The Forty Thieves: Marjana's Tale

by Christy Lenzi

This retelling of the One Thousand and One Nights tale "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," set in tenth-century Baghdad, is told from the perspective of Marjana, the girl who saves Ali Baba, and brings a fresh perspective to the classic story!

Marjana and her little brother, Jamal, who have been slaves of Ali Baba's cruel brother ever since their mother died, are kidnapped by the Forty Thieves one night. They are able to escape, but Marjana is worried for Jamal, as he becomes drawn to their lifestyle and joins a street gang. When Marjana meets Saja, a slave working at the bathhouse, who's also concerned about her little brother, Badi, becoming involved with the street gangs, Saja and Marjana try to get their brothers to become friends, and in turn, become friends themselves, despite Marjana's initial reluctance.

Marjana's mistress, however, is more worried about what her husband's fortune will be and convinces Marjana to spy on him when the fortune-teller Abu-Zayed visits. Abu-Zayed predicts that Ali Baba will end up far richer and greater, which sends Marjana's master into a panic, especially when he learns that Ali Baba has found the secret of the Forty Thieves' cave, which indicates that the fortune is coming true. Can Marjana save her brother from joining the street gangs, all the while helping Ali Baba escape the wrath of the Forty Thieves?

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Retellings, Historical, Childrens

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

Christy Lenzi writes fiction for young people. She lives in California's Central Valley.

Reviews

[Christy Lenzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magic treasure cave, flying carpets, forty ruthless thieves vs. one brave girl. This was fun to read. Heck, it was fun to write! :) I'm glad I can finally share the story with you all. <3

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written tale from a new perspective that is sure to dazzle and entrance young readers. If this had come out when I was a kid, it would have been my favorite book.

[Karen McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 7th graders at my school read Ali Baba and the Forthy Thieves in history every year, and as the reading intervention teacher, I have helped many a struggling student pull the main ideas out of the story so I am fairly familiar with it. This ARC just happened to show up in my mailbox on a Friday afternoon and I just happened to have finished my current read that day. The winds of fate brought us together.

I was immediately intrigued at the completely different point of view as the story is told from the servant girl Marjana's perspective. The story felt much different and mysterious, to the point I couldn't put it down. And yet the original tale is in there. From flying carpets to "Open Sesame" the story is filled with the same magical charm. But Marjana is a servant girl and an orphan trying to keep her younger brother from joining a street gang and dreaming of freedom one day. There is a much stronger current of Baghdad history, Muslim culture, and human truth that drew me in to the story. I loved the author's note at the end, and the journey along the way. Fans of the new Aladdin remake the strong Jasmine character will love Marjana's courage and strength as she becomes the true hero of Ali Baba's tale.

[Cori Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun retelling of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, this places Marjana where she should be as the protagonist/hero.
Marjana is a good character she cares for her brother, tries to do what's right and to be devoted to her religion (Sufi Muslim, and in a way that it isn't shoved down your throat). Set in tenth century AD it is a tale that delves into fate and friendship.

[Cerese]

Ali Baba’s story, told from the perspective of the young slave girl (Marjana) who works for Ali Baba’s brother. Marjana tries to protect her brother from joining the forty thieves, and Ali Baba from being attacked for stealing the thieves’ gold. This story includes close friendships, sibling relationships, a psychic, and of course treasure!

[Rose | Adventurous Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Likes:
The cultural details that is uncommon to find in MG books

Dislikes:
Took awhile to get into.
Too many plot lines for the length of the book.

