Mother of the Believers by Kamran Pasha

Mother of the Believers is the story of Aisha bint Abi Bakr - the youngest and most beloved wife of the Prophet Muhammed. When the story commences Aisha is in her deathbed and is recounting this epic tale to her nephew. As Aisha reflects on her life we learn of her cursed birth, her marriage to Muhammed at the age of nine, his other wives and their feuding harem, as well as his death and how she eventually grows to become a teacher, political leader and warrior. Set in seventh century Arabia this story takes you on a journey through hot deserts, epic battles and the understanding of what becoming a believer entailed.

Mr. Pasha's story is purely fictional, but it is one of those stories that you can’t help but devour in big, heaping gulps. I was a little hesitant to read it at first (a- it's 560 pages long) and (b- it's not a topic I would normally read about), but I was drawn in from the start and read the whole thing in just a couple of sittings. Mr. Pasha has a vivid and fluid style of writing that I really enjoyed and his imagery lights up the pages of his book. This was my first exposure to the Muslim culture/religion and I found it to be a very enlightening experience.

This is a beautiful tale - one that I highly recommend to believers and non-believers alike.