The Book of Roads and Kingdoms is both a Jewish epic and a pastiche of global legend, exploring the world of Late Antiquity through the eyes of an exceptional young man. It is a coming-of-age tale, a medieval adventure, a geopolitical thriller, and a love story—woven together into a narrative that spans continents and mythologies.

Not at all! The protagonist, Josiah ben Zakkai, is your guide to a wondrous and unfamiliar world, but the storytelling is grounded in vibrant characters, a brisk plot, and lush, lyrical prose. A glossary, maps, a family tree, and a dramatis personae are included to help readers journey deeper without getting lost.

It is historical fiction—rooted in real events and real people—but told through the eyes of those who saw the Hand of the Divine at work in history. It shares the architecture of fantasy and the spirit of Jewish mythopoeia. Think of it as sacred counter-history: what might have been, and what perhaps, in some deeper sense, truly was.

Yes. The book draws on extensive historical research. Most characters have real historical counterparts when possible. Josiah ben Zakkai himself was a very real person—but his early life is a mystery. This story imagines what might have happened to a brilliant Jewish youth sent from Baghdad to the distant Khazar court.

Young readers will be swept up by the exciting adventures, whimsical characters, and animal companions. There is clean romance and some stylized depictions of violence, but the tone is appropriate for older children and teenagers. Very young children may want a parent to read along or ahead, as more mature scenes can generally be “read around” without losing the flow of the story.

Josiah ben Zakkai is sensitive, prodigious, and thoughtful—a dreamer called to become a doer. He is a Prince of David, a scholar, and a diplomat, cast into the great game of kings. We have a certain kinship… let us say that he is the person I could have been, had I been born into a very different time and place.

You can invite me to speak at schools, synagogues, conferences, book clubs, or classrooms—whether to discuss The Book of Roads and Kingdoms, Jewish history and storytelling, or the art of crafting epic fiction. Click the "Invite Me to Speak" button above to get in touch.

There certainly could be! This story is structured to become a five-book series—but it also works as a standalone, with a full arc and resolution. Each book explores a different region of the ancient world and a new phase of Josiah’s journey. Stay tuned for The Book of Ingenious Devices!