The Patient Stone: A Persian Love Story

By Margaret Olivia Wolfson

When a terrifying prophecy at the village well sends her deep into the heart of the desert, Fatima discovers a mysterious walled garden and a palace within. There, in one of the castle's rooms, lies the sleeping Javanmard, whose heart is pierced by forty pins. If Fatima can spend forty nights at his side, patiently removing the pins, then Javanmard will be hers. But if she should fail, and give in to the temptations of the palace, then she will be forced to know a deeper sense of loneliness than she has ever imagined.Romantic and spellbinding, Margaret Olivia Wolfson's narrative draws us into Fatima's mystical world, while the ethereal beauty of the Prince's palace is portrayed in luxurious detail through the illustrations of Juan Caneba Clavero.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1841480851
• ISBN13: 9781841480855
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Barefoot Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.3" x 0.5" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 8 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 3 and higher

Customer Reviews

Pleasing fairy tale ...

... with a setting that is more exotic than per usual, i.e. ancient Persia. The drawings are lovely, though not of the same caliber as the cover, unfortunately. The story is nice, and teaches the value of patience and perseverance, and the usual fairy tale elements are here: a handsome prince under a spell, mysterious guardians, enchanted gardens, etc. The background information given by the author in the afterword was enlightening and interesting, and made me think that perhaps the story would've been better as a longer juvenile or YA work of fiction; after all, a picture book can only bring so much depth to a religious parable.

so good even my teenager listened!

A wonderful book! So lyrically written and beautifully illustratedthat it held the attention of my 11 year old son and 17 year old daughterwhen I read it aloud to the family. Especially interesting were the author'swell-written notes at the end of the book that explained the symbolism used in the book.As a result, the book was not only entertaining but gave us an opportunity to learnabout the Islamic mystics, the Sufi, and to see how allusions and metaphors were usedenhance the story. Get this book for your children -- so you can read it yourself!

Exquisite new Wolfson book

Margaret's books always sing. They are like music. Her first, Marriage of the Rain Goddess was pure poetry--and this one, her third, is similar. It is refreshing to find such writing in children's books. The illustrations are breathtaking. This book is like a dream.

magical, mystical, mysterious

A beautiful and unusual story. The writing is like rare jewels, and the illustrations are extraordinary. I enjoyed this book because it featured a female who undergoes a spiritual transformation. Because of the rich inner story this makes an excellent book for adults as well--particularly for lovers of the poet Rumi. Superb.