The WHY behind the writing…

The initial motivation for writing Crimson Ink was to give a voice to those whose voices are suppressed and whose stories ought to be told. In a sense their stories are also our stories. Because we’re one human race, when part of it suffers, we all suffer. And how can we ultimately end suffering if we aren’t aware of what others go through?  At their core, the book’s character types and themes are universal.

An additional intention was an exploration of the concept of ‘heroism’. Challenging stereotypes meant asking the question:  Aren’t ‘ordinary people’ also capable of courageous acts whose… energies radiate and affect others far beyond them. The reality & significance of an act may remain hidden until a propitious time.

Crimson Ink will take readers on a journey into a culture they may not know much about, and the hope is that it will dispel any preconceived ideas about Iran and its people, and particularly the Baha’is.

But more, that readers will come away with some understanding about what is now being called “constructive resilience”:  that despite suffering and persecution, there are people who continue to believe in the essential rightness of living and working according to standards of excellence and altruism; who strive to help not only their co-religionists, but also their neighbors, their society, and their country. That a “moral imperative” sustains them and benefits others.