The Forty Thieves by Christy Lenzi (review)

Lenzi (Stone Field, BCCB 3/16) retells "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" from the perspective of Marjana, the clever slave girl who saves the day and earns her freedom as a reward for her courage. Marjana finds herself entangled in the fortunes of her cruel master's kindly brother, Ali Baba, when Ali Baba discovers the magic words to open the infamous Forty Thieves' hidden treasure cave. Lenzi fleshes out Marjana's side of the story: her loneliness leads her to befriend a bathhouse slave, Saja, and the two girls undertake desperate measures to prevent their younger brothers from joining one of the street gangs who terrorize the streets of medieval Baghdad. Marjana is sure there's some connection between the mysterious instigator of the gang violence and the Forty Thieves, and her assistance to Ali Baba—in a series of deceptions and disguises as the thieves seek revenge for the stolen treasure—eventually reveals and resolves all. "Soul sister" female friendship vows and aspects of Sufireligious practices add depth to the familiar outline of the tale; however, the escapade with a flying carpet provides some stereotypical atmosphere but doesn't contribute much to the story, and the closing turn goes beyond happy to cheesy. The author's note provides a welcome overview of the novel's literary and cultural inspirations, focusing mostly on women's roles in the medieval Middle East.