Our Lady of Fatima's Motherhood Delivers Worldwide Brotherhood

Symbolic novel reimagines Fatima's influence in the lives of three men searching for meaning in baseball and beyond.

SCRANTON, Pennsylvania, April 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of Pope Francis' visit to Portugal on May 13 for the 100th Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, author Val Bonacci explores its mystery in FATIMA AND THE SONS OF ABRAHAM: reimagining the meaning behind Fatima's events through the journey of a Muslim, a Catholic, and a Jew in search of coexistence.

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, witness a stunning moment at the hands of a Syrian refugee struggling for survival. Thus begins their journey from Italy's beaches and America's baseball diamonds, to the beating heart of Jerusalem. A culture clash ensues and the three do battle until the fearless heart of a woman named Fatima reshapes their destinies forever.

Bonacci, who once walked a provocative 20-year journey of her own as the vice president of marketing and broadcasting for the Cleveland Indians, recalls her moment of inspiration while visiting Italy in 2012.

"A young refugee was peddling jewelry along the beach. He was powerfully built, yet moved with the grace of a pro athlete. I had a flashback to my days as the General Manager of a team where half of the roster could not speak English – just one of many challenges facing foreigners in a new land," said Bonacci.

"I couldn't help wondering about the boy's hopes and dreams. If he'd been born in the States, would he be a baseball star? I whispered a prayer for him, and the rest nearby like him. It was the seed that would later sprout into my novel."

FATIMA AND THE SONS OF ABRAHAM is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, along with Q&As, book club questions, and more at ValBonacci.com.

Bonacci is a former executive for the Cleveland Indians, where she spent 17 years with the franchise. She is a graduate of Ohio University's top ranked Sports Administration Masters Program where she received the Year 2000 Distinguished Alumnus award. She now resides in Scranton, Pennsylvania where she has been an adjunct professor at Keystone College and The University of Scranton since marrying her husband in 2004.