The Purple Ring

The Purple Ring by Avner Gold, the sixth volume in the continuing Ruach Ami Series, picks up the thread of the fascinating saga of the Pulichever family in its original setting. The fifth volume in the series, "The Impostor", which was set in Turkey, Egypt and Eretz Yisrael, offered a close-up view of the rise of the infamous false Mashiach Shabbesai Tzvi. "The Purple Ring", on the other hand, portrays the effects of this movement on Jewish life in the distant Kingdom of Poland. Shabbesai Tzvi and his cohorts do not appear in "The Purple Ring", but their activities cause dangerous complications in the lives of the characters. "The Purple Ring" revolves around a secret conspiracy to discredit the Jewish townspeople of the fictional city of Pulichev and accuse them of high treason. There are many sinister developments as the exciting story unfolds, including captured Turkish spies, teams of assassins and plots within plots hatched under the dark midnight skies. "The Purple Ring" also introduces General Jan Sobieski, often called "the George Washington of Polish history, " as he embarks on one of the early campaigns of his long and brilliant military career. Details relating to the life of Sobieski, his character and attitudes are historical. His encounters with the characters of the Pulichever saga are, of course, fictional.