The Scribe's Promise

The year is 1844. In the heart of Persia, a young merchant called “the Bab” 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 Shiraz, 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 Bab'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 Bab. 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 Bab, they will find courage, compassion, and fortitude within themselves that they never knew existed