A Book of Life: La Vita di Serena

Serena’s story begins in post-World War II Italy, where she falls in love with her brother’s wartime commander and close friend, Lorenzo. He is a confident young man with big dreams, and she is a beautiful and ambitious young woman. Lorenzo and Serena’s brother form a real estate development and investment company, and their hard work earns them much wealth and power. Serena’s journey lead her from picturesque Italy to beautiful California, where Serena and her family meet many of life’s joys and tragedies. Love, compassion, betrayal, forgiveness, and the endless surprises and challenges of life weave together to form the fabric of this enterprising family’s story.

But at the heart of it all is Serena, as she struggles with the love of her life and the Catholic faith she so dutifully maintains. Serena’s story explores the hardest of life’s questions and conundrums as she and her family navigate through life.

J. FaraZ is a retired engineer, who earned a PhD in engineering from Berkeley and built a career in Silicon Valley. His experience spans various fields, including control systems, software engineering, and aerospace.

The birth of FaraZ’s newborn granddaughter inspired him to write A Book of Life in the hopes that it will one day help her to better know him, after he is no longer around. It is also an expression of the questions that have engaged his mind throughout life.