Maria Knodt

Elif Shafak

The Forty Rules of Love

The book of Turkish novelist Elif Shafak is full of wisdom and beauty as it takes us along the journey of Elle Rubinstein, an unhappy American mid-aged housewife who becomes a reader for a literary agent. The manuscript of a book she receives changes her life as she starts to interact with its author, Aziz Zahara. I loved that besides the philosophical takes of Aziz, we learn a lot about Sufism and the relationship between the famous 13th-century poet Rumi and the Sufi mystic Shams – based on a true story. A thrilling and inspiring story!

“Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling things might seem, do not enter the neighborhood of despair. Even when all doors remain closed, God will open up a new path only for you. Be thankful! It is easy to be thankful when all is well. A Sufi is thankful not only for what he has been given but also for all that he has been denied.”