The Calligrapher's Secret — Rafik Schami

In the narrow streets of the old city of Damascus, a rumor is circulating: Nura, the beautiful wife of the famous calligrapher Hamid Farsi, has escaped. Why would she leave behind a life envied by so many? Could it be that she was the victim of a kidnapping by one of her husband's enemies?

Even as a young man, Hamid Farsi is acclaimed as a master of the art of calligraphy. But as time goes by, he sees that weaknesses in the Arabic language and its script limit its uses in the modern world. In a secret society, he works out schemes for radical reform, never guessing what risks he is running and how far the purists are willing to go to stop him.

His beautiful wife, Nura, is ignorant of the great plans on her husband's mind. She knows only his cold, avaricious side and so it is no wonder she feels flattered by the attentions of his amusing, lively young apprentice. And so begins a passionate love story--the love of a Muslim woman and a Christian man.