by A. S. Byatt
First published 1994
At a writers' conference in Turkey, a middle-aged Englishwoman stumbles upon an antique bottle. When she gives it a wash, a djinn emerges, offering to grant her three wishes. Tempted by the chance to reclaim her youth, she wishes for a younger body. But her second request - for the djinn to make love to her - unleashes unexpected consequences that challenge her most fundamental assumptions about reality, desire, and the nature of her own identity. In this captivating fairy tale for adults, A.S. Byatt explores the power of storytelling to transform us, for better or worse.
Genres: literary-fiction, fantasy, magical-realism, fairy-tale-retellings
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: magical-realism, unreliable-narrator
Setting: England, Turkey
274 pages · Hardcover · Random House