The year is 1844. In the heart of Persia, a young merchant called “the Báb” has made an extraordinary claim: He is the Promised One awaited by the followers of all religions. His teachings immediately arouse the animosity of the fanatical Muslim clergy, who are intent on persecuting Him and His growing number of followers.
Kapriel, a scribe living in the city of Shíráz, is different from the average Persian. He is a Christian Armenian, and he wants nothing more than to marry Mina, the sister of his best friend, Rahma, a Muslim farmer who lives next door. Although Rahma and Kapriel are close, Rahma—like many Muslim Persians of the time—often treats Kapriel as an inferior person because he is Christian. For Rahma, the idea of a Christian marrying his sister is unthinkable.
When Rahma hears of the Báb’s message of love, unity, and equality, however, he begins to change. He asks Kapriel to promise that he will accompany him on a pilgrimage to see the Báb. For Kapriel, this will mean leaving everything behind—his family, his scribing business, and his beloved Mina. The ensuing journey will test both men to their limits and will transform them both physically and spiritually. Their friendship will deepen, and as they journey to find out more about the Báb, they will find courage, compassion, and fortitude within themselves that they never knew existed
Kapriel, a scribe living in the city of Shíráz, is different from the average Persian. He is a Christian Armenian, and he wants nothing more than to marry Mina, the sister of his best friend, Rahma, a Muslim farmer who lives next door. Although Rahma and Kapriel are close, Rahma—like many Muslim Persians of the time—often treats Kapriel as an inferior person because he is Christian. For Rahma, the idea of a Christian marrying his sister is unthinkable.
When Rahma hears of the Báb’s message of love, unity, and equality, however, he begins to change. He asks Kapriel to promise that he will accompany him on a pilgrimage to see the Báb. For Kapriel, this will mean leaving everything behind—his family, his scribing business, and his beloved Mina. The ensuing journey will test both men to their limits and will transform them both physically and spiritually. Their friendship will deepen, and as they journey to find out more about the Báb, they will find courage, compassion, and fortitude within themselves that they never knew existed
Compelling Portrait of Persia in the Nineteenth Century
The lives of the early Babis come alive in this novel. Seeking to follow the Bab, two young men of Shiraz, one Muslim, the other Christian, set off. Everywhere they go, they find that they have just missed him. Their journey tests them in unimaginable ways. Pollard shows us the lives of ordinary Persians during this formative time. I think this book would be of interest to anyone who likes historical fiction