"When Anahita, a nomadic weaver in Iran at the turn of the 20th century, learns that her father wants her to wed the leader of thier tribe, Anahita rebels. Determined to design her own fate, she devises a contest in which suitors must guess the meaning of a riddle woven into her wedding carpet. Her idea draws the attention of an extraordinary group of men and brings unexpected consequences for those around herr. Who willmatch Anahita in this game of wits? Or more important, who will win her heart? This enchanting tale set in an ancient land or the crest of change is enriched with details of Persian culture and Sufi poetry." -- page [4] of cover.

Love and Pomegranates: Artists and Wayfarers on Iran is a series of testimonials from people who have journeyed into the heart of the "enemy" and found themselves identifying with the "other." More than a collection of essays to acquaint readers with Iran, it is a model for citizen diplomacy. It is a maiden voyage on the path to greater understanding.

A tract of land is returned to its natural state, from pasture to wetland, as streams are unblocked, animals move back in, and native plants grow.

This is the story of a group of young weavers in the Gaeltacht, the Irish speaking section of Donegal, who with the help of village elders formed a tapestry weaving cooperative called Taipeis Gael."

How would the most cherished stories of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam be different if women were the active central figures? This ground-breaking collection of short stories brings to life the women—daring, brave, thoughtful, and wise—who played important and exciting roles in the early days of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Join Esther as she stands against injustice and her king to save her people, Aisha as she leads hundreds of men into terrifying battle, and Mary as she and Elizabeth dream of the new lives growing inside them. How must Sarah have felt, turning Hagar out into the desert? And how must Hagar have felt, traveling from the safety and security of Abraham's land toward an uncertain future? These stories invite us to come to know and appreciate the struggles and triumphs of these women—mothers, daughters, believers and seekers.

BOOKER PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A novel that follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he never much thought about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance: one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present. A novel so compelling that it begs to be read in a single setting, The Sense of an Ending has the psychological and emotional depth and sophistication of Henry James at his best, and is a stunning achievement in Julian Barnes's oeuvre. Tony Webster thought he left his past behind as he built a life for himself, and his career has provided him with a secure retirement and an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, who now has a family of her own. But when he is presented with a mysterious legacy, he is forced to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.

A joyous celebration of a girl's first family outing in a new country "With her colorful, exuberant folk-art illustrations and upbeat, friendly tone, Rashin makes a daunting cross-cultural leap seem as easy as a summer breeze." -- New York Times Book ReviewRashin is excited about her first visit to the beach in her family's new home. On the way there, she remembers what beach trips were like in Iran, the beautiful Caspian Sea, the Persian music, and most of all, the saffron ice cream she shared with her best friend, Azadeh. But there are wonderful things in this new place as well -- a subway train, exciting music... and maybe even a new friend!

A riveting and powerful story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship and an indestructible love

Xerxes, Great King of the Persian Empire from 486–465 B.C., has gone down in history as an angry tyrant full of insane ambition. The stand of Leonidas and the 300 against his army at Thermopylae is a byword for courage, while the failure of Xerxes’ expedition has overshadowed all the other achievements of his twenty-two-year reign. In this lively and comprehensive new biography, Richard Stoneman shows how Xerxes, despite sympathetic treatment by the contemporary Greek writers Aeschylus and Herodotus, had his reputation destroyed by later Greek writers and by the propaganda of Alexander the Great. Stoneman draws on the latest research in Achaemenid studies and archaeology to present the ruler from the Persian perspective. This illuminating volume does not whitewash Xerxes’ failings but sets against them such triumphs as the architectural splendor of Persepolis and a consideration of Xerxes’ religious commitments. What emerges is a nuanced portrait of a man who ruled a vast and multicultural empire which the Greek communities of the West saw as the antithesis of their own values.