Born in Montreal, Quebec, on September 5, 1955, Davis lived in France for over a decade (1994-2004), and now resides in Princeton, New Jersey.

Davis has been a mentor with the Humber College School for Writers and Guelph University's MFA program.

The Stubborn Season (2002) was chosen for the Robert Adams Lecture Series and named one of the best-selling books of the year by Amazon.ca.

[citation needed] The Radiant City (2005) was a finalist for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.

[citation needed] The Empty Room (2007) was named one of the best books of the year by the Toronto Star, The Globe & Mail, and the Winnipeg Free Press.