Take Elisäas, son of a priest who interprets the sudden death of his wife as a sign of having been chosen by God for a special undertaking. Take Bileam, heir to a powerful family of merchants who considers himself as chosen to lead the fight against the Roman occupation and who is looking for collaborators. And take finally, Salome, daughter of Herodes - sensual and deadly, abused and exploited by ruthless men. During a time of dramatic political and religious upheaval, the three meet John the Baptist - and nothing will ever be the same again.

"What impresses me above all about this novel is the beauty of the text. The book is not fashionable but it is not old-fashioned, either. It touches the heart without being sentimental. It is easy to read yet full of depth and insight. It is interesting, positive and uplifting – a powerful and beautiful book.

About the author:

Miro Gavran was born in 1961. He is a dramatist, novelist and considered as the most renowned Croatian writer of his generation. His works have been translated in to some 20 languages. He is the recipient of many awards including the price for Best Central European Writer, 1999. His novel, St John the Baptist (2005), was nominated for the "Impac Dublin" literary award. Seifert Verlag has published the German translation of his novel, "The Angel of Omorina" and the first part of his biblical trilogy, the novel, "Judith". Miro Gavran lives in Zagreb.