Daughters of the Lamp - by Nedda Lewers

About the Book

Twelve-year-old Sahara prefers logic and science over magic, but when she travels to Cairo for a family wedding, her resistance to magic fades when she discovers that she is next in a line of women tasked with guarding Ali Baba's treasure.

Book Synopsis

A USA Today Bestseller - A stunning middle grade fantasy inspired by Arabian legends about a girl who becomes the guardian of Ali Baba's treasure.

Believe in fairy tales.

Sahara Rashad lives by logic. Loves science. And always has a plan. Except her dad just whisked her away to her uncle's wedding in Egypt, upending every single plan she had for the summer.

In Cairo, Sahara's days are filled with family--and mystery. First, Sahara's cousins claim the pretentious bride-to-be is actually a witch. Then her late mother's necklace starts glowing--and disappears.

Sahara's attempts to recover the necklace lead her to the greatest mystery yet. Deep in an underground chamber lies Ali Baba's magical treasure. Hidden from a line of sorcerers who threatened to use its powers for evil, the treasure was given to Sahara's ancestor Morgana for safekeeping and passed down from mother to daughter for generations. Now only Sahara stands in the sorcerers' way.

Can the girl who's never believed in magic trust the unknown and claim her legacy as the treasure's keeper?

Review Quotes

Praise for Daughters of the Lamp

An Indies Introduce pick
A Junior Library Guild selection
A Best Book of the Month for Amazon and Kobo

★ "An engaging fantasy inspired by a classic tale that's guaranteed to leave readers eager for more." --Kirkus, starred review

"This terrific two-pronged adventure [brings] together modern life and classic tales of Ali Baba, with some gratifying twists. . . . A memorable adventure that's as exciting as it is insightful." --Booklist

"A fulfilling, atmospheric story in which Lewers draws on Arabian myth and Egyptian culture to weave a fast-paced magical tale of family, destiny, and belonging." --Publishers Weekly

"Gorgeously vivid and endlessly exciting, Daughters of the Lamp brims with magic, emotion, and the importance of family." --Aisling Fowler, author of the Fireborn series

"Witty, wondrous, and a mesmerizing glimpse into the magic that's always hidden in the mundane." --M.T. Khan, author of Nura and the Immortal Palace

"Daughters of the Lamp triumphs as an action-packed journey across oceans and centuries. I couldn't put down Lewers's electrifying debut!" --George Jreije, author of the Shad Hadid series

"This magical fantasy adventure infused with Egyptian fairytales is so much fun. . . . Fantasy readers will love this joyful romp." --Book Riot

About the Author

Nedda Lewers is an author and former teacher. She writes books that take children on fun adventures and feature characters who are trying to make sense of the big, complicated world and their place in it. Even though it wasn't easy growing up with one foot in America and the other in Egypt, Nedda cherishes how that experience has given her a rich and expansive perspective from which she draws to write her stories.