The Jinn Daughter: A Novel by Rania Hanna (Paperback)

Fiction - Fantasy - Epic - Fairy Tales, Folklore, Legends & Mythology - Literary

RELEASE DATE: 4/16/2024 (WILL SHIP DIRECTLY FROM OUR SUPPLIER'S WAREHOUSE)

A stunning debut novel and an impressive feat of storytelling that pulls together mythology, magic, and ancient legend in the gripping story of a mother’s struggle to save her only daughter

Nadine is a jinn tasked with one job: telling the stories of the dead. She rises every morning to gather pomegranate seeds—the souls of the dead—that have fallen during the night. With her daughter Layala at her side, she eats the seeds and tells their stories. Only then can the departed pass through the final gate of death.

But when the seeds stop falling, Nadine knows something is terribly wrong. All her worst fears are confirmed when she is visited by Kamuna, Death herself and ruler of the underworld, who reveals her desire for someone to replace her: it is Layala she wants.

Nadine will do whatever it takes to keep her daughter safe, but Kamuna has little patience and a ruthless drive to get what she has come for. Layala’s fate, meanwhile, hangs in the balance.

Rooted in Middle Eastern mythology, Rania Hanna deftly weaves subtle, yet breathtaking, magic through this vivid and compelling story that has at its heart the universal human desire to, somehow, outmaneuver death.

AUTHOR BIO: 

Rania Hanna is a Syrian-American writer and researcher. She is a neuroscience doctoral student at George Mason University. The Jinn Daughter is her debut novel. She lives in Northern Virginia.

"Lyrical and magical, The Jinn Daughter captivates with its fierce imagination and its visceral prose. Hanna spins a folkloric tale of family bonds and the power that the dead hold over the living. An extraordinary novel that will linger long after the final page!"-Helene Wecker, author of The Golem and the Jinni

"A beautiful, haunting homage to Middle Eastern folklore, The Jinn Daughter is a stirring tale of love, grief, and the depths we're willing to go to save our loved ones. Hanna's beautifully drawn, complex characters weave together a story that will find its way into your very bones and leave you wanting more."-- Ehigbor Okosun, author of Forged by Blood

"Hanna seamlessly weaves compelling and complex characters into a lush tapestry of Middle Eastern folklore, creating a tragic, haunting world that is as dark as it is beautiful." -- Samantha Sotto Yambao, author of Before Ever After

"Lush . . . powerful . . . vibrant . . . provocative"-- Foreword Reviews (starred)

"A captivating read. . . . Lyrical language and descriptive world building make this a good recommendation for book discussion groups, and literary and fantasy readers."-- Booklist

"A moving, imaginative tale of magic, myth, life and death, and a mother's love"-- Shelf Awareness