Britain Has a New Crown Jewel

Finally—or, So soon?—Sherry Jones has found a publisher for her lusty Islamic love story (and it has its own heavily-sourced and lengthy Wikipedia entry!):

[British] Publisher Martin Rynja (of British publishing house Gibson Square), describing himself as "completely bowled over by the novel and the moving love story it portrays," called Jones's book "an important barometer of our time":

"In an open society there has to be open access to literary works, regardless of fear," Rynja said in a press release. "As an independent publishing company, we feel strongly that we should not be afraid of the consequences of debate. If a novel of quality and skill that casts light on a beautiful subject we know too little of in the West, but have a genuine interest in, cannot be published here, it would truly mean that the clock has been turned back to the dark ages."

Leave it to the Brits, with their libel-happy laws and their magazine police, to go where Americans dare not read. There's a first time for everything, I suppose.

Michael C. Moynihan on Jones here. Yours truly on Jones here and here. Ron Bailey here on the type of readers Random House didn't want to risk offending.