title: The Icon of Arbanasi
author: Hart, Geoff
description: A gripping love story; a violent uprising; the legend of the icon of Arbanasi It is the late seventeenth century and Bulgaria lives under the yoke of Ottoman rule. In the village of Arbanasi a beautiful Bulgarian peasant girl and the son of the local Turkish ruler fall deeply in love against a backcloth of an uprising against Ottoman oppression. Rayna is overwhelmed by the conflicting emotions of her love for Bayram and her loyalty to her own people. Ultimately their love ends in tragedy, but will there be a second chance? The Icon of Arbanasi is a powerful novel about love, loyalty and the bonds of friendship interwoven with the ancient Bulgarian legend of the icon of the Virgin Mary.