The Last Thousand

One of Library Journal’s Best Books of 2016 (Honorable Mention)

“Moral tension animates and complicates Mr. Stern’s beautiful, meticulously reported debut … Mr. Stern has a gift for exposition, explaining the confusing geopolitics of the region with a blessed ― and welcome ― lucidity. He knows exactly when to break the fourth wall, strategically entering the narrative to express his own anxieties about the fate of the school, the girls, the country. And he writes with real compassion and texture.”

“An extremely well-written and sensitive history of a small group of people, the author included, trying to affect discrete and measurable educational progress amid incredible obstacles.”

“Journalist Jeffrey E. Stern brings us the inspiring story of Marefat and its remarkable founder, Aziz Royesh. The book is a paean to the power of education and its potential to peacefully revolutionize a violent nation … The Last Thousand is an extraordinary tale.”

The 15:17 to Paris

“The book is a real-life thriller and, even though the reader knows how the story will end, it is a fast-paced and compelling read. Stern, the primary author, undertook significant background research and this informs the text and gives this book more depth than many similar volumes.”

“The 15:17 to Paris details the trio's journey from unremarkable childhoods to chance heroism to international fame and the complicated aftermath. Journalist Jeffrey E. Stern weaves together the friends' stories with intimate detail, giving readers a more nuanced portrait than what emerged in the global news coverage … up-close moments, flashbacks throughout the chronological memoir, make for a compelling ride, especially once we get to know the protagonists. Stern dives into the minds of our three heroes, all in their early 20s, and the chain of events that put them in position to stop what could have become one of the West's deadliest terrorist attacks.”