called The Cradle of Civilization and the oral tradition that kept that history alive. I highly recommend Jayida…prepare to plumb the depths of human emotions as you traverse the wadis and desert. 5 Stars