 |
Life wasn’t easy for Daniel Schmartz. When his older sister decided to put a stop to his alcoholic father sexually abusing her, it cost the life of Daniel’s father, mother, and sister. His mother put up with all the abuse because she believed her strong faith was based on love and forgiveness, and she would never give up on her husband. However, after the tragic events that cost Daniel his family, he felt there was no use for God. Although he had times when he could practically hear the voice of God, Daniel was no longer interested, and this created a spiritual war within him. Daniel quit speaking for years as a result. This caused him to have a hard time finding a foster family. When he did find a willing family he liked—a loving home of a minister, his wife, and daughters—Daniel’s first words were an outburst against God. Fearing the fallout, Daniel ran away and returned to the foster home.
At this point, Daniel got involved in the trafficking of illegal drugs. The chancellor of the foster home encouraged this trade. Daniel didn’t know that the chancellor was one of the ruthless leaders of the local drug gangs. Eventually, the war inside Daniel would cost him dearly. Torn between the evils and pleasures his drug money brought and a chance to do the right thing, Daniel ended up getting shot while battling the chancellor’s gang. However, this gave him a chance to reexamine his life. He discovered he still felt the voice of God moving him to return to his fold.
Prime-Godwin’s short novel is a parable in the classic sense. Much like The Parable of the Sower by Nathan J. Bonilla or Og Mandino’s The Greatest Salesman in the World, the true purpose of Daniel’s story is to illustrate a spiritual lesson. The author attempts to show that even people in the worst situations who seem to be on an immoral path full of evil and suffering may be in the middle of a spiritual war in their hearts. And, as illustrated by her tale, there is still hope for that individual that they can win the spiritual war and find peace in their soul even amidst the worst tribulations. Daniel’s journey can be seen to parallel that of the biblical Paul. Daniel is vehemently against God yet has a moment when his internal moral battle will allow him to feel God move within his heart and cause him to lean on him. Prime-Godwin uses a story of extremes to emphasize her position on a person’s internal struggle and the possible outcomes.
The author’s story is concise and moves along at a rapid pace. It is more concerned with the underlying message than with character and story development. As a result, Daniel can sometimes come across as a bit one-dimensional as a protagonist. Most of the writing is clear and easy to read, but at times words are used awkwardly or incorrectly. However, the intention of the book to be spiritually instructive is crystal clear. Readers looking for that will find Prime-Godwin delivers an inspiring parable depicting an individual overcoming extreme adversity.