NPR

In 'Mad, Bad & Dangerous,' Romantic Sleuths Uncover A Byronic Secret

Samira Ahmed's new novel bounces between two timelines, following a Muslim American art student in Paris, and the mysterious harem woman she believes inspired work by Lord Byron and his circle.
<em>Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know</em>, by Samira Ahmed

An amateur art historian uncovers the story of a mysterious woman who inspired some of the great works of Alexandre Dumas, Lord Byron, and Eugène Delacroix in this delightful romp through the City of Lights.

Khayyam is a girl who exists in the liminal space between several identities. She's American, raised in Chicago by her professor parents, but spends her summers in Paris. Her mom is Indian American and Muslim, and her dad is French. She speaks multiple languages

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