cover image Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession

Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession

Anne Rice. Knopf, $23.95 (245pp) ISBN 978-0-307-26827-3

When Anne Rice stopped crafting stories about vampires and began writing about Jesus, many of her fans were shocked. This autobiographical spiritual memoir provides an account of how the author rediscovered and fully embraced her Catholic faith after decades as a self-proclaimed atheist. Rice begins with her childhood in New Orleans, when she seriously considered entering a convent. As she grows into a young adult she delves into concerns about faith, God and the Catholic Church that lead her away from religion. The author finally reclaims her Catholic faith in the late 1990s, describing it as a movement toward total surrender to God. She writes beautifully about how through clouds of doubt and pain she finds clarity, realizing how much she loved God and desired to surrender her being, including her writing talent, to God. Covering such a large sequence of time and life events is not easy, and some of the author’s transitions are a bit jarring. Fans of Rice’s earlier works will enjoy discovering more about her life and fascinating journey of faith. (Oct. 7)