Author: Amin Maalouf
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company UK

Overview:This intriguing story follows a French entomologist who, while attending a symposium in Cairo, encounters a mysterious bean sold at a market stall. Claimed to be derived from the scarab beetle, these beans supposedly possess magical powers—specifically, they can guarantee the birth of a male child. As the entomologist researches this phenomenon, he uncovers a troubling decline in female births, signaling a critical turning point in the world's history. Amidst this, his beloved daughter Beatrice approaches maturity, prompting the entomologist and his partner to question gender bias and seek to address the growing imbalance before it becomes irreversible.