Really enjoyed this read! ( )

Memoir by a fellow who happened to be the stepson of C.S. Lewis, partly about Lewis while he was married to Joy, partly about Gresham's life. It's entertaining but he has kind of a florid writing style that I don't like, and there are flashes of cranky snobbery - how things have declined since socialism, railway strikes are "the small man's modern method of exerting power for power's sake", etc.

I gave up on this after Joy and C. S. Lewis both died and the griping about the sinister servants began. He cites the cook's remarks like "Wouldn't Mrs. Lewis 'ave loved those roses?" as cruel examples of her power to make Mr. Lewis cry, which is so strange I can't wrap my mind around it. Every grieving person I've known has been delighted to know that others remember their dear one, even if that memory brings tears. Anyway, I realized I wasn't interested in Gresham's life after that and I disliked him. He didn't provide much insight into Lewis or his mother's relationship with him, either. What a prat. ( )

There's always something compelling about an insider's perspective. In Lenten Lands, we have the ultimate insider's perspective on the home life of C. S. Lewis from Douglas Gresham, Lewis' step-son.

I bought the book to learn more about Lewis, but I was quickly engrossed by the life journey of Joy Davidman and her son. Gresham tells his story with simplicity and generosity. You can almost feel the joy of life at the Kilns, Jack and Warnie's home.

Sprinkled throughout the text are occasional flashes of insight such as this:

"As Jack said, 'It is not important to succeed, but to do right. The rest is up to God.'"

Lenten Lands will appeal to C. S. Lewis fans as well as plain old memoir lovers. ( )

The story of CS Lewis and Joy Davidman from a totally different perspective - one of Joy's sons, Douglas. It is obviously written from a loving son's point of view, but well written nonetheless, and contains some very interesting stories of their life together.