July 14, 1099. Jerusalem awaits the invasion of the crusaders who have surrounded the city’s gates. There, inside the ancient city’s walls, people have gathered to hear a mysterious man known only as the Copt. Paulo Coelho’s Manuscript Found in Accra is the story of the Copt’s address about fear and hope.
Below, the actor Jeremy Irons reads from the beginning of the novel, setting the stage for the Copt’s speech.
From the book Manuscript Found in Accra. Copyright © 2013 by Paulo Coelho. Used with permission of Knopf.