"Come, listen, listen to the story of the curse that foreshadowed every father's disappearance. Be comforted by your four mothers."While Amal is despondent at being deserted by her husband after the birth of her first child, her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother rejoice that she has borne a son. For the older generations realise that the birth of a healthy boy means that their family's curse has been broken.Motherhood proves to be Amal's initiation into the secrets of her family's history and the rich tapestry of the lives of her four "mothers". She learns of Mazal, the orphan, whose ill-fated marriage brought about the curse; her daughter Sara, whose golden hair becomes a symbol for her power to heal; of Sara's daughter Pnina-Mazal, the unwanted child whose talent for knowing others' thoughts brings her joy and sorrow; and her daughter Geula, Amal's mother, whose sharp intellect and idealism prove to be both a gift and a burden.Epic in scope, rich in magical realism and folklore, Shifra Horn's debut novel is a masterpiece of storytelling. She lives in Jerusalem, where Four Mothers was a national bestseller.