Customer Reviews

A Moth to the Flame: The Story of the Great Sufi Poet Rumi

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For years now, I have been a fan of Connie Zweig's books Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow (which I recommend to all my students). Following a recent read of her last book, The Holy Longing, I just finished this first novel of hers and feel she has outdone herself in telling the tale of Rumi, who lived 800 years ago, in another time and a faraway place. Perhaps because of her deep knowledge of psychology, the characters are compelling and elegantly drawn. Their struggles are like ours today -- Rumi's longing for a higher world, his wife's longing for his love, his sons' longing for his attention, his disciples' longing for his approval. And yet they are unique. I found myself deeply engaged in the personal story about one of the world's greatest poets. For me, Rumi came alive through his spiritual dreams and relationships. I didn't want it to end. But when it did, I felt deeply satisfied and felt I better knew the real human being behind all the bigger than life, brilliant writings.

I'm a life-long avid fiction reader and always wish I could find stories that illuminate the spiritual lives of characters and the development of their relationships to the divine. This book does just that. I knew about Rumi the poet but not about Rumi the enlightened master. In reading this book, I came to understand how Sufis view spirituality and to honor more deeply the universal bond that ties us all to God. I highly recommend it!

Linda Schreyer Crowe

"At last, for people like me who love Rumi's poetry, an inside look into the man himself, his family, his times, his challenges, and his ultimate spiritual victory. In this novel, which is based on history, Rumi comes alive! I feel as if I get to know him as a human being but also as a teacher, which he has been for me through his poetry. I also gained a much deeper understanding of Sufism, or mystical Islam, and how different it is from the fundamentalist Islam we see today. I highly recommend this book to anyone loves poetry or spiritual fiction. You have a treat awaiting you!"

I'm an avid reader of spiritual fiction and a fan of Rumi's poetry, so this new novel, which is beautifully written, was perfect for me. It's almost like one long poem! It's historical fiction, murder mystery, and religious epic all at the same time. I particularly liked learning about Rumi's daughter and how women survived in early Islam. As a meditation practitioner, I really liked learning about Sufi spiritual practices too.

Although Islamic fundamentalism has (deservedly) earned disapprobation from the Western world, Connie Zweig's book offers a welcome and balanced look at Islam's mystical and esoteric foundations in the Sufi tradition. It's also a first-class work of biographic fiction about one of history's most beloved poets and his struggle to find meaning in a tumultous era. An interesting technique is that the author wrote the narrative in the present tense. Highly recommended!
John Nelson MD, author of The Remembering, Healing the Split, Sacred Sorrows

This is a beautifully written, engaging, intimate, and delicate story of Rumi and everyone in his life...I've been quite familiar with Rumi's life and philosophy but until I read this book I only knew him as a historical character, a Sufi Mater, and a poet, but I didn't really know him as a person. A Moth to the Flame with its honest and creative approach shows Rumi as a human being, with all his strenghts and weaknesses...explores the depths of his mind and heart, brings a new meaning to who he is, his poetry, and his teachings.

At last, for people like me who love Rumi's poetry, an inside look into the man himself, his family, his times, his challenges, and his ultimate spiritual victory. In this novel, which is based on history, Rumi comes alive. I feel as if I get to know him as a human being and a teacher. I also gained a deeper understanding of Sufism, or mystical Islam and its spiritual practices, and how different it is from the fundamentalist Islam we see today. I highly recommend this -- it's a treat!

I'm an avid reader of spiritual fiction and a fan of Rumi's poetry, so this new novel, which is beautifully written, was perfect for me. It's almost like one long poem! It's historical fiction, murder mystery, and religious epic all at the same time. I particularly liked learning about Rumi's daughter and how women survived in early Islam. As a meditation practitioner, I really liked learning about Sufi spiritual practices too.

Although Islamic fundamentalism has (deservedly) earned disapprobation from the Western world, Connie Zweig's book offers a welcome and balanced look at Islam's profound mystical foundations in the Sufi tradition, which has much to offer spiritual seekers everywhere. A Moth to the Flame is also a first-class work of biographic fiction about one of history's most beloved poets and his struggle to find meaning in a tumultous era. An interesting technique is that the author wrote the narrative in the present tense, lending a sense of immediacy to the narrative. Highly recommended!
John Nelson MD, author of The Remembering, Healing the Split, Sacred Sorrows

this work is derivative of others' works. If you want, read the authors who have translated from the original, have devoted a lifetime study to Rumi's work, with a diverse choice of words in translations, each translation revealing more and different from the one before. To know the real romance and the crippling character of Rumi as well as his divine interests, read books also by people who come from Rumi's part of the world. Zwieg, though admiring Rumi, writes in a New Age tone that may be fine for some. But for people who are interested in the deeper meanings of Rumi's work, it's not in pop psychology, but in religious studies at depth. Being enamoured of a poet is sweet. But, there is far more to give to understanding or giving critique and insights in depth.