In this lyrical, exuberant follow-up to her novel The Bastard of Istanbul, acclaimed Turkish author Elif Shafak incarnates Rumi’s timeless message of love
The Forty Rules of Love unfolds two tantalizing parallel narratives—one contemporary and the other set in the thirteenth century, when Rumi encountered his spiritual mentor, the whirling dervish known as Shams of Tabriz—that together explore … Tabriz—that together explore the enduring power of Rumi’s work.
Ella Rubenstein is forty years old and unhappily married when she takes a job as a reader for a literary agent. Her first assignment is to read and report on Sweet Blasphemy, a novel written by a man named Aziz Zahara. Ella is mesmerized by his tale of Shams’s search for Rumi and the dervish’s role in transforming the successful but unhappy cleric into a committed mystic, passionate poet, and advocate of love. She is also taken with Shams’s lessons, or rules, that offer insight into an ancient philosophy based on the unity of all people and religions, and the presence of love in each and every one of us. As she reads on, she realizes that Rumi’s story mirrors her own and that Zahara—like Shams—has come to set her free.
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It’s historical AND inspirational. I have a large book of Rumi poems, but knowing about Shams of Tabriz really rounds out the story of these Sufi icons!
Great book! Really enjoyed the history of the characters and the plot that pulled it all together. Peaked my interest in Rumi and dervishes. Learned a lot about both. Really loved the 40 Rules- everyone should live by their meaning.
I learned a lot about religion, including my own and how similar they are. It just made sense.
I did not see where the plot was going. Intertwining the Rumi quotes was inspired.
I loved this book. It made me want to learn more about Sufis and Rumi.