Sayyida

When she marries at sixteen, Zuhra's world swiftly expands to include Berbers, Jews, sultans, pirates, Christian captives, and an unpredictable family. With an independent spirit and persistent curiosity, her life as a traditional Muslim woman moves from duty and devotion to fame and notoriety, then romance and adventure.

Sayyida Zuhra al-Hurra, called both Renaissance woman and Pirate Queen, rules a city-state for a quarter century at a time of turbulent historical shifts-the dominance of Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean, Spanish and Portuguese invasions of North Africa, New World voyages, and the Ottoman Empire's advance toward Europe. Facing loss and betrayal, Zuhra meets the challenges of a wider world with resilience and audacity.