A book about the blessings and obstacles people encounter in applying spiritual truth, this action-adventure novel is fast-paced and deeply rewarding for the soul.
When Danat is drawn to a small town that is home to an aging carpenter, he has no idea that the things he will experience there will offer healing from deep wounds and a path toward spiritual growth.
Devastated by the ravages of war and the loss of his family, Danat takes to the road. Pain and uncertainty are buried deep beneath his wanderings, until he meets an elderly carpenter in a small town along the way. This man will challenge him to grow in ways he could never have imagined.
Following a valiant but deadly battle with the invading forces, the residents of the town are forced to flee, to avoid the next wave of terror. Danat joins them, and his learning continues.
Along the way, Aryel, a strong young woman and leader in the community, confronts self-doubt and begins to heal from her own trauma. And Solomon, a twelve-year-old pioneer of the soul faces life with a rare innocence and grace.
Traveling as a community through uncharted lands, the group embodies the lessons of the sage carpenter, pooling their resources, strengthening one another, and confronting a series of dramatic challenges with profound spiritual wisdom.
The Carpenter and The Apprentice is a classic spiritual journey with a unity consciousness theme wrapped in the excitement of an adventure novel. Filled with blinding-fast action and meditative philosophy, this is a book for fans of the spiritualism at the center of The Alchemist, Ancient Greek and Eastern classics, and the samurai mythos.
Authored by real-life former psychotherapist, Grace Zacaroli, whose ongoing life coaching services and Reiki practice have helped many on the path to deeper self-understanding, this is a book that will teach you to embrace adventure, uncover inner peace, and find your home within.
Industry Reviews
"A dispirited soldier learns lessons from a preternaturally wise carpenter in Zacaroli's philosophical debut novel...The novel recalls Coelho's The Alchemist (1988) in its blend of folkloric elements-including a minimalist, expository narrative style-with long conversations informed by psychology and spirituality... Zacaroli does an admirable job keeping the plot moving, with a large cast of characters and sequences straight out of an action movie... An ambitious if didactic saga about overcoming one's past in order to build a better future." -The Kirkus Review
"Bittersweet and poignant, The Carpenter and the Apprentice shows the importance of resilience, faith, and hope in the face of overwhelming odds. It's a survival story with a thematic emphasis on spiritual awakening. Author Grace Zacaroli has crafted an engrossing plot that is equal parts heartbreaking and enlightening.Zacaroli provides backstories for each of the main characters. It makes them feel like living, breathing people. I also found the author's social commentary on the futility of war to be spot-on. Highly recommended." -Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite
"The Carpenter and The Apprentice" is a classic spiritual journey with a unity consciousness theme wrapped in the excitement of an adventure novel. Blending action and meditative philosophy, this compelling novel will hold a particular attraction to readers with an interest in the spiritualism that is common to The Alchemist, Ancient Greek and Eastern classics, and the samurai mythos. Original, eloquent, exceptional, deftly crafted, and an inherently engaging read from start to finish, "The Carpenter and The Apprentice" by Grace Zacaroli is about the blessings and obstacles people encounter in applying spiritual truth to their ordinary lives lived out in extraordinary times. A novel that will linger in the mind and memory long after it has been finished and set back upon the shelf. -Jim Cox, Midwest Book Review
THE CARPENTER AND THE APPRENTICE's inquiry into spiritual matters is rich and nuanced, and Grace Zacaroli's prose is strong throughout. ~ Michael Howard, IndieReader