“The Unexpected Visitor,” by acclaimed photographer Naseeb “N.B.” Baroody and author Margaret Hinson Baroody, has earned a silver 2010 Book of the Year Award from ForeWord Reviews for best book of photography and a bronze 2011 Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) from Independent Publisher as one of the best inspirational/spiritual books of the year.

The collection of stunning black and white photos, published in 2010 by Summerville-based Joggling Board Press, depicts images and inspirational passages that take the reader on a journey of discovery, surprise and faith.

ForeWord Reviews recently honored award winners at the American Library Association convention in New Orleans. Independent Publisher, which received nearly 4,000 entries from publishers the world over, celebrated IPPY medalists in May at its annual gala awards ceremony during Book Expo America in New York.

The images that appear in The Unexpected Visitor were photographed over a period of more than half a century by the late physician N.B. Baroody, who studied with renown environmental photographer Ansel Adams. In recent years, N.B. Baroody and his wife Margaret traveled the world performing medical mission work.

The book shares moments of their life journey together, their bond of connection and love that is both personal and universal. Many of the images are of the South Carolina coast, where the Baroodys spent much time.

“The stories we tell all resonate with a sense of the unexpected, even the divine,” says Margaret Baroody. “We plot, even procrastinate, but it is often that unguarded moment, the unanticipated encounter that determines our sense of self, our relationships, our futures, our careers, our hopes and dreams.”

In selecting the images for the book, the Baroodys share the experiences and revelations associated with the image, a glimpse of their extraordinary life together. The personal narratives are spare, but powerful, with accompanying quotes of verse and poetry. Baroody’s words echo the profound simplicity of the photographed moments captured by her husband, encouraging us to linger, to know an unguarded moment and to savor the face of grace.