The Voice of the Prophet (“My Copy”)

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The Voice of the Prophet

• Date of Publication: 1949
• Pages: 75
• Format: Hardcover

“…she then 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, 2023, p. 197.

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

It is unclear, however, how many copies copies Sonia made of The Voice of the Prophet. On 25 August 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; it proved to be 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 it that I emailed the bookseller in gratitude and to ask for the backstory of how he had managed to acquire such a book. He replied with the following 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

After nearly 50 years, this “well printed copy” has reached me and inspired me to look more deeply into the life of Sonia Haft Greene Lovecraft Davis. Since discovering H.P. Lovecraft, I have always had a secret inclination to write her biography, though never to publish it, as I ignorantly believed no one would find it of interest. This particular volume of The Voice of the Prophet challenged 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.