Persian Passion: Of Gods and Gargoyles

This is a captivating portrayal of the most dramatic episodes of Babi history. In 1848, a few followers of the Bab gathered in the village of Badasht to proclaim the dawn of a new era. The only woman among them threw off her veil to symbolize the emancipation of women. As this messianic movement swept through Persia, the king, Muhammad Shah, was dying, and a violent tug of war for power was underway over who would replace him. The conflict comes to a head at the inquisition trial of the imprisoned Prophet, the Báb, staged by the Grand Vazír to embarrass the teenage Crown Prince, who must preside over the tribunal. The stakes are high: if the Báb proves himself to be the Promised One of Islam, then he must be the true sovereign of Persia.
“Persian Passion” is the dramatic portrayal of the darkest hour before the Dawn of the Day whose noon effulgence all the world still longs to witness.

“I can totally visualize this wonderful book’s characters as
they must have truly interacted. Their physical descriptions,
as well as their conversations, are magnificent. The author
did all the necessary research to bring this important history
to life, in fact leaping off the pages.”

— Sheila Banani

“A captivating account of a dramatic summer that questioned traditionalism
and patriarchy, and celebrated the resurrection of the human spirit.”

— Dr. Nader Saiedi, UCLA

“… an expertly written look into the parallel histories of the founders
of the Baha’i Faith, the Bab and Baha’u’llah. It evokes the spiritual
passion and political complexity of mid-nineteenth century Persia in
beautiful prose…. I can’t recommend it more highly.”

— Rainn Wilson, actor

“For the first time in my Baha’i life, after reading “Persian Passion”
I feel that I have an understanding of the history of the Babis — although
I had read all of the source books used by the author. I had planned to read
its hundreds of pages over several weeks, but once I started reading the book,
I couldn’t put it down. I finished it after work in three days. The accuracy of the
quotes of the Bab and Baha’u’llah, and the fact that the book had been thoroughly
reviewed by eminent Baha’i scholars, assured me that the story of the early
history of the Faith was accurate — although the book is a creative account.”

— Judge Dorothy Nelson