Every so often I will take the time to indulge in a fiction novel. Recently I was offered the opportunity to read a fiction novel by D.J. Williams, "The Disillusioned." This book does two things in the overall course of the story it challenges it's reader to care about people they've never met and it challenges what we truly believe and how we carry out our faith in God. This novel is about a family tragedy that sends two brothers on a chase to honor their deceased mother's will. However in doing so these brothers entangle themselves in one of the largest most heinous human trafficking rings in Africa. Mind you they are the children of one of America's most beloved preachers and their mother committed suicide.
This story was beyond engrossing. I read the entire novel in 1 day. It beckoned to figure out to aid in the cause to stop human trafficking. I recommend this book especially if you know you want a really good read that's worth reading. It's suspenseful and eye opening to what people around the world are dealing with.
An interview with the author, DJ Williams:
What was your inspiration behind the novel?
I was coming out of a difficult year both personally and professionally. Two unexpected deaths in my family only thirty days apart. A business venture that ended shortly after. For months I wondered what was happening. At the time, I didn't know that this season would change the direction of my life. I didn't understand until a few years later when I started writing. I kept that part of my life private from everyone except for my wife. No on knew I was writing a novel. After a few false starts in trying to find my characters and plot, I struck on something that pushed the story forward. I never expected the twists and turns that followed. I guess you could say that I discovered the story in The Disillusioned along the journey. The deeper I immersed myself, the more I knew it would involve a social cause. I spoke with friends who are involved in the fight against human trafficking and it became clear that it needed to be part of the story.
2. What do you hope readers will take from reading this novel?
The Disillusioned is for anyone who cares about fixing what is wrong in the world, and its for anyone who loves adventure. It's convicting, eye-opening, suspenseful, mysterious, and thrilling all at the same time. It's for anyone driven by compassion for a suffering world, and for anyone willing to be convicted to be more than what they are. My hope is that the characters will move readers out of the comfort of their homes, churches, and work places to make a difference whether it be here in the U.S. or somewhere else in the world. If the story can shed a light on the fight against the two billion dollar industry of human trafficking, and move people to action then I've accomplished what I hoped to accomplish when I started writing the story.
3. Is there another book in the works that fans can look forward to?
I'm a few months away from finishing my next novel. I don't want to give too much away, but here's a brief synopsis:
When Jake Harris is hired to ghostwrite a memoir he unlocks Pandora's box. From the grave, a remarkable story from the twenties about a controversial evangelist leads Jake down a road toward solving the murder of a friend, uncovering a secret society that has operated in the shadows for nearly a century, and the truth about a past he cannot remember.
I know it's vague, but I'll be able to share more once the novel is finished. You can always find more information at www.djwilliamsbooks.com
