Book excerpt: In Spirit Brides, a collection of three short stories, Kahlil Gibran portrays his belief in the overwhelming power of love in human nature. In "The Ash of Centuries and the Immortal Flame", Gibran describes a love that unites souls beyond time and social restrictions. "Marta al-Baniyah" expresses Gibran's views on the exploitation of women and the poor. He then makes a cutting commentary on the contrast between the ecclesiastical hierarchy and the simplicity of the teachings of Jesus in his final story, "Yuhanna the Madman".