Grades: 9-12
Author: Meghan Nuttall Sayres
Title: Anahita’s Woven Riddle
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers/Amulet Books
Copyright: 2006
Website: Anahita - Meghan Nuttall Sayres (http://www.meghannuttallsayres.com/adult-anthologies-poetry/anahita.html)
What would you do if you were told you had to marry someone you didn’t like? For many young girls in 19th century Iran, the possibilities of this happening were great. In Meghan Nuttall Sayres’ Anahita’s Woven Riddle, we meet Anahita, a nomadic weaver, living in Iran in the 1800’s. When Anahita is told by her father that he wants her to marry the leader of their tribe, Anahita is determined to set her own destiny. This man, the Khan who is very much older than she is, has had three wives die mysteriously. For Anahita, a life married to someone she finds repulsive is unimaginable, so she convinces her father to let her choose her future husband. She creates a contest in which suitors must guess the meaning of a riddle she weaves into her wedding carpet. Who will win Anahita’s contest, and more importantly, who will win her heart? Anahita’s decision to choose her own suitor is not one without controversy in her strict Muslim tribe, and is not one without consequence. How will Anahita’s quest for love end? Meghan Nuttall Sayres herself weaves rich information about Persian culture, Sufi poetry, romance, and adventure to create an interesting story about one determined young woman and an ancient culture who’s traditions are about to change. The book includes a Farsi dictionary and a brief history of the time period.
Author: Meghan Nuttall Sayres
Title: Anahita’s Woven Riddle
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers/Amulet Books
Copyright: 2006
Website: Anahita - Meghan Nuttall Sayres (http://www.meghannuttallsayres.com/adult-anthologies-poetry/anahita.html)
What would you do if you were told you had to marry someone you didn’t like? For many young girls in 19th century Iran, the possibilities of this happening were great. In Meghan Nuttall Sayres’ Anahita’s Woven Riddle, we meet Anahita, a nomadic weaver, living in Iran in the 1800’s. When Anahita is told by her father that he wants her to marry the leader of their tribe, Anahita is determined to set her own destiny. This man, the Khan who is very much older than she is, has had three wives die mysteriously. For Anahita, a life married to someone she finds repulsive is unimaginable, so she convinces her father to let her choose her future husband. She creates a contest in which suitors must guess the meaning of a riddle she weaves into her wedding carpet. Who will win Anahita’s contest, and more importantly, who will win her heart? Anahita’s decision to choose her own suitor is not one without controversy in her strict Muslim tribe, and is not one without consequence. How will Anahita’s quest for love end? Meghan Nuttall Sayres herself weaves rich information about Persian culture, Sufi poetry, romance, and adventure to create an interesting story about one determined young woman and an ancient culture who’s traditions are about to change. The book includes a Farsi dictionary and a brief history of the time period.
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