By Carole Turner
I finished reading Tom Davis‘ new book, Priceless, a few days ago, and I have yet to be able to shake it.
Davis has a way of taking you into the world that he paints with words. You feel like you know all the characters personally. You travel with them on their journeys, you know them deeply. You feel connected to them, which is why leaving them at the end of the book is so hard…
You’ve left the journey (at least temporarily), and now can only imagine what happens next.
So I was glad that Priceless continues the journey of Stuart Daniels, the main character from Tom Davis’ first novel Scared that I loved so much (it’s #13 on my Top 20 books).
Stuart is a photojournalist, and I was glad to catch up with him again. This time, Stuart has been sent to Russia for an assignment, he connects with an old friend and gets caught up in the fight against human trafficking before he even knows it.
His quest involves an orphan girl that he met years earlier, who is now in grave danger. As in Scared, Stuart’s faith is challenged and strengthened from being submerged in one of the darkest places of the world. Again, evil abounds and attempts to take his life, but God has bigger plans.
Tom Davis’s heart for orphans is obvious in the narratives he weaves in his novels. He does a great job of showing the depth of the issue while also telling you a riveting story. He also paints a clear picture of the darkest reality of what happens when we do nothing. His stories, though fiction, are based on real incidents he has seen and been a part of in his work as the CEO of Children’s Hopechest.
This book contains some truly unforgettable characters, the beautiful orphan Marina, and Katya, the strong and determined women fighting to free sex slaves.
But my favorite was Vlad. I loved Vlad. You will meet him when you read the book. For some reason, I really connected to Vlad. I think it’s because I really like redeemed bad guys.
As someone who works in the fight against human trafficking and as a champion for orphan care around the world, I am so thankful for books like Priceless. Awareness is a must in the cause of the “least of these”, informing people about that which is often out of sight, out of mind.
I am hopeful that books like Scared and Priceless will cause people to think, “I had no idea orphans were trafficked. What can I do to help?”
This book is true art. Like Slumdog Millionaire, it’s crafted to mesmerize, transport, disturb and help the audience visualize the graphic scenes within the story. It also entertains and engages the reader without disconnecting you from the characters.
Davis weaves together such an elaborate, tangible story that these fictional people become real representations of the harsh realities of our world. They scar us in the best way possible.
For about Priceless and how you can fight the sex trade, visit SheIsPriceless.com or “Like” the Priceless facebook page. To connect with Tom, you can read his blog on Beliefnet.
Win a free copy of Priceless! To enter to win, post a comment at the bottom of this post, with a prayer for victims of the sex trade.
It can be long or short, but let’s use this opportunity not to just get something, but to give. We’ll announce the winner in a week or so.
Carole is a writer, artist, singer and Orphan Care Advocate. She is married to Dean and mother of three children – one miracle of birth, one adopted from here in the States, and one just adopted from Ethiopia. She blogs at The Wardrobe and the White Tree.