Some men are worth a thousand men in a thousand ways. Anthony Hydar could speak, read, and write thirteen languages. He was all things, except the chosen match for his beloved Helena, the aristocratic daughter of a powerful family.

During the late 1800s, Beirut, Lebanon was primarily Christian and recognized as the world's leading supplier of fine silk, and a major international trading port. This beautiful culture was also scarred with arranged marriages, unspeakable acts, and shocking laws. One such horrific law protected a rapist or kidnapper from prosecution if they simply agreed to marry their victim.

When Helena is kidnapped, the whole of the city is in turmoil. Nestled among the ancient Cedar trees of Lebanon, loyalties will be tested, rivalries fueled, and tables turned with unbelievable deception and amazing triumphs!

An unfathomable practice, this law – now known as Article 522 – was only recently abolished in Lebanon in 2017, and remains active in other countries.