Now I'm giving away Priceless by Tom Davis! (comes with bonus review)

To enter for a chance to win a copy of this amazing book, please answer the following question... If you knew that a young teen was going to end up sold into prostitution when she left the Russian orphanage if someone didn't adopt her, would you step in and adopt the child even if you had to raise the funds to do it. Now the right (Christian) answer would be yes, of course. But what if that girl had had already been abused and was a sexualized young woman who didn't understand boundaries? How would you protect your husband and sons from a sexualized teenage girl and ultimately protect her from herself in order to help her feel safe in her new family? In short, how would you help her to heal?

It's a complicated question, but give it a shot anyway. I will select a winner using the Randomizer program next Sunday, July 4th!



About the book:

Photojournalist Stuart Daniels has found purpose in life. After suffering the fallout of a tragic assignment, Daniels rediscovered his faith while helping a young African orphan. Now his photo work carries a greater mission: To educate people about social injustice happening around the world.

Daniels next assignment carries him back overseas and into the heart of Russia. Once there, Daniels is persuaded by an old friend to help save two girls from a desperate situation. Soon he becomes a key player in a dangerous campaign to rescue helpless women trapped in the sex-slave trade. What Daniels encounters during his journey will shake his faith, test his courage, and even threaten his life. Yet as Daniels gets deeper and the stakes get higher, he will discover that hope can be found in the darkest of places.

My review:

I loved this book as much, if not more than Scared, Davis's first novel. Not trying to sound corny here, but I have to say that Davis's latest book is truly Priceless. The author's compassion for orphans resounds from every page. Anyone who reads Priceless will be stirred to hopefully rethink their priorities. It seems that the average person in a wealthy country such as the United States has no idea what really happens to many of the orphaned children in other countries, such as Russia. If understood, more people would be involved in eradicating the sex trade and pursuing the criminals who traffic children to provide a carnal service to the basest of people.

For me, Priceless was an eye opening story that rang true-to-life. While unsavory at times, I found the content to be absolutely necessary to show what really happens to these girls and to develop compassion in the reader. None of the details seemed over-the-top to me. The main character, Stuart, was understandably conflicted between his desire to help free these children, and what he might have to do to facilitate their rescue, because he found posing as a buyer revolting. I empathized with Stuart and wanted to cheer him on for trying to do the right thing.

Before reading Priceless I hadn't thought much about the horrors of sex trafficking and what it would be like to be raped multiple times a day every day of your life. It's frightening to think about. Because this novel is so full of rich details like culture and language, it's obvious that the author has an authentic understanding of Russian orphans and the devastating histories many of these children have. A reader would have to be heartless not to be moved to tears while reading this book. The Lord is going to use this novel to reach people in a profound and mighty way.