Arches of the Years

Continuing the vivid story of Ali-Kuli Khan's diplomatic career, Marzieh Gail takes her readers on the family's travels from Tehran to Washington and San Francisco, to Paris, Istanbul and Tiflis and back to Persia.
The story provides new insights into 'Abdu'l-Bahá 's visit to America and the early days of the Bahá'í Faith there and gives an unusual perspective on the Versailles Conference of 1919. Vignettes of President Wilson, Phoebe Hearts and other characters from the early days of this century are interspersed among fascinating pictures of Persia at the turn of the century.

Drawn from the papers of her father and the diaries and letters of her mother, Marzieh Gail's Arches of the Years is more than a mere sequel to Summon Up Remembrance. A new character enters the picture - Marzieh herself, who as a child accompanied her parents to their various posts. Thus this new book is as much Marzieh's own story as it is the story of her parents.

The author's wit and perception are already apparent in the child Marzieh, resulting in a story that is both moving and funny, and sometimes tragic. Marzieh's memories of Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, and her final tribute to him, are among the most sensitively drawn passages in a lifetime of distinguished writing.