Sabrena Swept Away

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

The author of the acclaimed A Bit of Earth reimagines classic characters from One Thousand and One Nights. Sabrena’s father has always claimed they are descended from the legendary sailor Sinbad. But when the sea calls Sabrena to a whole new world, she’ll have to fight to claim her own story. For fans of The Last Mapmaker and Mañanaland.

Any other story would begin with “once upon a time.” But Sabrena’s story is different. “Fulfilling all my worst fears,” her mother says, “you were born by the sea.” And it’s true, the sea has always seemed to call to Sabrena. Her father reminds her that they are, of course, descended from the legendary sailor Sinbad. So it’s basically qadr—fate—that Sabrena has an affinity toward the sea.Even so, Sabrena has had a truly ordinary life, trying to be an exemplary daughter, meeting all of her parents’ high expectations. Despite, maybe, wanting something more interesting for herself. At least she can escape into the family’s favorite book—One Thousand and One Nights—and all the adventures and magic found there.But one day, the sea’s call will not be denied. It sweeps her away, to be fished out of an ocean both strange and oddly familiar. It only takes her a moment to realize that she’s in the stories spun by the legendary queen Scheherazade. Yet no one has ever heard of Sinbad, nothing seems to be going quite as it does in the stories, and a frightening jinn is terrorizing the kingdoms.Inspired by the classic One Thousand and One Nights, acclaimed author Karuna Riazi has crafted a tantalizing tale about fate, choice, and being torn between them both. Sabrena Swept Away is a thematically rich story that will resonate with fans of Christina Soontornvat’s The Last Mapmaker.

About the Author

Karuna Riazi is the author of the acclaimed A Bit of Earth as well as the duology The Gauntlet and The Battle. She holds a BA in English literature from Hofstra University and an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Hamline University. She is an online diversity advocate and an educator, and her work has been featured in Entertainment Weekly, Shondaland, and Teen Vogue, among others. A born-and-raised New Yorker, Karuna Riazi lives on Long Island.