Whether you are new to the Baha'i Faith or a long-standing deepened Baha'i, reading the stories of the lives of the Bab, Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha can give context to our understanding of the teachings as well as bring a sense of connection with these figures.
These books are a great place to start understanding how the history all fits together and if you get the bug for learning about it then we have plenty more books on various events and individuals you might want to read.
Below is a list of 4 sets of books (from simple to more complex) which take you from the birth of the Faith through to the passing of Abdu'l-Baha.
1. Daily Reflections and Stories for Children Books 1 - 4 by Munirih Hodge and Margo Styan
These are some of George Ronald’s best selling books and are a great way to introduce children to the history of the Faith. Each book has 19 sections which include a reading, a prayer and a story; perfect length for the bedtime routine. Books 1 and 2 have stories of Abdu’l-Baha, book 3 has stories of Baha’u’llah and book 4 has stories of the Bab.
2. Books by Hitjo Garst
This trilogy, by Hitjo Garst, is brilliant for reading to younger children or for 10-13yr olds to read to themselves. They are laid out in short chapters and we have known adults who have bought them to help with story-telling, or because they like stories told simply. We are hoping to add a final title to this series, which will be about Shoghi Effendi, in the future.
3. Books by Mary Perkins
These are really great for teens and adults alike, especially for a first read through of the history. They are among our favourite books and are the first ones we will point to if a youth or adult wants to read the history of the Faith. Mary Perkins is an excellent story teller and the narrative in these books flows easily.
4. Books by Hasan Balyuzi
These books by Hand of Cause Hasan Balyuzi were among the first to be written. Balyuzi was a great scholar of the Faith; his works are very thorough and his story telling is masterful. If you want to inspire (or impress) other Baha'is with the some of the less well known stories these are must reads.
We hope you find something of value here.
There are plenty more books about the Central Figures, the history of the Faith and biographies of the heroes of the Faith on the George Ronald website. We invite you to have a look around and see what inspires you.