Fatima and the Sons of Abraham

Paolo Giobatti is the first Major League Baseball star from the Italian League. He's nursing an ailing back along the shores of the Mediterranean when, thanks to modern technology, both he and his archrival Eli Kohn, half the world away in Cleveland, witness a stunning moment at the hands of Darius Salamah, a Syrian refugee struggling for survival. In the time it takes for a dove to flap its wings, each of their lives is irrevocably entwined forever. Thus begins the journey of three young men: a Catholic, a Muslim, and a Jew, from Italy's southernmost beaches and America's baseball diamonds, to the beating heart of Jerusalem.

Paolo Giobatti is the first Major League Baseball star from the Italian League. He's nursing an ailing back along the shores of the Mediterranean when, thanks to modern technology, both he and his archrival Eli Kohn, half the world away in Cleveland, witness a stunning moment at the hands of Darius Salamah, a Syrian refugee struggling for survival. In the time it takes for a dove to flap its wings, each of their lives is irrevocably entwined forever. Thus begins the journey of three young men: a Catholic, a Muslim, and a Jew, from Italy's southernmost beaches and America's baseball diamonds, to the beating heart of Jerusalem. The trio will dance a bitter tango for the sake of advancing their careers until the fearless heart of a woman named Fatima reshapes their individual destinies in a way none had thought possible. Fatima and the Sons of Abraham is an allegorical tale for our time based on a curious interpretation of the mysterious events that took place in Fatima, Portugal between May and October of 1917. One hundred years later, author Val Bonacci has reimagined those events, taking you on a ride from darkness into light at autobahn speed – a story that will have you laughing, crying, and rooting for her characters to the finish line.

Val Bonacci is a former Vice President of Marketing and Broadcasting for the Cleveland Indians where she spent 17 years from jinxes to joy. Like most players, she paid her dues with a three-year tour of duty in the Minor Leagues (Kinston, North Carolina). She is the Year 2000 Distinguished Alumnus of Ohio University's top ranked Sports Administration Masters Program and did her undergrad work at Ohio as well. She was born and raised in East Liverpool, Ohio and now resides in Scranton, Pennsylvania with her husband Bill. She has taught marketing on an adjunct basis at Keystone College and The University of Scranton.