Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher

Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher

Legendary Character – Shahrazad, Retelling of 101 Arabian Nights, Historical Fiction 

     Age 10-13

Grades 5-8

224 pages

c. 1999

Shadow Spinner, sent in Ancient Persia, is a retelling of the story of Shahrazad and 101 Arabian Nights. The main character is Marjan, a poor crippled orphan, living with her Aunt and Uncle. She is an accomplished storyteller herself and gets drawn into the life and drama of the harem when Shahrazad’s sister overhears her telling a story to the children of the harem while her Aunt is there selling jewelry. Shahrazad is running out of stories to tell the Sultan and the story Marjan is telling is a new one.

There are many twists and turns in the plot, especially when the Sultan recognizes Marjan’s story and wants to hear the end of it. Marjan doesn’t know how the story ends and attempts a dangerous escape from the harem to find the end of the story.

The characters, even the minor ones, are well drawn and multidimensional. Marjan grows in self-awareness through the story and experiences emotional healing as she comes to terms with the anger she feels toward her mother for the actions she took to prevent herself and Marjan from being forced to marry the Sultan and be killed.

This is a story about the power of story and there are many stories contained within it. Shahrazad exhibits a lot of psychology in the stories she tells the Sultan to help him get over the betrayal he experienced from his first wife. She explains to Marjan saying, “Marjan. I have told him tales of good women and bad women, strong women and weak women, shy women and bold women, clever women and stupid women, honest women and women who betray. I'm hoping that, by living inside their skins while he hears their stories, he'll understand over time that women are not all this way or that way. I'm hoping he'll look at women as he does at men--that you must judge each of us on her own merits, and not condemn us or exalt us only because we belong to a particular sex.” 

 It is also a story about the strength of women, about the power of love, of forgiveness, of adventure and taking risks. The tips for storytelling at the start of each chapter are also good tips for life.