The tribe of the Kalmyks sees no way out. The herds are being decimated by disease, tax collectors are pressing them, and blood feuds threaten. So the men and women retreat to the mountains. Because they place themselves above any law and become robbers, legends about them begin to grow. The secret hero of this novel is the land of Khorasan, the cradle of nomadic culture, with its steppes, mountains, and natural forces, its ancient cities, tucked-away villages, proud tent settlements, and its people, who are bound by great emotions and fierce passions. 'Kelidar,' says Mahmud Doulatabadi, 'is a book of love: love between man and woman, the love between friends, the love of humanity for the earth and nature, between man and animal.'.