• Title: The Voice of the Prophet
• Date of Publication: 1949
• Pages: 75
• Format: Hardcover

“…I had a cheap, paperback mimeographed copy of “The Faith, Hope, Tradition and Heritage of America” and a hard, brown covered, well printed copy of “The Voice of the Prophet”.

Sonia H. Davis, Two Hearts That Beat as One.

The Voice of the Prophet is a collection of poems by Dr. Nathaniel A. Davis based on the Jewish faith and traditions. Nathaniel was the third husband of Sonia, and genuinely the happiest marriage in comparison to her previous relationships. After Nathaniel’s passing in April 6, 1945, Sonia worked exceedingly hard to pay the debts she procured during his illness, and to save money to ultimately publish his poems. Unfortunately, when Sonia sought financial support from well-to-do individuals for her endeavor, she was met with rejection, and even in one instance, she was cruelly scammed by a publisher. Evidently, she persevered and was able to publish some of his poetry. Many of the poems she selected for publication were highly regarded by many persons from literary clubs, radio shows, and lectures.

It is unclear, however, the number of copies Sonia made of The Voice of the Prophet. I, myself, own two copies, one of which has the most importance to me. On August 25, 2021, I found Sonia’s personal copy of The Voice of the Prophet for sale online. I bought it, thinking it was too good to be true, and it was the best decision I made in that season of my life. When I finally received the copy several days later, I was so amazed by the book that I emailed the bookseller in gratitude and to ask for the backstory of how he managed to acquire such a book. He emailed me in return with this account:

My friend and book-mentor, Roy A. Squires—whom you may’ve heard of—was a friend of August Derleth. After years of corresponding, Derleth informed Squires that Sonia was retired at the senior care facility I mentioned. Squires wrote to Sonia, because of his own great interest in H.P. Lovecraft, and asked if he could visit her. Sonia was very suspect, as she’d been visited not long before by an HPL enthusiast, who’d stolen valuable memorabilia from her, and wrote to Derleth to inquire about Squires. Derleth told her that Squires was the most trustworthy of men, and not to worry. Squires visited Sonia on some occasions, especially on her birthdays. She enjoyed his company.

After her death, and Sonia being estranged for years from her daughter, left no heirs. Diana Lynn Lodge asked Squires if he would come and take away her last few belongings. Squires retrieved what little she had left. Among those belongings were a few copies of your Nathaniel Davis book.

Terence McVicker

And thus, after nearly 50 years, this “well printed copy” has reached me and inspired me to look deeper into the life of Sonia Haft Greene Lovecraft Davis. I’ve always had a secret inclination to write her biography, but to never publish it because I ignorantly believed no one would find it of interest. This particular volume of The Voice of the Prophet was a challenge to that secret inclination, and I took the leap of faith to unearth Sonia’s life, regardless of the future readership. It is because of this volume that the many, who have been waiting for decades for her autobiography, can now appreciate the remarkable life and character of Mrs. Sonia H. Davis.