Product Description

Mitra and her little brother, Babak, are beggars in the city of Rhagae, scratching out a living as best as they can with what they can beg for–or steal. But Mitra burns with hope and ambition, for she and Babak are not what they seem. They are of royal blood, but their father’s ill-fated plot against the evil tyrant, King Phraates, has resulted in their father’s death and their exile. Now disguised as a boy, Mitra has never given up believing they can rejoin what is left of their family and regain their rightful standing in the world.
Then they discover that Babak has a strange gift: If he sleeps with an item belonging to someone, he can know that person’s dreams. Soon Babak and his abilities come to the attention of a powerful Magus–one who has read portents in the stars of the coming of a new king and the dawn of a new age. Soon Mitra and Babak find themselves on the road to Bethlehem . . .
The acclaimed author of Shadow Spinner returns to ancient Persia in this spellbinding saga–a tale filled with the color of the caravansaries and the heat of the desert, a tale that reimagines the wonder and spirit of a lost age.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1411381 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-08
• Released on: 2006-08-08
• Formats: Audiobook, Unabridged
• Original language: English
• Binding: Audio CD

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8–Susan Fletcher once again illuminates the scope of history with a personal and engaging story about individual struggles in this novel (Ginee Sea Books, 2006) with a biblical theme. Of royal heritage, their family scattered when their father tried to overthrow the king, 15-year-old Mitra and her younger brother Babak are living in the catacombs of Rhagae in ancient Persia. Mitra disguises herself as a boy and they beg and steal to survive. Then Babak tells of a dream that comes true and Mitra discovers that when Babak sleeps with an item from another person next to his skin, he dreams their dreams. For a time, Mitra parlays this somewhat frightening talent into coppers, saving up for passage to Palmyra, where some kin may still exist. They are soon discovered by a magus, Melchior, who wants Babak to dream only for him. Their journey finally takes them to Bethlehem. This deeply and richly imagined novel, with intricately spun details that bring the story to life, is read with solemnity by actress Meeta Simhan. Mitra's humorless rancor at having sunk so low socially, her absolute determination to find a better way, and her bottomless love for Babak shine through in Simhan's narration. A worthy addition to both public and school libraries.–Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI
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From AudioFile
Meera Simhan elegantly delivers this enchanting and intricate story of one of the greatest mysteries in the history of Christianity. In the time before Christ's birth, protagonist Mitra and her brother, Babak, find themselves victims of political and social upheaval. Left to fend for themselves in the City of the Dead, they find that Babak has a special gift they may use to gain passage to find their family. Simhan deftly carries off the Old World diction and syntax of the dialogue. Fletcher's detailed descriptions of setting, well researched and true to the time period, also add charm to the listening experience. D.L.M. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
In a richly imagined novel, Fletcher dovetails her own characters and plot with an utterly familiar New Testament story. Mitra comes from Persian royalty, but most of her family is dead. Now disguised as a boy, she steals food and shelters in burial caves with her younger brother, Babak. Political enemies of their father pursue them, as does the magus Melchior, who has heard of Babak's gift for dreaming others' dreams. The complications facing a pubescent girl living as a boy and the rhythms of desert life form one intriguing dimension to the novel; another is the journey set in motion when Babak dreams of a portentous star, and the siblings follow Melchior and his two magi companions as they seek the king it represents. Teens will recognize their own longings in proud, headstrong, and passionate Mitra; steer slightly older readers to Anne Provost's In the Shadow of the Ark (2004), another novel about a resilient young woman swept along by biblical events. GraceAnne DeCandido
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