Sarykhanov, Nurmurat. "The Book." In Against the Desert: Stories by Writers of Soviet Turkmenia. Translated by Fainna Glagoleva, 7-27. Moscow: Foreign Languages Publishing House, 1960.


Sarykhanov's short story is about a man in Turkmenistan during Tsarist and Soviet times who after hearing a mullah recite from a book purchased it for the price of his only camel. He is chastised by his wife and neighbors for making such a "poor" trade, but after his son learns to read, all agree that he made a good trade. The book he purchased was a work of "Makhtum Kuli, who laid the foundation of all Turkmenian classical literature" (p. 27). Makhtum Kuli was also a Sufi. This story shows not just the lack of Islamic literature among the nomadic people of Central Asia, but also a deep appreciation for such literature when it is available.  Descriptors: 1960s, chapter, G, literature, S, short story, Soviet, translation, Turkmenistan