Bøger af Davin Jake Douma

Reaching the Shore: A Story of Survival, Courage and Endurance By Davin Jake Douma and Bonnie Jane Hall Reaching the Shore is a memoir about the famous murder trial of a sixteen-year-old boy that took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the 1980s. Written by the mother of the boy, she kept a journal of everything that happened, how she felt and what she experienced during the twenty-seven years of her son's incarceration. This is an incredibly thoughtful, brave, and beautifully written one-of-a-kind memoir about the life of a vulnerable young woman who was shocked to the core by an unexpected and surreal tragedy. She suffered decades of anguish without self-pity, never giving up. It is the story about a boy's "extraordinary heroism of using the constraints, horrors and obscenities of his surroundings to propel him into a quest of personal growth, self-discipline and personal enlightenment," remarks writer and educator Susan Wilkins. The reader will be amazed by the power of intuition and foreknowledge demonstrated by the mother and by the resilience of both mother and son. There are several unexpected and surprising conclusions to the story. Readers will come away with the realization that they too can rise above their circumstances and triumph. "You write with focus, clarity, and intensity, and we all feel the raw emotions that you so bravely reveal to us," says David Aretha, author of over 70 books.

It is not the hand that we are dealt that determines if we win at the game of life, but how we play our hand. This is the story of Davin J. Douma who was dealt a tough hand, but he played it well. Davin was sentenced to life in prison when he was 16 years old for killing a man which he deeply regretted throughout his life. While in the county jail awaiting trial, Davin's appendix burst. He laid on a cold cell floor in severe pain for days unattended. Then, when it was almost too late, he was in a hospital where he was fed intravenously for five months. Weighing only 90 pounds after being in the hospital, he was sent to a dangerous maximum security prison with adult prisoners. Only one out of a hundred juveniles with life sentences ever come out of this type of prison. Many die and others are never released in Oklahoma where Davin was imprisoned. He used his intelligence and people skills to survive. In prison Davin changed and he dedicated himself to intensive personal development. Prison, in a way, became like his monastery. He read over 4,000 books on every subject imaginable, took courses, became a highly skilled martial artist, practiced Tai Chi, yoga, and meditation. He practiced Tai Chi for at least 2 hours a day for over 20 years and became a Tai Chi master. Davin also became a skilled writer and speaker and worked on his character development. He became a teacher on a variety of subjects for other prisoners and helped young newcomers adjust to prison and to rehabilitate themselves. For over 25 years he spoke to schools and to kids to steer them away from a life of crime.