Nazar, a boy on the cusp of his 14th birthday, has always enjoyed a peaceful and idyllic life on a simple farm in the Nineveh Plains of Iraq. His days were filled with helping his father with chores, attending the small village school in Karemlesh, and playing soccer with his friends whenever he had a spare moment. However, his quiet world is abruptly shattered when radical militants conquer the city of Mosul and unleash a tsunami of terror across the entire Nineveh Plains region. Faced with the horrifying sight of his own people frantically fleeing the tranquil village he grew up in, desperately seeking safety, Nazar is forced to make challenging decisions that will forever alter the course of his life. Within mere hours, he must leave his boyhood behind and embark on a journey that will forge him into a young man of extraordinary selflessness and courage.Featuring nine expressionist masterpieces by internationally acclaimed Iraqi-American artist Qais Al-Sindy.
Paul T. Mascia is a cum laude graduate of Yale University, where he majored in Religious Studies. His senior thesis was an in-depth analysis of the reformer and Medieval mystic, St Catherine of Siena. Paul has attained over thirty years of experience as an insurance professional with an expertise in the fields of both long-term care and disability insurance. He has a certification in long term care planning (CLTC). Paul and his wife, Theresa, currently live in Columbus, OH. They have five adult children and seven grandchildren. Nazar’s Journey is Mr. Mascia’s first novel, and his first piece of historical fiction. His work aims to realise two important goals during this season of his life: a desire to utilise his creative skills in new ways, as well as to draw attention to the sufferings of displaced peoples in diverse parts of the globe, particularly those facing severe adversity due to their religious beliefs.
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Reading Nazar’s Journey has been a pure gift! It is a superbly crafted story. The vivid description of the setting flow with ease and accuracy. I immediately felt that I was accompanying the characters and sharing their harrowing experiences of the brutality of war. Beyond the fact that the characters find an inner strength and resourcefulness needed for survival, they are rooted in a hope in the providence of God. To me Nazar’s Journey is an important historical fiction which informs about the plight of the citizens of Iraq in 2014, and the religious persecution of the Iraq Christian community which is among one of the oldest Christian populations on Earth. By reading this story, the reader becomes sensitive to the ongoing tragedies that are currently being faced by an incalculable number of refugees and displaced citizens in a myriad of countries on our planet. More so, Nazar’s Journey caused me to be receptive to that Divine Presence which gives hope even in the bleakest of personal circumstances. Since the main character is a 14-year-old boy, this book will be well-suited for young adults, yet because of the important themes of the novella, accuracy of detail and spiritual undertones, this book will be loved by all ages.
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