"Captivating, Ali's seductive tale is a wonderful blend of adventure, court intrigue, historical facts and Sufi mysticism. That will appeal to readers of M.M. Kaye's The Far Pavilions."
- Booklist
"Lyrical...This richly populated novel is notable for...a compelling mysticism and convincing historicity."
"Thalassa Ali has truly mastered the storyteller's art."
It is 1838 in northwestern India, just before the first British invasion of Afghanistan. During a lavish state meeting between the British Governor-General and the dying Maharajah of the Punjab, young Mariana Givens is mysteriously handed the Maharajahís neglected baby hostage, who, it is believed, possesses the power to protect the old man from death. A desperate effort to protect him leads her into the stifling ladies' quarters of the Maharajah's palace and through the ancient, narrow lanes of the walled city of Lahore. Meanwhile, led by the great Shaikh Waliullah, the baby's family of powerful Muslim mystics watches Mariana, and waits...
A Singular Hostage was published in the UK and the US in 2002.
• Read about Islam, Sufism and History
