When Ella Rubinstein discovers a manuscript about the thirteenth-century Sufi poet Rumi and his mentor Shams of Tabriz, her comfortable but hollow life is suddenly disrupted. The forty rules of life and love that shaped Rumi's spiritual journey awaken something long dormant in her, prompting her to seek out the mysterious man behind the text. Elif Shafak weaves together past and present, exploring how ancient wisdom can transform a modern woman's understanding of love, identity, and purpose.
