Return to Orphalese

A sequel to Khalil Gibran's "Prophet" :

What if the poetic parables of Almustafa had been misunderstood by his disciples?

Or worse, if they had been used and distorted by unscrupulous ambitious people to establish their power ?

The Prophet Almustafa, the Beloved, a noon unto his own day, tragically disappeared twenty years ago. After having travelled the world to make him known, and to pass on his pearls of wisdom, one of his closest disciples, Youssef, discovered the city where, for twelve years, he refined his thoughts: the legendary city of the seven gates, the proud Orphalese.

On the threshold of old age, he wants to follow in the footsteps of his master, find witnesses of his years of maturation, and write down their anecdotes so that they can travel through time.

In the course of his encounters, memories, bits of teaching come back to his memory.

But at the end of a stormy night, an unexpected event interrupts his projects, and upsets the life of the inhabitants of the white city...

Through the prism of the tale, Philippe Souchet incites us to reflect on the inexorable drift of religions towards intolerance and violence, which particularly resonates in our current times.