Noor Inayat Khan – författare

These twenty tales have been drawn from famous legends concerning the former lives of the Buddha. Beloved by children and adults alike, they tell of people and animals moved to acts of sacrifice by the noble example of their fellow creatures. The flavor is often suggestive of Aesop, as are the lessons that are so subtly and keenly conveyed.Presented in a simplified narrative, the tales maintain the magical and timeless beauty of their Far Eastern origins. The stories are ideal for reading to children, as they tell of highly dramatic adventures that are resolved by non-violent and compassionate means. Challenging circumstances bring forth courage and the capacity to love, opening the way to solutions against seemingly impossible odds.This book will also be coveted for its exquisite illustrations by the well-known illustrator H. Willebeek Le Mair.

"Noor (Noor-un-Nisa) Inayat Khan (19141944) is widely remembered as a hero and martyr of the Second World War. Some of those who honor her memory are aware that before the war she wrote stories for children. Until now, however, Noors mystical drama ""Aède of the Ocean and Land"" has remained virtually unknown. A fantastical creation, ""Aède"" shines a revealing light on Noors life and thought, reflecting her unique assimilation of the spiritual teachings of her father, Hazrat Inayat Khan. In ""Aède,"" Noor combines elements of Greek myth, Sufi esotericism, and personal experience to produce a gripping and surprising retelling of the Odyssey of Homer. The protagonist wrestles with monsters, colloquizes with nymphs, and sails the Mediterranean in search of home. Will Ulys reattain domestic bliss in Ithacaor does another destiny await him? Noor Inayat Khan delicately infuses Homers epic poem with Sufi philosophy and weaves a narrative that is at once an ode to her parents as well as her own interpretation of the journey of life. As gods and humans mingle in a world of conflict, soul-searching, and heroism, Noor layers her characters, understanding their frailties and their strengths. ""Aède of the Ocean and Land""written just before the writer herself would make her own brave journey in the Second World Waris a gem of a discovery, as relevant today as when it was written. Shrabani Basu, author of ""Victoria & Abdu"", This mystical dramatization of the ""Odyssey"" in the tradition of ancient Neoplatonic readings of Homer, melded with the influence of Sufism, is an important text for readers interested in the reception of Homer in the twentieth century. -- Emily Wilson, translator of ""The Odyssey"""