McGowan's Call is a collection of short stories and a novella that chronicles Davis' path from the river town of Hatteras, Ohio to the suburbs of Dayton. This work of fiction provides a rare insight to pastoral ministry outside the scandals that regularly make headlines. It is an honest exposé of the real crisis that afflicts those who live in the public eye.
Here is what was said of McGowan's Call in Heartlands Magazine:
"The stories take us through Davis McGowan's years of ministry and his struggles and rewards in dealing with parishioners' illnesses, aging, deaths, doubts, and even a homicide in the suspenseful novella "False Witness." One could compare the book to Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio collection of Midwest portraits from a small town; only these are contemporary tales. A wide variety of townsfolk are shown, but the focus is squarely on McGowan as he matures into his job."
-Larry Smith, editor