Debut Novel First Among Nations Honored by 6 Independent Press Awards

CLEVELAND, Sept. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Debut author Ira Mosen isn't about to quit his day job —  he's a physician from Cleveland who has been living in Israel with his family for three years — but he may be tempted to change careers by the outstanding reception he has received for his book, First Among Nations (Olive Blossom Press).

Mosen wrote most of this book in flights and airports during the monthly roundtrip work commutes he made between Israel to Ohio for a year. That journey to and from airports became a therapeutic exercise, one that has so far paid off with recognition by six independent book awards and glowing reviews from Publishers Weekly and The Jerusalem Post. Jewish Journal, one of the largest Jewish news outlets in the United States, named it to its "30 Inspiring Books Worth Adding to Your COVID-19 Summer Reading List."

The novel tells the story of an ultra-Orthodox Jew, a secular Jew raised on a kibbutz, and a Muslim Israeli-Arab who, despite cultural and religious differences, find common ground as soccer players on the Israel National Team. It was chosen as an eBook fiction finalist in The Eric Hoffer Awards and a finalist for Hoffer's Montaigne Medal; the latter is awarded to the most thought-provoking books. First Among Nations also won an IPPY Bronze Medal (Indie Book Award) for multicultural fiction, was a "best new fiction" finalist for the International Book Award and took home two Next-Generation Indie Book Awards for first novel and general fiction/novel.

Alan Rosenbaum of The Jerusalem Post wrote: "The novel presents a multifaceted Israel far more complex than often portrayed globally. …First Among Nations blends sports with religion and Mideast and world politics, and the book's characters become enmeshed with each other in all three dimensions. … Those of us who like to dream of better times ahead and who like a quick, good, and … inspirational read, will enjoy this book."

That opinion was seconded by Publishers Weekly, whose review read, "A triumphant debut about the rise of an Israeli soccer prodigy. The … story branches out from the sports narrative to offer nuanced takes on Arab-Jewish friendships and ethnic prejudice, and explore the violence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict … will appeal to readers who like a feel-good yarn."

Midwest Book Review called the book "extraordinary" and unreservedly recommended it in its review, adding that it is "an inherently compelling and thoughtful novel by an author with an impressive flair as a novelist for originality and the kind of narrative driven storytelling that is engagingly entertaining from first page to last."

Mosen is delighted by the attention his book is getting. More importantly, he is pleased that his perspective on the tolerant multicultural society he has experienced in Israel is reaching a wider audience. When he first arrived in his new homeland, he was surprised by the easy camaraderie he found among medical team members from different religions and cultures. "Ultimately, my goal is to help, in whatever tiny way I can, to promote peaceful coexistence," he said. 

About Ira Mosen

Ira Mosen is the pen name of an Ivy League trained physician who was raised on the East Coast and worked for 15 years in private medical practice in the Midwest. In 2018 he moved with his family to Israel. Mosen works at a clinic in central Israel that provides low-cost medical care to Israelis of all backgrounds and religions. 

Contact: Eva Case-Issakov, , [email protected], (610) 710-6483;
Ira Mosen, [email protected]; www.iramosen.com

SOURCE Ira Mosen