Help me find a book...

Stormhawk · Mar 21, 2010

Or rather, help me help my friend find a book. (Mods, if this is in the wrong, feel free to move).

He read this book a few years ago, wants to read it again, but only can remember a few details about it:
*Fiction
*Written in English
*Main plot revolves around reincarnation - the same characters are reincarnated over and over
*Believes the first story/section is about the mongols
*The characters generally reincarnated in the same area, but one character would deviate from the group
*Discussed different religions - including Islam
*He believes it has to be been fairly popular, as it was in his small-town library
*Thinks it had a short title

ETA - more info from him.

I'm fairly sure of the mongols, cause i believe it was on the back of the book; i had picked it up because i thought it'd be a story about kahn's and mongols

The first few stories are about mongols, then more china, then a few Japan, then it moves towards middle east, passes around Egypt, (that's where lots is about Islam, BTW), then more towards central/south-east Europe (should be around the crucifix wars).

Between the stories, it's about reincarnation and Buddhism, but the stories are about various things, big part was Chinese gods / Hinduism, then more Islam, and a few mentions about Christianity and stuff.

There are at least 20 or 30 different stories.

The characters are sometimes a man, sometimes woman, there was a eunuch once, ...

At the time i picked it up, it should have been oldish already, so i would guess between 1990-2000 the back cover is mainly about the first story, Islam is not mentioned on it the title is 3 or 4 words, it's either "the X of Y" or it's "X of Y", I'm pretty sure about that. I'm also pretty sure one of those it war or something.

Some stories are short, but some or very long, so it has to have at least 600 pages, most likely more.

Once she reincarnated into a tiger. Cause she killed her husband in the previous life. He kept beating her, but after he had beat her daughter, she killed her husband, but then next life she was punished for it.

I know this is pretty much like walking into Borders and asking for the book with the red cover, but any help would be appreciated.

Kitty Pryde · Mar 24, 2010

I'm almost certain it's "The Years of Rice and Salt" by Kim Stanley Robinson.

Wikipedia:

The book is set between about A.D. 1405 (783 solar years since the Hegira, by the Islamic calendar used in the book), and A.D. 2002 (1423 after Hegira). In the eighth Islamic century, almost 99% of the population of Medieval Europe is wiped out by the Black Death (rather than the approximately 30-60% that died in reality). This sets the stage for a world without Christianity as a major influence.

The novel follows a jāti of three to seven main characters and their reincarnation through the centuries in very different cultural and religious settings. The book features Muslim, Chinese (Buddhist, Daoist, Confucianist), American Indian, and Hindu culture, philosophy and everyday life. It mixes sophisticated knowledge about these cultures in the real world with their imagined global development in a world without Western Christendom.

Kitty Pryde · Mar 29, 2010

So? Was that it? I'm totally on the edge of my seat over here

Stormhawk · Apr 4, 2010

I've had to wait a few days to see him online, so sorry for the delay, and he says YUP that's probably it, so thank you very much.

Help me find a book...

Stormhawk

Angry Bunny Girl

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue

Stormhawk

Angry Bunny Girl