Keep Them Coming!

Review by J LaRue on 8/17/2021

I have always learned facts best through historical fiction and more recently, creative non-fiction. This book describes real life, politics, and intrigue in Persia at the time of the Bab. It moves forward effortlessly and helped me immensely in remembering who is who and what they did to further or attempt to hinder this nascent Faith. I have a much better "feel" for the early days of the Faith than I had before reading this book and I look forward to more. I am a bit uncomfortable with the "creative non-fiction" classification--the author invents more conversations, albeit based on fact, than I have run across in any other creative non-fiction. If there were a niche between creative non-fiction and historical fiction this book would land soundly in that category.

Persian Passions

Review by Dorothy on 2/6/2020

"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."

A Page Turner! An Excellent Read

Review by Susan Turner Jones on 2/5/2020

Immerse in the labyrinthian deception of 19th Century Persia, where the shah, blinded by selfishness, squanders power to self-promoting ambitious forces surrounding him. To this evil, with great historical detail, the author reveals the tender birth of a new religion, which, despite all efforts to destroy it, attracts followers through sacred writings as well as pure actions of the mystical leader. Lysaght’s exacting research blends excellently with well-developed characters, whose conflicts build momentum; chapters are left hanging with violent schemes to destroy the believers of this new faith. The trilogy’s first volume leaves the reader in suspense in the darkest time in Persia, when the Lady Macbethian mother of the future shah has cleared the way for her puppet son to become the next shah of Persia. Will the Babi Faith survive? Tom Lysaght’s book accomplishes what historical fiction should; it sends the reader racing to learn how events unfolded, eagerly awaiting Volume 2.

PERSIAN PASSION OF GODS & GARGOYLES

Review by Sheila W. Banani on 12/16/2019

I have just started reading this wonderful book -- I can totally visualize the characters as they must have truly interacted and the physical descriptions of them as well as their conversations are magnificent. The author has done all the necessary research to bring this important history to life, in fact leaping off the pages.

I loved this book!

Review by Ryan Haidarian on 8/31/2019

I had the pleasure of reading a pre-publication manuscript of this book and absolutely loved it! It's so compelling to read and is written like historical fiction. It kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened next even though I often knew the specifics of the history around the events from other non-fiction sources. The writer has masterfully built a compelling narrative full of dastardly deeds by unscrupulous characters. Read this book - you'll be so glad you did.