Spirit Brides - Tapa dura

This is a collection of three short stories in which Kahlil Gibran portrays his belief in the overwhelming power of love in human nature. In "The Ash of Centuries and the Immortal Flame", Gibran describes a love that unites souls beyond time and social restrictions. "Marta al-Baniyah" expresses Gibran's views on the exploitation of women and the poor. He then makes a cutting commentary on the contrast between the ecclesiastical hierarchy and the simplicity of the teachings of Jesus in his final story, "Yuhanna the Madman".