Extraordinary Circumstances

Darkest Moments Can Spark One’s Inner Light New Nonfiction Follows Young Man’s Journey Through Suffering to Find His Own Calling FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. Ask anyone if they long for suffering and the answer is sure to be “no.” However, one look at the great prophets, intellects, humanitarians and saints of the world and it’s apparent that paths of greatness often emerge from tragic shadows. In her new book, Through the Darkness: One Man’s Journey From Tragedy to Triumph Eva Smith immerses readers in the true story of a young man who discovers his noble and spiritual calling in the wake of a horrific accident that claims three family members. The story begins on a beautiful July weekend in 1957 in Fayetteville, N.C. At age 18, Vander Purcell is the one most likely to follow in the footsteps of his father, a Pentecostal minister. All of his nine siblings know it, and Vander feels it in his heart. For some reason, however, his father chooses Vander’s older brother, Lonnie, to attend a weekend church retreat, and Vander is overcome with disappointment. As his parents drive away with Lonnie in tow, Vander’s disappointment changes to a strange feeling of melancholy he cannot explain. All nine siblings experience an inexplicable sense of gloom the entire weekend that manifests in the horrible discovery of a fatal accident involving their parents and Lonnie. No one bears this tragedy more deeply than Vander. In a matter of days, Vander is thrust into an uncertain future, torn from his younger siblings and the home they cherished with their loving parents. The children are divided into the homes of their older siblings, and Vander continuously searches for answers to sudden loss and a balm to soothe his soul. In the depths of his sorrow and anger, one Bible passage keeps haunting him the same one that sprang to his mind the day his family died. “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.”