“There had been signs. The first sign was a long finger of lightening. As intent as a snake aiming for its catch, it ignited a fire in the tallest temple in the capital. On the same night prisoners mysteriously escaped their cages. A few days later, a bird was found with a mirror in its wings. The lake foamed up like a cornered animal, overlapped its banks. A falling star shot out sparks like a skunk kicking out her scent from under her black and white skirts. A woman was seen walking the streets weeping inconsolably.”

Excerpted from Night of Sorrows © Copyright 2012 by Frances Sherwood. Reprinted with permission by W. W. Norton. All rights reserved.