Let's discuss Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

For our February meeting we will discuss Forty Rules of Love. In this lyrical, exuberant follow-up to her Protected content , The Bastard of Istanbul, acclaimed Turkish author Elif Shafak unfolds two tantalizing parallel narratives—one contemporary and the other set in the thirteenth century, when Rumi encountered his spiritual mentor, the whirling dervish known as Shams of Tabriz—that together incarnate the poet's timeless message of love. (Description by Goodreads)
Shafak is a Turkish-British writer, storyteller, essayist, academic, public speaker, and women's rights activist. Born in France and raised mainly in Ankara, the has lived and worked in several countries. She is an activist for women's rights, minority rights, and freedom of speech. She also writes and speaks about a range of issues including global and cultural politics, the future of Europe, Turkey and the Middle East, democracy, and pluralism. She has twice been a TED Global speaker (Bio blurb and photo from Wikipedia).