Deeply absorbing and mysterious, this novel conjures life in Renaissance Florence and the Mughal court of emperor Akbar with vivid detail and humor. It begins with a Florentine stranger in Sikra and then proceeds to reveal many secrets and tell many tales. Combine a page-turning plot with Rushdie's masterful prose and philosophical complexity, and you have a thoroughly rewarding read.  (ITL948, $26.00)

Summer Reading