In Naraya by Ayam Ramar, we are introduced to Mark, a teenager in the 1600s whose life seems to be falling down around him. With his mother dead, his father drunk beyond his wits, and a new step mother on the horizon, Mark is lost in every sense of the word. That's when he meets Naraya in the forest, a girl who seems to be from an entirely different world. She's decided to share her knowledge with him, knowledge that could transform his life, his family's lives, and the lives of everyone around him. He only has to listen, just as the reader does.

Ayam Ramar has brought us a unique plot in Naraya. It's not quite a romance, time travel, historical, or a touch of Mother Earth loving hippies (yes, those are in there!). It's a mix of all of them. And somehow it works. The setting is well chosen and written in a descriptive form for the reader to imagine perfectly. The characters also had depth and background that was very enjoyable. The thing that I liked most about the book was the title character. She's mysterious and fun and I think the reader can actually learn something from the words of wisdom she shares with Mark. Bravo! A wonderful read for a rainy day.

Bizarre phenomena occur within nature’s flora and fauna in Ayam Ramar’s Naraya. It is June 21, 1970, and Helen Mayflower’s 18th birthday. She and her boyfriend head into the woods for an intimate getaway. Left momentarily alone, Helen follows a peculiar looking dragonfly. After climbing a tree, she finds a hidden package among the branches. Opening the package, she finds a mysterious journal. Suddenly, she endures a ‘really messed up’ encounter with the past. The journey begins on June 21, 1668. Helen embodies a young Puritan man, Mark Brown. Held within this time warp, Helen lives within Mark Brown. Mark always believed there had to be more to life than what he was experiencing. He has no idea ... he enters a mystical world of glowing dragonflies, brilliantly lit orbs, tree people and magical dreams. A supernatural creature named Naraya appears to him, and changes his life forever. As a result, Helen sees her future through the all knowing eye of the past.

If you are looking for a piece of strange fiction, Naraya is the book for you. Just be on guard for the veiled messages within the imaginary tale. Ayam Ramar combines Puritan history with a transcendental fantasy. The narrative is written in third person, giving an omniscient point of view. The time setting changes from the 1970s to the mid 1600s, transporting characters back and forth in time. The location, however, remains constant – Massachusetts. To err is human is the ongoing theme of the story, giving way to the notion that mankind needs to learn from his mistakes; if not, he must begin again - be recreated by the Creator. This weird fictional story contains various forms of ancient and modern belief - Puritan Christianity, secret societies, the lost city of Atlantis, reincarnation, nature worship, and a touch of Scientology. I thought it resembled the movie Avatar, an oddly blended cocktail of religion, myth and legend.

Ayam Ramar’s Naraya: A Voice from the Past to Guide our Future unravels in Massachusetts in 1970. Helen Mayflower is about to graduate from high school and her thoughts are on Bobby Robinson. The two had agreed to go together to Sandy Cove beach on her birthday and she is looking forward to the tryst. Finding no available parking space at the beach, they decide to go to Treat Pond instead. Mesmerized by a dragonfly, Helen finds herself on top of a tree with a 300-year-old leather bound diary in her hands. She travels back in time through the eyes of Mark Browne - one of the descendants of the Puritan Mayflower settlers in Plymouth - the diary’s owner, who is the chosen one. The son of a widowed tavern owner, Mark Browne is tasked with a mission that may determine the future of humankind.

Naraya: A Voice from the Past to Guide our Future is a book that should be read by all 21st century readers. Author Ayam Ramar tells the story of Mark Browne as he is chosen by Naraya and the Tree People to learn the truth about the world’s creation and to spread this truth so that all of us can live in a better world. The juxtaposition of Mark’s life with Eleanor and their children with his sojourn into the mystical world of Naraya is interesting. Naraya’s teaching centers on, among other things, the need for man to respect nature so that its precarious balance can be maintained. Since we are now experiencing climate change and increased incidence of natural calamities due to man’s abuse of nature, Naraya’s wisdom simply cannot be ignored. There are a lot of lessons that can be learned from this book, but that does not hinder it from being an excellent read.