Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood

In the first pages of Dreams of Trespass, Mother tells young Fatima the story of Scheherazade, a woman who is able to stop a king from killing her “just by using words” (10). Scheherazade tells the angry king powerful stories, both “tak[ing] him to faraway lands” and bringing him “closer to the strangeness within himself” (15)—and eventually convincing him to abandon revenge and choose love instead. From stories like this one, Fatima learns early in life that words must become her “lifetime work”—they will control her “chances of happiness” (16), and even save her life. Dreams of Trespass is the story of Fatima absorbing the words of a previous generation of women, and becoming a storyteller herself; through this journey, the author illustrates how words and stories allow women to fight back against a society that leaves them powerless.

Throughout Dreams of Trespass, Fatima is inspired by the great storytellers in her family, particularly Aunt Habiba and Cousin Chama. Aunt Habiba, as a woman who was cast out by her husband, is ostensibly among the most powerless members of the harem; yet her understanding of how words can shift the balance of power allows her to practice a secret rebellion.