‘Where there is love, there is bound to be heartache.’🍂

At 40, Ella takes up a job as a reader with a literary agent. Her first assignment comes on the day her teen daughter announces her wedding with her non-Jewish boyfriend. Ella objects to the marriage citing cultural differences and the unimportance of love in a marriage, which cause a rift between her daughter and her. The followed argument on the table and certain things she says don’t help her case with her husband either. No one to go to, she goes on to read the manuscript assigned to her titled Sweet Blasphemy. Which starts, Ella’s journey to Konya of the 13th Century where she follows the life of the wandering dervish Shams of Tabriz and his search for a companion who will take on his learnings.

The book shuttles between 2008 (present) to the 13th Century telling both the stories parallel to one another. While Ella reluctantly reads the book as an assignment, she begins to reassess her life and her passivity towards love. 

Ella strikes up a conversation with the writer of “Sweet Blasphemy”, who tells her his journey to Sufism and why he wanted to write just one book – this one. As the book progresses, one can see the turn Ella’s life takes and how Shams of Tabriz completes his mission of passing on the knowledge bestowed upon him.

There is so much the book has to offer, I mean apart from the fact that it is set in the 13th century, there is so much going on- there is war, the religious diversity of opinions, Love, faith and even Sufism. I must commend the manner in which the author has put forward her perception brilliantly whilst bringing every single character to life.

I read this while going through some tough times and I tell you there were times when I found solace in its pages which was difficult to find in any other place. This book is the finest you will read anytime of the year. It is sheer brilliance and writing above par. An absolute voyage of Love, Compassion, dedication, struggle to find GOD and inevitably throwing efforts in finding yourself.