Leaves of the Twin Divine Trees

The author of this book is based at the Baha'i International World Center in Haifa, I believe. Not only does her Iranian/Farsi literacy make her a natural choice for writing a history of the lives of several Iranian natives, but she has the Baha'i equivalent of an imprimatur. It has occurred to me, and this is only my guess, that the author not only had the blessing of the Baha'i administration but was probably given suggestions on how to organize her material, and how to present and edit everything. Thus, this book may come as a disappointment to those readers who prefer an entertaining story to a carefully researched history.

I bought this book to learn more about the lives of the early Babi and Baha'i women in the lives of the Twin Manifestations. So much information that I've never seen before and it gave me a rich understanding of how difficult life in that area of the world was for the early Baha'i believers, and especially for the women, but also of their extreme courage and dedication. It is very detailed with insights uncovered in the archives and backed up with Tablets. I am grateful to have this fill in my understanding of the early history of the Baha'i Faith.

Baharieh Rouhani Ma'ani is an incredible woman in her own right. I am so very grateful that she made this book one of her life's works.Ironically, for a Faith that ground-breakingly proclaimed the equality of men and women, even the early Baha'i historians (all male, all influenced by the enduring, absolutely intrinsic sexism of their time) had far too greatly overlooked the roles and lives of nearly all the women in the Babi and Baha'i Faiths. These women had played absolutely crucial roles in these Faiths, as the most crucial supporters, as arch-enemies, and as everything in between, yet their lives were nearly completely obscured by the indifference of sexist historians. Ms Ma'ani went through huge archives of materials to try to find any traces of recording at least some information about these women's lives, starting with the women of the two Holy Families, before they were lost to history.This work is important not only for saving the records of these very important lives and for giving a much greater insight into the history of the Founding of the Baha'i Faith, but also for helping overthrow the surface and deeper sexism in History itself; for restoring a sense of great dignity and importance to all lives whether lived domestically or outside the home, and starting to proclaim that yes, women's lives also matter. It's also a great read and of absolutely superior research quality.Thank you so much, Ms Ma'ani!

This book is a masterpiece. Despite the Baha'i Faith having been the first world religion to proclaim the equality of men and women, it arose in a culture and at such time as women were kept in the background and behind closed doors. The author apparently was granted access to a body of information not available in English, and this work is fascinating. I understand the point of view of the person who said it reads like a doctoral dissertation because it probably is not for the casual reader. I myself have an interest in the genealogy of the family of Baha'u'llah and His Forerunner, the Bab, and for anyone with even a nodding acquaintance with the families of either, this book is extremely readable. It is meticulously noted, and for some chapters every other note is "provisional translation approved for inclusion in this book," so for anyone who wants a complete understanding of how women figured into the early days of the Babi and Baha'i Faiths or even just wants a broader understanding of that history in general, I would heartily recommend this volume. Really, an astonishing piece of work!

This story is rich in details that bring one so close to the experience of these saintly and heroic women. It puts you their with them, to be intimately connected to the blessings and tragedy of sharing life or sharing absence with a Manifestation of God in this day of Oneness. I wept in joy, gratitude and sorrow all at once. Baharieh Rouhani Ma'ani provided many previously unpublished tablets or little known communications that inspire and fill your heart.

Heartbreaking and inspiring look into the nearly-lost traces of women from the families of The Bab and Baha'u'llah in the 1800s. Would that there was more recorded about their lives. Fortunately, we may savor and marvel at the traces still remaining concerning these blessed and heroic women. The author has drawn from previously unavailable or untranslated sources as well as passages from various Baha'i writings to present the most authoritative source on this subject for quite some time. Highly recommended.

This book is worth every penny. I have the hard cover version and it will be one of my favorite references for my lifetime, I am sure. It was well researched and has information about these important historical women that you probably won't find anywhere else. Everything you wanted to know about the female relatives of the Bab and Baha'u'llah. Everything that can be found, that is. A must-have for anyone interested in the history of the Baha'i Faith.

This book re-tells the history of the faith in a beautiful manner which highlights the amazing women. It is a captivating read which makes you step back and really appreciate all that these women did. I recommend this book for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of what was going on behind the scenes in the Divine Twin Trees' journey.

Beautifully written, well documented and explained. A moving account. Thank you for your labour of love.