The Tale of Princess Fatima - the only Arabic epic named for a woman - recounts the thrilling adventures of a legendary warrior known throughout the Middle East. After being abandoned at birth, Princess Fatima, otherwise known as Dhat al-Himma, must rely on strength and cunning to take her to the head of a powerful army. Bitter tribal warfare, stealthy ambushes and globetrotting pursuits will eventually lead Fatima back to face her father, and to confront another fierce warrior woman in a mighty showdown . . .

Published in English for the first time, The Tale of Princess Fatima wonderfully recreates medieval Arabia and introduces a formidable new feminist icon.

About the Author
Melanie Magidow is an independent scholar and professional translator. She has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Fulbright Commission.

Reviews
A gift and a wonder, deftly capturing the nuance and flavour of these tales for a new generation. As someone who's waited untold years to read these stories: thank you, thank you, thank you -- Jason Porath, author of Rejected Princesses
This powerful epic with its all-conquering heroine brings the world of Arab chivalry to blazing life, in a wonderful translation with a very informative introduction. -- Humphrey Davies, award-winning translator of Naguib Mahfouz, Elias Khoury, and Alaa Al-Aswany
An emotive, dynamic rendering that exquisitely captures the spirit of the original text, the variety of its characters, and the versatility of its messages. The Tale of Princess Fatima has much to tell us about what it has meant -- in different times and places -- to be a hero -- Rachel Schine, University of Colorado Boulder
This engaging and reader-friendly translation brings to life a very important moment in world history, capturing through epic proportions the timeless social issues of race, gender, and class -- Heidi Morrison, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse



Book Information
ISBN 9780143134268
Author Melanie Magidow
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Penguin Classics
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 160g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 130mm * 16mm