Stories From Africa

Welcome to those of you stopping by from our Proverbs 31 Ministries Devotion. You couldn’t have found a better place to talk books, revel in stories, and meet authors who are changing the world one novel at a time.

And one of those authors is Tom Davis. His novel, SCARED, is a She Reads winter selection. One of the things we love about Tom is that he doesn’t just write about challenging situations, he lives them. As President of Children’s Hopechest (and co-founder of Saints Coffee), he spends a large part of the year on the ground in Africa with thousands of children who have been orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

His debut novel, SCARED, was inspired by a young girl he met in Swaziland.

Stuart Davis has hit bottom.  Once a celebrated and award-winning photojournalist, he is now reeling from debt, a broken marriage, and a crippling depression.  The source of Stuart’s grief is his most famous photo: a snapshot of brutality in the dangerous Congo.  A haunting image that indicts him as a passive witness to gross injustice.

Stuart is given one last chance to redeem his career: a make-or-break assignment covering the AIDS crisis in a small African country.  It is here that Stuart meets Adanna, a young orphan fighting for survival in a community ravaged by tragedy and disease.  But in the face of overwhelming odds, Adanna finds hope in a special dream, where she is visited by an illuminated man and given a precious gift.

Now, a dark place that’s a world away from home, Stuart will once again confront the harsh reality of suffering people in a forgotten land.  And as a chance encounter becomes divine providence, two very different people will find their lives forever changed.

You can read the first chapter of SCARED here.

We are giving away three copies of SCARED, along with a journal similar to the one used by Adanna in the novel. And the wonderful folks at Saints Coffee will send each of our winners a pound of fresh roasted coffee (roast and flavor of their choice).

If you’d like to take these goodies home, then all you have to do is leave a comment on this post or sign up for our monthly newsletter. Our first place winner will get the journal, a copy of SCARED, and a pound of Saints Coffee. Our second and third place winners will each receive the novel and the coffee.

A while back we had the chance to sit down with Tom Davis and learn a little about the inspiration for SCARED.

One of the main characters in your novel, a twelve year old AIDS orphan named Adanna, was inspired by a real child. Can you tell us a little about the real Adanna and how she compelled you to write this novel?

The idea of Adanna does stem from a real girl I met in Swaziland who was twelve years old at the time. She was a gorgeous little girl filled with life. Her joy was contagious and she  just loved being around our group, hugging on various team members and playing games with us in the field.  Both of her parents had died from AIDS and she was taken in by her uncle. Sadly, she became a slave for him and his family. Neighbors complained to the authorities that she was being abused and she was removed from the home. The only issue she struggled with besides being shy when she arrived at the orphanage, was one of incontinence. They thought the poor thing had never been potty trained. They took her to the doctor to find out what was wrong. The truth was almost unbelievable. Her incontinence was a result of the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her uncle and other men he had sold her to. I walked around the rest of that day in tears. I couldn’t believe someone would treat a child is such an evil way. Then those kinds of stories became more of the norm for me on the trip. The Adannas in Africa are real kids, with dreams and hopes of a good future. A future that won’t exist unless the body of Christ gets involved in their lives.

Though this novel was hard to read in many places, one of the things I appreciated most about it was that you did not pull your punches. You unflinchingly portrayed suffering and heartbreak while weaving in mercy and hope. How did you find that balance? And did you struggle personally while telling this story?

It was quite difficult. I wanted to write a story that was honest. It is graphic in places but I can assure you that orphans in Africa and around the world experience things much worse than what you read on those pages. That was one of the most difficult realities for me to swallow as I researched and wrote the book. Thinking about the abuse millions of innocent children go through every single day is a frightening truth. There came a point in the story when I couldn’t let one more terrible thing happen to Adanna. Originally, I wanted a scene in the book where Adanna was forced to sell her body in order to feed her younger brother and sister. It happens all the time in Africa. But I couldn’t do it.

While reading SCARED I was struck by the characters – not just how real they were, but how they could be any of the people in my life. Which character do you relate to the most? Why?

Stuart, without a doubt. He is me in many ways. My story is the story of a man searching for meaning in life and finding it the eyes of orphans. I think deep inside each one of us is a desire to help suffering children. It’s how God made us! Our hearts should break with compassion for the Adannas in the world. Even though Stuart has had great success in his life, he struggles to live with significance. Don’t we all to some degree? Of course raising godly children and loving our spouses is our first priority. But how can we invest our lives in ‘least of these’ Jesus talks about in Matthew 25? Their is so much eternal impact that comes from feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. That’s my journey and Stuart’s too!

All fiction carries a message – something the author wants the audience to wrestle with. When readers turn the last page of Scared, what do you want them to take away?

“We need the poor more than the poor need us.” Yes, Jesus wants us to care for the poor and love our neighbors as ourselves. But I need to love the broken and care for the afflicted, not because I’m Biblically bound, but because it’s what I was created to do. It’s what makes me the most alive.

I was particularly fond of the character Pastor Walter. He runs the care point in Adanna’s village and does all he can to make a difference. Have you encountered a few real Pastor Walter’s on your travels? How have they impacted your ministry? Your writing?

The Pastor Walters of the world are my heroes and heroines. In every country I’ve been too, I’ve found incredible people who are changing the world around them. Most of them are poor themselves, they don’t have anything to offer except their lives. Then God takes them, just as they are, and uses them for something great. I have to tell you that most of these people are women. Grandmother’s in Russia, “Go-go’s” in Africa who literally carry their communities on their backs. They are the Mother Teresa’s of the world for me. I’m humbled by their commitment and courage to live by faith and trust God to use the little that’s in their hands.

Thanks for hanging out with us today. We’re glad you’re here. We hope you come back. And good luck to all of you entering our marvelous giveaway! Books and coffee, what more could you want?

If you’d like to pick up a copy of SCARED, would you consider purchasing it from Proverbs 31 Ministries? All proceeds from book sales go to support this powerful women’s ministry.