cover image Called: My Journey to C.S. Lewis's House and Back Again

Called: My Journey to C.S. Lewis's House and Back Again

Ryan J. Pemberton. Abilene Christian Univ./Leafwood, $14.99 trade paper (256p) ISBN 978-0-89112-384-2

Inspired to new faith by C.S. Lewis's writing, Pemberton abandons a career in marketing and public relations, believing that God has called him to pursue a theology degree at Oxford University. Friends and circumstances seem to confirm the choice, and he and his wife, Jen, make the move, despite financial uncertainty and concerns about being far from family. They soon find themselves wondering whether they have followed God's call or their own dream, even as Pemberton becomes president of the Oxford C.S. Lewis Society and opportunity opens to live in the home where Lewis lived. Fans of Lewis will enjoy the included information about him and his contemporaries. The young writer's own journey, though marked by exceptional luck, is less interesting, and some struggles (such as whether he should remain so far away from his sick, pregnant wife) are difficult to sympathize with. Some of the book's meatier discussion comes as Pemberton reflects on his discovery that calling means letting go of security and trusting only God%E2%80%94even if it's not always clear where God leads. Agent: Amanda Luedeke, MacGregor Literary Agency. (Feb.)