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This is a beautiful and exotic book set in the ancient cities of Baghdad and Tyre. The story is fairly fast-paced and well-written, and the characters are interesting and complex.

It follows the adventures of Buran, the fourth of seven daughters, whose father is considered cursed since he has been deprived of sons. Such a man, who is also poor in business, cannot provide decent husbands for his daughters or a secure future for his family. Buran convinces her father to let her be the son he never had: she disguises herself as a boy, "Nasir," so she can put her hard work and intelligence to good use in a culture dominated by men. Thirsty for knowledge, with her eyes and ears always open, she learns quickly and in a few years finds herself in far-away Tyre managing a very successful business.

There she meets Prince Mahmud, who quickly forms a deep friendship with "Nasir" - the first true, sincere friend the Prince has ever had, who expects nothing material or political in return. Mahmud has been raised to believe that women are merely playthings, and a means to raising up heirs. The concept of a woman as an intelligent friend is completely foreign to him... So when he begins to suspect that Nasir is not exactly as he seems, his traditional education regarding women, love, and marriage is rocked to the core.

I love the themes in this book: self-confidence and discovery, following the promptings of your heart, the power of a parent's faith in their child, and the importance of friendship and mutual interests between a husband and wife. However, I only gave four stars out of five because I would recommend this book with a strong caveat: The authors necessarily place an emphasis on the gender confusion created by Buran's disguise and Mahmud's feelings toward a precious friend that he believes to be male. I feel that it is done in a tasteful way, but a wise parent should read it first and be there to discuss questions or concerns that may arise as their child reads the book.