Buried Dreamer

“If Indiana Jones was a kindhearted, progressive Presbyterian minister banished from nineteenth-century Scotland along with his cadre of fellow disciples: the bereaved, the benevolent, the bandit, and the beautiful, you might have an inkling where Buried Dreamer will lead you. With imaginative and engaging characters, David Howell points to the Creator’s timeless song that calls us to live into the ways of justice, purpose and place, and to never quit the courageous fight for all who have been denied their own.”


—Peter Mayer, lead guitarist of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band








“A cross-cultural historical novel that crisscrosses several centuries. It’s layered with Bible, theology, and plenty of intrigue. Amazingly intricate.”


—Peter W. Marty, editor/publisher of The Christian Century





“Whether you come for the story and stay for the inspiration or vice-versa, you will be glad you picked up this book! Engaging characters and a suspenseful plot carry the reader across centuries and oceans, and before you know it, you catch yourself thinking a bit. About war and violence. About friendship. And especially about hope. This is a book that encourages and uplifts while challenging the mind even as it satisfies the heart.”


—Jana Childers, dean, San Francisco Theological Seminary





“In this telling there is a wee thread of life and faith that runs from Scotland to North Carolina, with a detour of duty in Afghanistan. Those who carry that thread of faith and life face many ‘trials and snares,’ among them racism, rabid nationalism, and regressive fundamentalism. The tracing of this thread is gentle, patient, and compelling. David Howell is a master storyteller.”


—Walter Brueggemann, professor emeritus of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary





“David Howell does it again! Buried Dreamer is a compelling, literary voyage you dare to take if you aren’t afraid to experience the full-throttled dreams of a buried soldier. Through the many dangers, toils, and snares of life experiences detailed in this novel, readers will discover that although people may be buried, dreams never die. Take and read and dream.”


—Luke Powery, dean, Duke University Chapel





“With a cast of memorable characters for us to walk alongside, David Howell reminds us that when fear dresses itself up as principled violence, it becomes especially dangerous. Howell demonstrates that through time, when the spirit of love is present, hope and true faith both inspires and prevails. This historical novel is an essential book for us today when so many have turned their backs on the lessons of history and tailored their overall perspective, as well as their personal interpretation of sacred Scripture and religion, to their own needs and prejudices.”


—Robert J. Wicks, author of The Simple Care of a Hopeful Heart: Mentoring Yourself in Difficult Times





“Buried Dreamer opens with a warning, and well it should, for here is no ordinary or comfortable read. David Howell deftly takes us around the world and back again, across centuries, and into the innermost lives of a host of fascinating characters. Be warned: don’t read Buried Dreamer if you are reluctant to enter a richly imaginative world, if you are timid about hearing some tough truth, or if you are reticent to ponder the mysterious movements of God within the lives of fascinating folk past and present.”


—Will Willimon, author of Incorporation: A Novel





“Buried Dreamer is a captivating story demonstrating the reverberated effects of divergent choices made by members of the same communities, based on their differing Christian faith interpretations. The radical faith that the main characters exude in this story is anything but neutral, but rather is rooted in social justice, compassion, and love. Buried Dreamer is steeped in a theology of praxis, a must-read especially for seminary students engaged in pastoral theological studies.”


—Samuel Cruz, associate professor of religion and society, Union Theological Seminary





“Buried Dreamer is a remarkable work of historical fiction. At once elegant, imaginative, and brutally honest, it shares a story of love, faith, and integrity that spans generations and continents in order to illuminate present day crises and opportunities. Following the adventures and commitments of two women connected by family and separated by two centuries, Buried Dreamer crosses ethical landmarks stretching from the Underground Railroad to crises of the present day, and will leave its indelible mark on anyone who dares read it.”


—David Lose, pastor, Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church





“Buried Dreamer is a testament to what life is all about: care, compassion, peace, perseverance, and generosity, which stem from love and love alone. In the middle of pain and suffering, this story will encourage you to trust the path of the journey and to continue on life’s journey, trusting that love will lead you home. Buried Dreamer is a testament that even if the world tries to bury you or ship you across the ocean, you are never alone. Love is with you, and new life is always on the horizon.”


—Takouhi Demirdjian-Petro, minister, Grace United Church





“David has done it again: pulling off the intersection of diverse places and people and moments in time, from Scotland in 1847 to Afghanistan in 2020 to the Underground Railroad. I was hooked right away by this rollicking good story, never preachy, with vivid scenes and memorable, lovable characters (well, some of them!), with plenty of fodder to ruminate, from a historical perspective, on the troubles of our own times. Great fiction, that is entirely truth.”


—James Howell, senior pastor, Myers Park United Methodist Church





“In this book, the Reverend Charles Stuart and Samantha Logan take a treacherous and romantic voyage from Scotland to America where they join the struggle to free slaves on the Underground Railroad. Their great-granddaughter then confronts extremism in our day. But Buried Dreamer is more than just a good story. It takes us across centuries and continents as one family battles against some of the biggest issues of our day—prejudice, extremism, poverty, corruption. It achieves what many books fail to do—tell a tale that’s both interesting and important.”


—Jonathan Merritt is author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch: Why Sacred Words Are Vanishing and How We Can Revive Them





“Nineteenth-century Scotland and Virginia; twenty-first century threats to democracy in America; enslavement, injustice, the Underground Railroad, freedom; adventure, terror, life, death; romance and love. The historical novel Buried Dreamer has it all and more. Relive a family’s struggle for social justice and find inspiration for your own.”


—Jacqui Lewis, author of Ten Strategies for Becoming a Multiracial Congregation