A Thousand Touches
Friday Night Lights meets The Kite Runner, set in Kentucky’s Bourbon Country
In a bourbon-soaked Kentucky town where family history is carried like a sidearm, an elite first-generation athlete fights for his own identity on and off the pitch in A Thousand Touches.
Coming November 24, 2026
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A small town. A first love. A season that changes everything.
In Bardstown, Kentucky, the Bourbon Capital of the World, Cyrus Soltani is used to standing out. He’s the star of his high school soccer team, chasing a state championship in his senior year. He’s also the son of an Iranian immigrant father who expects more than victories on the field and of a town that never quite lets him forget he doesn’t fully belong.
As the season intensifies, so do the pressures at home and in the stands. Then Isabella arrives—an Italian exchange student who sees Cyrus clearly and challenges him in ways no one else does. What begins as a bright, consuming first love quickly becomes entangled in everything Cyrus is trying to outrun.
In the end, growing up isn’t just about leaving—it’s about deciding what you carry with you.
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Early Reviews for A Thousand Touches
“David Shams’ new novel is a rich portrayal of what it was like to grow up as the hyphenated child of an Iranian immigrant and a local woman in a small southern town…The relationships, particularly between the hero and his immigrant dad, are portrayed with nuance and will resonate for millions of other 'hyphenated' people…There are also insights into Iran, the country the hero's father fled and that has unfortunately been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons.”
—Barbara Slavin, Author of Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies
“A heartfelt coming-of-age novel featuring an authentic and relatable cast of characters. Through the experiences of a talented Iranian-American teenage soccer player, it thoughtfully explores first love, family dynamics, small-town prejudice, and the search for belonging.”
—Alana Dowley, Intelligentsia Series
“Cyrus turned out to be a much more complex character than I expected at first...I saw a caring son who was genuinely concerned when he noticed his father crying...the more I read, the more I realized their relationship wasn't nearly that simple. Anyone who enjoys novels about cultural identity, complicated parent-child relationships, and finding your own direction should give this one a try.”
—Jennifer Senick, Readers’ Favorite
“I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel that so accurately captured what it feels like to live a hyphenated life. Entire passages felt less like fiction and more like someone had somehow transcribed conversations from my own childhood.”
—Elly Shariat
“A Thousand Touches by David Shams is a captivating novel. Who would have thought that Cyrus's life could have flipped with just one encounter? The story is highly engaging.”
—Miriam Ferraresi, Author of The Guardian Angel: The Recruit
“Profound and unforgettable… David Shams explores the delicate threads that bind us together, revealing how every kindness, heartbreak, and fleeting encounter shapes who we become. A novel that asks readers to reconsider the true measure of a life—not by its milestones, but by its thousand touches. It lingers long after the final page, inviting readers to reflect on the people who leave their mark on us—and the marks we leave on others.”
—Danielle Sartorelli, Author of Life in Installments
“A story driven by the drama of young love and a father character who is impossible to ignore. Dr. Soltani annoyed me and entertained me in equal measure, making him one of the most compelling figures in the book. I hope thousands of people out there get to enjoy this narrative like I did.”
—Lex Sonne, Author and Writing Coach
“High school sports, complicated family dynamics, and unexpected first love play out against the insular backdrop of small-town Kentucky... The relationship between Cyrus and his father is written with particular insight... An astute depiction of what it means to live a hyphenated existence that will surely resonate with readers.”
“Through the eyes of a teenage soccer star born to Iranian and American parents, Shams deftly weaves the stories of and challenges faced by children of first-generation Americans, not only with their peers and parents, but with society as a whole. Using explicit and explosive language, Shams pulls the reader into a teenage boy’s world. A Thousand Touches celebrates storytelling and the importance thereof in our world today.”
—Betty R. Wall, Author of All That This House Has to Offer and No Way Out
“A bittersweet, witty and human story of a hyphenated teenage life, offering an intimate window into the experience of growing up Iranian-American, a very different experience from my own of moving to the States just before turning 30. It took me a little while to get on the ride, but once I did, I couldn’t put the book down. We come away with a touching sense of the many lives and experiences that make up the American story. And, of course, you’ll need to tolerate the constant temptation of bourbon along the way, for obvious reasons!”
—Hadi Nili, Host and Producer for BBC Persian