The main subject of The Manuscript Found In Accra is an ancient (fictitious) manuscript containing words of wisdom from an unnamed Copt.
The narrator of the book is a the son of an English archaeologist, who is translating an ancient document. The document he says, was found in a cave in Cairo. It seems to be a recording of the words of a wise man, which had been recorded faithfully by one of his audience.
The Manuscript Found In Accra has an interesting setup. The incident takes place on the eve of the invasion of Jerusalem by European crusaders. Threatened by these alien invaders, in peril of life and livelihood, the citizens of Jerusalem are gathered together around a Copt. He is standing in their midst, patiently answering their questions. In a few hours time, the city would be overrun by the invaders from Europe.
The Copt has summoned the people to this place. He asks them to forget about the looming peril for the time being and ponder their minds on everyday concerns rather than the coming destruction. So, he urges them to ask him questions about issues that bother them in their normal, everyday life, doubts and concerns that are in their minds now and will be in their minds after the invaders have gone.
There is a bit of quiet in the atmosphere upon hearing such a declaration. The people of the city, including Coptic Christians, Jews, and Muslims, all eagerly gather before this quiet man, who seems unmoved by any fears of the future. The impending catastrophe is just a setting. The Manuscript Found In Accra is not a novel, it contains only a set of questions and answers. The citizens put various questions before the wise man, and he answers them all, and a scribe records everything.
The people ask him questions on numerous topics, including life, love, fear, loss, courage, anxieties, miracles, loyalty, beauty, solitude, success, and so on. The Copt answers them, and the people forget their immediate fears for the future as they listen to the profound wisdom of the man.
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