Rumi is regarded as one of the greatest poets of all time, and while his works are admired for their beauty and message of love, they are all too frequently deprived of their mystical and spiritual significance. The Gift of Rumi provides a fresh interpretation of Rumi by setting his writing in the context of Islamic mysticism as a whole and bringing depth and authenticity that are often missing from Westernized interpretations of his work. Author Emily O'Dell has studied Sufism both theoretically and practically, learning from a Mevlevi teacher and his whirling dervishes as she worked and researched at Harvard, Columbia, and the American University of Beirut. She incorporates this knowledge into The Gift of Rumi, offering a fresh interpretation of the poet's well-known work.