Teaser Tuesday: Drawing in the Dust by Zoe Klein

Title: Drawing in the Dust
Author: Zoe Klein
ISBN: 9781416599128
Publisher: Pocket Books/2009
Pages: 360

Page Brookstone, an American archeologist, has been living in Megiddo, Israel, digging it for the past 12 years, the same things everytime. She wants to find something new. She is somehow dissatisfied with her life. An Arab couple contacts her to dig under their house in Anatot, outside of Jerusalem, as they feel something/someone moving in their house. Theu can also see the ghosts. Page refuses at first, but something intrigues her, when she goes to their house on a whim. She decides to dig it, although her boss Norris is against it. Along with the Arab couple, their nephew Walid and a couple of young girls, Page digs and finds artifacts, murals, jewellery, which indicates that they have stumbled upon the grave of the Prophet Jeremiah, along with an woman, Anatiya, about whom no has known anything till date. . When they dig deeper, they find a coffin, which contains the couple in embrace, assumed to the prophet and Anatiya.

However, more important than the coffin are the scrolls, apparently written by Anatiya, documenting her life, her journey toward the prophet, their love for each other and final rest in each other's arms.

Some people don't want the scrolls to be revealed to the world but Page is determined that they come out and she does it with the help of her close friend and few others. While translating the work, Page feels a deep peace coming over her. She accepts her past secrets and is now ready to accept love, although there are obstacles.

Zoe Klein has created a fictitious character in Anatiya but she is very much real for the reader, and her thoughts in the form of poetry is eternal. Love transcends everything. Zoe has also tried to balance the various cultures, religions, in a very mature way. She is not judgemental and that is what is the most wonderful thing about the book. Reflective at places, meditative at times, the passages enhance the book. Anyone who has read and loved The Red Tent by Anita Diamant will love this book too. It is a keeper.