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Rushdie retells an Indian myth of the empire of Bisnaga - Victory City. A nine-year-old girl is touched by a goddess after witnessing the self-immolation of her mother and other women of her village. She is given the gift - or curse - of long life, as well as some magical powers. Among them is the power to grow a city from seeds and imbue members of this new community with memories as if the town has been there forever. Pampa guides the city as it grows into a powerful yet enlightened empire, although one that continues to be ruled by kings rather than by this demi-goddess, even as she ages and gains more wisdom.

The text is a little uneven at times and sometimes drags a bit, but Rushdie's language and storytelling always wins out in the end. As he concludes, perhaps partly in reference to the knife attack he suffered not long before this book was released, "Words are the only victors."