Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coelho. Short summary

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The novel is written in the form of a dialogue. The confused and frightened inhabitants of Jerusalem, threatened by a Crusader invasion, ask their questions of the wise Elder.

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The action of the novel takes place on July 14, 1099, in Jerusalem. It describes how people of three great religions lived together in one city in peace with each other. But tragic days have come for Jerusalem-the city is surrounded by crusaders and awaiting an assault.

And so, on the last day of peace, Jews, Byzantine Christians, and Muslims of different ages came to the square to hear the advice of a sage, the Elder Kopt, who belonged to none of these religions.

The book then consists of questions from anxious and frightened Jerusalemites about all sorts of things — their anxieties, love and friendship, beauty and loneliness, work and idleness, enemies, battle and victory. The elder answers these questions in detail and gives wise advice.

The answers are simple and understandable to everyone, but not everything is easy to put into practice. The sage’s answers are relevant even now, after many centuries, because time has no power over true values.