This novel of a moving love affair between a young American teacher and a mysterious African barmaid who are caught up in the euphoria and political turmoil of post-independence Africa was first published to critical acclaim in 1980.

Award-winning novelist John Gardner called it "An immense book in every way--thoughtful, suspenseful, angry, and yet at the same time compassionate...wonderfully ambitious...An astonishing achievement."

On these pages we meet adventurous princes, romantic princesses, wily peasants, tricky animals--and an abundance of monsters, "djinns," gods, goddesses, and powerful magicians. In colorful, exotic settings reminiscent of "The Arabian Nights," brave heroes and virtuous heroines triumph over the forces of evil, often with fantastical or comic results.

These folktales, collected orally in the desert state of Rajasthan in 1986-87, are eloquent reflections of the great cultural traditions of India, and are stories that bring enchantment to audiences everywhere.