Mad Sisters of Esi

Mehta (The Liar’s Weave) explores the bond of sisterhood in this ambitious, dreamlike epic. Myung and Laleh live together in the belly of the whale of babel, “a creature of boundless generosity... filled with many worlds” that the sisters devote themselves to discovering and recording. Then Myung moves out, eager to explore the expansive universe outside the whale and learn more about the whale’s creator, the Great Wisa. She eventually settles on Ojda, the island where Wisa’s sister, Magali Kilta, lives, surrounded by the ghosts of her family, whom Magali keeps trapped. There, Myung learns the true history of Wisa. Meanwhile, Laleh mourns the loss of her sister, as does Magali, who misses Wisa terribly. The four women’s stories unfold through fragmented fables and myth, excerpted scholarly reports and appendices, and sketchy histories, all of which gradually reveal how interconnected Myung, Laleh, Wisa, and Magali truly are. There’s some meandering along the way, but Mehta cleverly brings the plot full-circle in a satisfying finale. Readers are sure to be impressed. (Aug.)