The Silk Road conjures images of the exotic and the unknown. Most travellers simply pass along it. Brit Chris Alexander chose to live there. Ostensibly writing a guidebook, Alexander found life at the heart of the glittering madrassahs, mosques and minarets of the walled city of Khiva - a remote desert oasis in Uzbekistan - immensely alluring, and stayed.Immersing himself in the language and rich cultural traditions Alexander discovers a world torn between Marx and Mohammed - a plac...

'Imaginative, authentic, and evocative. A powerful narrative beautifully told.' - Gerard Kelly, author of The Boy Who Loved RainMaryam is stuck in an abusive marriage, living with her in-laws, in a conservative, toxically religious Middle Eastern setting.A few years back, her father was given a jar of priceless perfume by a dying leper and it seemed as if their fortunes would improve, but then Maryam's father contracted leprosy and was exiled by the village...

'If you have ever wondered how you might have felt and reacted had you lived in Palestine and heard tales about a wonderful 'Teacher' performing miracles down in Galilee, you will definitely enjoy this book.' Farifteh V. Robb, author of In the Shadow of the Shahs“When a pot breaks, it’s useless; at best there might be a shard that you can use to scoop grain. But what about a broken life? What about me? I feel so fragmented. Can I be repaired somehow? How do I live ...

'Imaginative, authentic, and evocative.'- Gerard Kelly, authorThere is a dark presence in Phin's life. His step-father is a drunk and his malevolence poisons their home.One evening the violence gets out of control and as Phin's mother drags his broken body away, she can only think of one place to take him: to the local healer. But this healer deals in more than medicinal remedies and at her insistence he calls on the spirits to ensure Phin is never harmed a...

A gripping historical novel set in 11th century Persia that imagines the life of poet and philosopher Omar KhayyamAccused of mocking the inviolate codes of Islam, the Persian poet and sage Omar Khayyam fortuitously finds sympathy with the very man who is to judge his alleged crimes. Recognising genius, the judge decides to spare him and gives him instead a small, blank book, encouraging him to confine his thoughts to it alone.Thus begins the seamless blend ...

From his chlidhood in Fez, having fled the Christian Inquisition, through his many journeys to the East as an itinerant merhcant, Hasans story is a quixotic catalogue of pirates, slave girls and princesses, encompassing the complexities of a world in a state of religious flux. Hasan too is touched by the instability of the era, performing his hadj to Mecca, then converting to Christianity, only to relapse back to the Muslim faith later in life.In re-creating his extraordinary exper...

Born in a Mesopotamian village in the third century, the son of a Parthian warrior, Mani grows up in a volatile and dangerous world. As battle rages for control over the Middle East between the great Roman and Persian empires, as Jews and Christians, Buddhists and Zoroastrians fight for ascendency, Mani- painter, mystic, physician and prophet- makes his way through the battlefields to preach to his incandescent doctrine of humility, tolerance and love, a doctrine that comes to be known as ...

There are ninety-nine names for God in the Koran, is it possible that there is a secret one-hundredth name?In this tale of magic and mystery, of love and danger, Balthasar's ultimate quest is to find the secret that could save the world.Before the dawn of the apocalyptic 'Year of the Beast' in 1666, Balthasar Embriaco, a Genoese Levantine merchant, sets out on an adventure that will take him across the breadth of the civilised world, from Constantinople, through the Mediter...

An award-winning writer reimagines the life of Jesus, from the points of view of four people closest to him before his death.This is the story of Yehoshuah, who wandered Roman-occupied Judea giving sermons and healing the sick. Now, a year after his death, four people tell their stories. His mother grieves, his friend Iehuda loses his faith, the High Priest of the Temple tries to keep the peace, and a rebel named Bar-Avo strives to bring that peace tumbling down.

Children and their parents will enjoy meeting Adam and Eve and the sneaky snake; brave Daniel in the lions' den; Jonah and the enormous whale, and Joseph and his rough-tough brothers. These nine tales, full of lively characters, make the perfect introduction to Bible stories."Positively jaunty in tone, and Nicola Smee's friendly illustrations make this collection very accessible"- Parenting MagazineContents:How the World Was MadeThe Story of Ad...

Most people think of Noah as the man who built a large ship and spent months caring for thousands of animals. But who was he and what events shaped who he would become? We wrote this novel to challenge Christians to look closely at the life of a man who walked with God. Noah: Man of Destiny takes readers on a captivating, coming-of-age journey through the pre-Flood world. Noah learns more about the Most High while standing against a sinister belief system emerging throughout the land. Whet...

All children love stories. Parents and teachers love them too because they connect us to the wisdom and beauty found in all cultures and peoples of the earth. How the Children Became Stars is a gift of fifty-two of our most time-tested and often-told stories, myths, and fables for today's children to learn from and enjoy. In this book, they'll discover a whole world of inspiration — from the Aboriginal Australian hero who chased a kangaroo and discovered the sunrise to the Zoroastrian "Noa...