A Thousand and One Nights

The novel A Thousand and One Nights is a symbol of Isra’s love for books, and the power of the narrative of a woman. It is also a symbol of where Isra keeps her most secret and hidden feelings, which later connects Deya to her mother. The book A Thousand and One Nights is a collection of Arabic stories and fairy tales. The story is based around a woman, Scheherazade, who tells the king a new story for a thousand and one nights, until he spares her life. Isra tells Sarah, “I just love the storytelling . . . the idea of a woman telling stories for her life” (99). Like Scheherazade, Isra believes in the power of stories, and the voice of women. As the novel progresses however, the fantasy of romantic love becomes a joke, and the Disney recreation of the movie makes...