Mike Nawrocki’s journey from engineer and telecommunications executive to debut novelist is as unexpected as it is compelling. In his provocative first novel, The Treasure Chest, Nawrocki dares to ask: What happens when a nation chooses to erase its past in pursuit of a flawless future? His exploration of memory, history, faith, and national identity makes him a fresh, important voice in contemporary fiction—and one you’ll want to follow.
Raised in the heart of America, Nawrocki describes himself as a “product of the greatest generation.” His parents, who came of age during the Great Depression and World War II, taught him the values of hard work, sacrifice, and love of country—values that must be reinforced with each successive generation,. His career took him deep into the world of technology, where he helped drive advances in telecommunications, collaborated with international partners, and translated engineering innovations into public policy. For years, he worked closely with leaders across industry, government, and academia as vice president of technology at a Washington, DC nonprofit. But even as he traveled the world and helped shape policy, Nawrocki carried a quiet ambition: to write a story that would challenge America to remember what it stands for.
That ambition grew urgent when he noticed the growing trend of education and institutions disengaging from history, and society’s increasing willingness to rewrite or ignore uncomfortable parts of the past. “I think we’re a product of both our greatest and worst moments,” Nawrocki says. “If we discount history, we lose the teachings of both success and failure.” His deep love for American history—especially the founding era, the Civil War, and the sacrifices of the 20th century—fed into The Treasure Chest, a novel that feels eerily relevant to today’s debates.
In The Treasure Chest, Nawrocki imagines a near-future America ruled by the “Good Society,” a movement determined to wipe out the old country’s inequities by erasing every trace of its past. Through a process known as the Great Cleansing, family memories, historical records, books, art, and religion are systematically erased. Even sports and music—anything that might remind people of their heritage—are banned or destroyed. Citizens are assigned numbers instead of surnames, and their lives are carefully managed to ensure conformity. It is a world that appears safe and orderly, yet hollow and joyless.
The novel’s protagonist, Thomas 6771, lives a comfortable but passive existence in this society until a freak accident sets him on an unplanned journey into America’s prohibited lands—areas outside government control where the remnants of the old world still linger. Thomas’s trek forces him to confront forgotten truths, grapple with questions of faith, and make choices that could either cement the erasure of America’s past or help recover it.
Through Thomas’s eyes, readers see the profound costs of a society that sacrifices memory for the illusion of perfection. Moments like Thomas’s awakening to a supermoon casting light on his lost past, or his encounter with horses running free in a forbidden countryside, pulse with a sense of wonder and melancholy. Nawrocki weaves these intimate moments with broader reflections on what it means to belong, to remember, and to believe in something larger than oneself.
Faith is a powerful undercurrent in the book. Nawrocki, inspired by his own spiritual journey, paints a world where religion has been purged as a threat to state control. Yet faith reemerges in unexpected ways, offering Thomas glimpses of hope and purpose. In one especially moving scene, Thomas finds a ruined chapel and discovers a tattered hymn, “How Great Thou Art,” echoing through his thoughts. It’s a turning point that shows the resilience of belief even in the most hostile environments.
While the book’s themes are serious, The Treasure Chest delivers page-turning adventure and suspense. Nawrocki balances philosophical questions with the excitement of a man on the run, mysterious encounters, and discoveries that peel back layers of America’s forgotten past. The book’s emotional core keeps it grounded: Thomas’s longing to reconnect with the beauty, pain, and complexity of a history denied him.
Nawrocki is clear that his novel isn’t a political polemic. The Treasure Chest doesn’t mention parties or movements; instead, it asks timeless questions about identity and heritage. “Our society today talks about being at a tipping point,” he says. “But if you look at American history—the Revolution, the Civil War, World War II—those were real tipping points. We need perspective.”
His writing is enriched by the discipline he honed over the years as an engineer and executive. Unlike some first-time authors who labor for years, Nawrocki wrote the novel quickly, compelled by a story that had lived in his mind for years. He credits the real challenge to learning the publishing industry, which he describes as a journey almost as unexpected as his protagonist’s.
Through it all, Nawrocki hopes The Treasure Chest will do more than entertain: he wants to inspire readers to question what they’ve been told about their country, to explore history for themselves, and to recognize that both triumphs and failures shape who we are. He sees his novel as a tribute to the sacrifices of earlier generations and a call to preserve their lessons for the future.
“Freedom,” Nawrocki reflects, “isn’t just about what you can do today. It’s about remembering how you got here. Our past isn’t something to run from. It’s a treasure chest waiting to be opened.”