The Stone Woman

The Stone Woman is the third novel of Tariq Ali’s “Islam Quartet.” Like its predecessors – Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree and The Book of Saladin – its power lies both in the story-telling and the challenge it poses to stereotyped images of life under Islam.“... an Eastern Magic Mountain.” —London Review of Books

“A richly woven tapestry that, even before its completion, merits comparison with Naguib Mahfouz's celebrated Cairo Trilogy. A great work in progress.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Ali spins a web of tales that is as inventive and fantastical as the Arabian nights.” —The Times

“Tales of anguish, longing, lust and love all find their way to The Stone Woman. Ali paints a vivid picture of a fading world.” —New York Times Book Review

“This Chekhov-like scenario of intense emotion within a creaking social structure constructs a rich picture of history and the way we think about history.” —Times Literary SupplementTariq Ali is a writer and filmmaker. He has written more than a dozen books on world history and politics – including Pirates of the Caribbean, Bush in Babylon, The Clash of Fundamentalisms and The Obama Syndrome – as well as five novels in his Islam Quintet series and scripts for the stage and screen. He is an editor of the New Left Review and lives in London.