As an admirer of C. S. Lewis, both as a writer and an apologist, I was drawn to this book when I saw it. I’d never read anything by or about Joy Davidman, so I wanted to learn more about the woman who Lewis (known to those who loved him as Jack) married.
This book, though fiction, pulls from various letters, interviews, biographies, and other sources to piece together the lives of, and the relationship between, Joy and Jack.
After her conversion, Joy seeks answer and begins exchanging letters with Lewis. Her failing marriage and her new faith seem to be at odds most of the time, and she finds a kindred spirit in Jack, who had a conversion similar to her own. Their friendship grows, and Joy’s new journey begins.
While there is nothing in this novel that is explicit, it does handle the topics of alcoholism, abuse, adultery, and illness in a very honest way. It brings these people back to life to tell us their story. It follows a woman who struggles with desire and emotional insecurities as she tries to follow Christ. It’s Joy’s story, but it’s also a love story, of a love that seemed impossible in many ways, but was the truest love there is.
1) Overall Plot = 5
2) Characters = 5
3) Flow/Pace of the story = 5
4) Is the story easy to follow? = 5
5) Overall Enjoyability = 5
Average score of 5 out of 5
Jess Boudreaux 