The Imam

Once in a lifetime comes a novel that deeply probes the ideas and perceptions of religious thought, only to defy its traditions and map out a more meaningful direction towards truth and understanding. The Imam is such a novel. It is an ambitious attempt to paint the human face of Shia Islam, to distinguish what Shia Islam ought to be from what it actually is. The result is an explosive and provocative novel that bravely questions the tenets of Islam and especially the motivations of its clerics and political leaders.

The Imam is many things, but most of all it is an epic tale of love, hope, tyranny, and betrayal. The narrative follows two of Islam’s holiest men: one of them the next Caliphate of Islam who is taken to the United States at birth and kept in hiding there, the second his open and visible representative who remains in the Middle East. Their disciples straddle these two opposite worlds as they try in vain to fulfill a divine prophecy, which calls for the holy expansion of Islam into the Western world.

Havel has penned a religious thriller that feeds the intellect as well as the appetite for superb storytelling and original, dynamic characters. His prose is clear, focused, and poetic. It is a powerful and unforgettable read, both astonishing and accessible to all readers. Once begun, The Imam is impossible to put down. In many ways, this novel makes a strong and timely contribution to the welfare of American Letters.