The Map of Love

Divided into three parts, Anna’s weaving of Isis, Osiris, and the infant Horus stands for what is immutable in the lives of the novel’s characters and of the world. The story of the ancient gods Isis and Osiris is one of resurrection: when Osiris is murdered and ripped apart by his brother Set, Isis seeks all the pieces of him, puts them together, and brings him back to life. Their son, Horus, goes on to depose Set and restore cosmic order to Egypt. An ancient and foundational myth, the story has obvious connections to the events of the plot: for instance, to Amal’s reassembly of Anna and Sharif’s lost story, to the re-weaving of the divided tapestry itself, and to the resurrection of Sharif through his great-great-grandson.

The image of Anna’s weaving is also loaded with significance. Anna writes in her journal of weaving as an activity that keeps you in the place you are, paying attention to the world around you: “It is not like reading or writing, when you are necessarily cut off from everything so that you may not hear when you are spoken to—indeed you may look up and be surprised to find yourself where you are, so transported were you by what is on the page.