The virgin's knot - Holly Payne

'"When Allah takes something from you he gives something in return." The words came again, this time not in her father's voice but her own. She reversed the refrain, wondering for the first time what happened when you took something from Allah, what it was you gave him in return.'

In Mavisu, a village in the Taurus mountains of south west Turkey, there is a young woman called Nurdane. She is very beautiful with long black hair and unlucky blue eyes. She contracted polio when she was five and is severely crippled. Her father Ali teaches her to weave to compensate for her disability. He tells her that when Allah takes something away, he gives something in return - the loss of the use of her legs is compensated for by her skill as a magical weaver of dowry rugs for brides. But there is a catch - Allah will only continue to make rugs through her if she remains a virgin and keeps her hands pure. How can such a burden not end in tragedy?

This is a compellingly readable, beautifully written novel. It weaves magical, evocative images into a narrative full of beliefs, superstitions and wisdom.