Melissa Addey

A String of Silver Beads Melissa Addey

Finalist, Wishing Shelf Book Awards
11th century North Africa. Kella is a girl disguised as a boy, travelling the trade routes and beating all comers in the camel races. When her true identity is revealed, she is sent home to the family desert camp to be taught women's skills. But Kella yearns for her freedom and the excitement of life on the road and when a mighty army sets out on a holy mission, she risks marriage to its general, Yusuf. While Yusuf conquers the whole of North Africa, Kella finds herself a rival to his infamous queen consort, Zaynab, a powerful and jealous woman. Can Kella protect herself and her newborn son? Can she find the freedom she craves as well as love?
If you loved The Physician by Noah Gordon and enjoy books by Jane Johnson, Anita Diamant and Libbie Hawker, then the Moroccan Empire series is for you. Based on the rise of the Almoravid dynasty, which conquered the whole of North Africa and most of Spain (defeating El Cid), the series explores why a Muslim warlord would give his empire to the son of a Christian slave girl. This is historical fiction at its most dramatic, emotional and intriguing.
The sights, sounds, and smells of her world, the customs, beliefs and rituals, are all wonderfully described... an exquisite book. Discovering Diamonds
Addey has succeeded in staging an intriguing fictional account of the rise of the Almoravids (Moors)... Highly recommended. Historical Novel Society
Five star reviews from Amazon readersA beautifully told story. Yet another masterpiece by Melissa Addey!Loved this book !Magnificent historical fiction. I had to read this book in one sitting as I just could not put it down.
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About author Melissa Addey You can read about me and my books (and get a free novella) on my website, MelissaAddey.com. I mainly write historical fiction and have written two complete series set in 18th century China's Forbidden City and 11th century Morocco. Next up, Ancient Rome! I have a Creative Writing PhD and was the 2016 Leverhulme Trust Writer in Residence at the British Library. In 2019 I won the Page to Podcast competition as well as the Novel London award.