TRAVELERS ALONG THE WAY: A ROBIN HOOD REMIX, by Aminah Mae Safi, Feiwel & Friends, March 1, 2022, Hardcover, $18.99 (young adult)
A group of misfits get mixed up in Holy Land politics in Aminah Mae Safi’s Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix.
Jerusalem, 1192. The Third Crusade rages on. Rahma al-Hud loyally followed her elder sister Zeena into the war over the Holy Land, but now that the Faranji invaders have gotten reinforcements from Richard the Lionheart, all she wants to do is get herself and her sister home alive.
But Zeena, a soldier of honor at heart, refuses to give up the fight while Jerusalem remains in danger of falling back into the hands of the false Queen Isabella. And so, Rahma has no choice but to take on one final mission with her sister.
On their journey to Jerusalem, Rahma and Zeena come across a motley collection of fellow travelers ― including a kind-hearted Mongolian warrior, an eccentric Andalusian scientist, a frustratingly handsome spy with a connection to Rahma’s childhood, and an unfortunate English chaplain abandoned behind enemy lines. The teens all find solace, purpose and camaraderie ― as well as a healthy bit of mischief ― in each other’s company.
But their travels soon bring them into the orbit of Queen Isabella herself, whose plans to re-seize power in Jerusalem would only guarantee further war and strife in the Holy Land for years to come. And so it falls to the merry band of misfits to use every scrap of cunning and wit (and not a small amount of thievery) to foil the usurper queen and perhaps finally restore peace to the land. —Synopsis provided by Feiwel & Friends
Author Aminah Mae Safi wants you to rethink everything you know about history and the people who tell it. After all, just because a story is never told, doesn’t mean it never happened.
In Traveler’s Along the Way, Robin Hood isn’t an English man in green tights. Instead, Rahma al-Hud is a young woman with a green hood that does everything in her power to bring peace to the Holy Land.
Rahma is clever and daring and has a penchant for getting into trouble. She loves her family, friends and the land that men are continually fighting over. She’s bold, brash and exactly the type of hero you’d want leading you. And her band of merry followers aren’t so bad either. Though not as completely fleshed out as Rahma, each one still exhibits complexities.
Travelers Along the Way is set during the Crusades, and Safi doesn’t shy away from the setting. She tackles numerous faiths, countries and ethnicities with ease. Nothing feels forced or heavy handed. She sets each scene with tastes, sights and sounds that truly transport you. Whether walking into a humble abode or skirting around enemy territory, you feel as if you’re part of Rahma’s crew.
Travelers Along the Way is the third of four Reclaimed Classics books in the works from Feiwel & Friends. The other books include So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix (Sept. 2021), A Clash Of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix (Sept. 2021), and What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix (July 2022). It’s been an excellent series so far, and I hope more books are in the works.
Copyright © 2022 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
