Zillah is an orphan in ancient Persia living in a caravan serai—a safe haven for desert travelers. Other children taunt her because of a birth-mark on her face and strangers think it is the sign of a curse. Her future is grim until a royal caravan comes to the serai, following a wondrous star. Zillah has seen that star, though it is invisible to those around her. Through a series of amazing events, Zillah embarks on an adventure, full of danger, trying to protect her most precious secret.

About the author

Lois West Duffy is a writer living in Afton, Minnesota. A former journalist who worked for a small daily newspaper and The Associated Press, she served as press secretary to a U.S. Senator, became an executive with a Fortune 500 company, and now devotes her working hours to writing. She is at work on her second novel set in biblical history, in addition to writing poetry and essays, some of which have appeared in Talking Stick, a Minnesota literary journal, and in a forthcoming book, Women of a Certain Age.

Zillah Gift