[Deanna Holdsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since their mother's death Marjana and Jamal have worked for Cassim, the cruel brother of Alibaba. Saja and her brother are also orphans and they work at the bathhouse. When the forth thrives attack Cassim's house Marjana and Jamal with many other slaves, material items, and even family members are taken. Marjana and Jamal manage to escape and return to the home they have always known. When Marjana meets Saja at the bathhouse they decide their brothers should meet and perhaps their friendship will keep them from joining any neighborhood gangs. When the girls learn the boys are planning to join a gang they dress as boys and follow along. As the girls try to save their brothers only Jamal makes it out alive. When Cassim seeks a fortune teller he learns that life is about to change and when he tries to change his fate he just loses his wealth much sooner. Now Alibab has the family home and he shares his wealth the the community. As Marjana, Jamal and Saja work to bring down the Forty Theives they might just gain their own freedom.
So much action in this book and great friendships as well. I liked the quote found on pages 157-158 "It is true the angels are weaving all our fates together, but the threads are our own...whatever the angels are creating out of your threads, make sure it is strong and beautiful."

[Stephanie P (Because My Mother Read) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher to review.

I have never read a retelling of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves before and this was really fun for me!

When I read the original tale I was struck by the character of the slave girl Marjana and how she was the clear heroine of the story. Often women and girls are pushed to the background in iconic stories so I loved having her shine. I think the idea to write a retelling from her perspective was wonderful and I loved seeing the story fleshed out with added characters and depth. Seeing the original tale expanded was one of my favorite parts, but prior knowledge of the tale is not necessary to understand and enjoy the book.

It was a quick read and very action packed and fast paced. I really enjoyed the historical setting of tenth century Baghdad.

It is middle grade level geared towards ages 10-14.

[Cress · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loveeeeeeee Morjiana. Seeing her intelligence, strength, and unwavering determination was incredible. I was fully invested in her journey, and I adored how this retelling gave her the spotlight she deserves.

That said, I really wish the book had been longer. While the story was engaging, some plot points felt rushed—certain twists, character developments, and emotional beats didn’t have enough time to fully breathe. If this had even 100 more pages, the tension could have built up more effectively, allowing relationships and conflicts to develop more naturally and making key moments hit even harder.

Still, this was a beautiful reimagining of Morjiana’s story.

P.S. I know I only talked about Morj, but I loveeed her friendship with Saja, it was beautiful. And making Ali Baba an even purer soul and kinda soul was 👌🏻

[Shayden Hatathle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book "The Forty Thieves: Marjana's Tale" is about a girl name Marjana and her brother Jamal that are slaves to Ali baba's brother who is mean to them ever since their mother died. After a night of doing chores for their master, their shop got broken into by the forty thieves and Marjana and Jamal got captured as prizes. They were taken for days until Marjana stole a knife from their shop and cut themselves out of the ties and set them free. Days after escaping the thieves Jamal starting getting into gangs and wanting to join them. Once Marjana found out she had to put a stop to it but things took a turn for the worst when she found out where he went all this time. What I liked about this book is that Marjana would do anything to protect her brother from any danger. Also, when she found some other girl who had the same problem as her with her brother. What I disliked about this book is that Marjana is really selfish and won't help anyone if it doesn't benefit her or save her brother.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to see siblings overcome anything if they work together.

[Jennifer Guyor Jowett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enter into the world of Ali Baba in Marjana's adventures outwitting thieves, forging friendships, defending family, and conquering slavery. Marjana's courage and wits help her thwart adversaries and gain allies. Christy Lenzi brings a fresh perspective to the classic tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, one that will captivate readers.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book almost feels as though it was either written by AI, or never edited at all. The writing is very disjointed and often borderline nonsensical, and I came across multiple errors while trying to read it. In all honesty, the best thing about it was the descriptive setting and the pretty cover. DNF at around 50 percent.

[Kelly Jahng · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting retelling, but it was a little disjointed in places. I enjoyed the historical references of 10th century Baghdad and Marjana is a great character. Things just got a little hard to follow at times.

[Pam Vickers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story, beautifully written. Highly recommend!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't seem to put down this book for very long. It's an engaging retelling of a familiar tale, now featuring the slave girl, Marjana. Intended audience: Middle Grades.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story of a sister’s love and bravery!

[Renee Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marjana, a slave in Ali Baba's brother's household, is the main character and brings a rich new perspective to this ancient tale.