by C.S. Lewis
First published 5199
C.S. Lewis opens his spiritual autobiography with the devastating loss of his mother in childhood. This tragedy pushes the young Lewis toward atheism and intellectual skepticism. He traces his path through boarding school, Oxford, and his early academic career, showing how doubt dominated his thinking for years. A pivotal meeting sparks Lewis to reconsider his materialist worldview. He documents his gradual movement from atheism through philosophical theism toward Christian belief. Lewis examines the role of desire and longing in his conversion, describing moments of transcendent joy that pointed beyond the material world. He shows how reason and imagination both played parts in his return to faith. The memoir follows his internal struggles with belief and unbelief, revealing the emotional and intellectual forces that shaped his spiritual development. Lewis offers readers insight into the universal human search for meaning and transcendence.
Genres: christian, autobiography, religion, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-journey, spiritual-awakening
Setting: England
Period: 20th Century
304 pages · Paperback · HarperOne