As someone who approaches life from an increasingly non-religious perspective, I wasn't sure about delving into Philip Yancey's memoir, "Where the Light Fell." But Yancey’s recounting of his upbringing, marked by poverty, religious fervor, and familial strife, is a searing exploration of the complexities of the human experience.

The memoir unfolds in post-World War II America, in the collision of Southern fundamentalism and the civil rights movement. Raised by a mother consumed by extreme religious convictions, Yancey and his brother, Marshall, navigate a landscape of oppression and abuse disguised as divine purpose. Yancey's narrative exposes the scars left by his mother's toxic faith and the profound impact it had on his family. The abuse and rejection he endured at her hands led to his own journey of skepticism and eventual return to faith.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

A memoir about growing up a Southern fundamentalist Christian with a quite possibly mentally ill mother. Honestly, I can’t believe I didn’t quit the book. I don’t know where I thought it would end. It’s a story that I know well. Having been raised similarly, nothing that he writes surprised me. Maybe fans of Philip Yancey will enjoy it more than I did. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This was an absolutely wonderful read and thoroughly enjoyed learning about his incredible childhood.

Yancey is well known for his inspirational writings with a focus on grace, forgiveness, and Christianity. This is his memoir -- the story of growing up in a family that used Christianity and religion as a weapon. His father died when Yancey was a toddler, and he was an adult before he learned the whole story -- his father died of complications of polio when he and his wife (Yancey's mother) refused medical interventions and relied on prayer and faith to cure the disease. After his father's death, Yancey's mother decided to commit her sons to missionary work.

What started as a commitment to Christianity became an abusive obsession. After reading this memoir, it's is baffling to me that Yancey has retained his faith. Many passages are very difficult to read. I found myself wondering why teachers or other adults didn't intercede, but I had to remind myself that times were different in the 50s and 60s. For a touching, sometimes horrifying, look at life inside a family obsessed with religion and an uplifting view of resilience and faith. I'm now looking forward to reading (or re-reading) more of Yancey's work.

NOTE: I have several friends who are very involved in Evangelical Christian churches. I suspect some of them would be very offended at the portrayals of some of the people in this book -- especially the pastors & preachers who encouraged and supported Yancey's mother. I can see that they might read this as a condemnation of evangelism and missionary work. I did not read it that way. This is a memoir -- a retelling/reflection of Yancey's own experiences, and clearly, he has survived and thrived with his faith intact, if in a very different form than his mother's.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing this read. All opinions are my own.
Deeply thoughtful memoir. This provided background and nuance into the life of esteemed author/speaker Philip Yancey. As his upbringing shaped who he is, he shares openly about his family relationships and the surprising things he learned about them.

I enjoyed reading this memoir. Philip Yancey grew up in an extremely fundamentalist, racist, and abusive home. Where the Light Fell mostly covers Yancey's childhood and early adulthood before becoming a writer. Yancey gives us an inside look at the biggest influences on his life as he wrestles with those things.

"Raised by an impoverished widow who earned room and board as a Bible teacher in 1950s Atlanta, Philip Yancey and his brother, Marshall, found ways to venture out beyond the confines of their eight-foot-wide trailer. But when Yancey was in college, he uncovered a shocking secret about his father's death--a secret that began to illuminate the motivations that drove his mother to extreme, often hostile religious convictions and a belief that her sons had been ordained for a divine cause.

Searching for answers, Yancey dives into his family origins, taking us on an evocative journey from the backwoods of the Bible Belt to the bustling streets of Philadelphia; from trailer parks to church sanctuaries; from family oddballs to fire-and-brimstone preachers and childhood awakenings through nature, music, and literature. In time, the weight of religious and family pressure sent both sons on opposite paths--one toward healing from the impact of what he calls a "toxic faith," the other into a self-destructive spiral.

Where the Light Fell is a gripping family narrative set against a turbulent time in post-World War II America, shaped by the collision of Southern fundamentalism with the mounting pressures of the civil rights movement and Sixties-era forces of social change. In piecing together his fragmented personal history and his search for redemption, Yancey gives testament to the enduring power of our hunger for truth and the possibility of faith rooted in grace instead of fear.

"I truly believe this is the one book I was put on earth to write," says Yancey. "So many of the strands from my childhood—racial hostility, political division, culture wars—have resurfaced in modern form. Looking back points me forward.""

Yancey is without a doubt my favorite writer on the subject of personal faith. He is honest and unflinchingly transparent. His writing style is engaging and flows. A must read.

Memoir of Yancey's growing-up years. Having lived in the same era as the author and having grown up in a Christian family, I could relate well to many of the things Yancey wrote about. My upbringing was a much 'softer' one and was with two parents but Yancey's story is relatable and believable. My take away on this (and I am not saying this is the Light Yancey uses in the title but it is my thought about the work of Christ) is how the Light of Christ changes people and how bitterness and fear can bring many difficulties into one's life causing deep ad some times irreparable rifts in relationships. Praising God for the work He has done in the author's life that has enabled him to write a number of inspirational books that can help people know Jesus Christ on a personal and transformational level.
I listened to a library copy of the audiobook and was not required to write a review.

Quite an interesting memoir and book, told in a very forthright style. Lots of insight in this book as well as giving the reader several things to ponder.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Yancey is a well-known Christian writer and speaker, though it’s been years since he’s written anything new. I happened to see—I can’t tell you where—that he had a new memoir coming out and I was intrigued. I didn’t expect to be talking about it at our fall preview; I wondered if it would be a bit niche for our audience. But I loved it and so did our readers. It’s so well done, and so timely, and so uncannily relevant to our times right now. I don’t believe you need to share Yancey’s faith to find this book fascinating; it’s an anthropological study as much as anything (though a very personal study, at that). Yancey somehow manages to be gentle and scathing, at the same time. (Both are needed.)

Having been raised in the 1950s, and Philadelphia this book really hit home for me. It was a great portrait of the 50s and the moral ethics of the time. Great characters, lots of surprises. Thank you for my advance copy.

I enjoyed this book very much.
It was the life story of Philip Yancey growing up in an earlier time.
Very eye opening about things the way they were, both good and bad.

This book was just an amazing memoir. Really thought provoking. So heartbreaking but hopeful at the same time. Wow.

This is not a happy or pleasurable read. It is sad and heartbreaking ,so be prepared. It is a memoir of being raised by a widowed mother who was harsh, unloving, and presented a completely opposite picture of herself to the world outside her home. She is somewhat of a Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde. The story is written by one brother and is almost entirely through his lens, his perspective as he grows up. . He interprets and analyzes his own responses to this environment and does so with his brother as well. He also tries to get inside the mind and motives of his mother. He attempts to understand why his mother did not, or at least could not express love for her sons. It felt at times like the author was embellishing, it’s hard to believe that his memories from childhood are this vivid and explicit. That is not to say his upbringing was not very difficult. Along with the dysfunction of the family, there is also a lot in the book about Yancys experience growing up in “fundamental “ Christianity and it’s legalistic leanings. This goes a long way in explaining the route that Yancy took after his conversion to Christianity, his many writings over the years reflect a strong emphasis on grace. It felt that at times this book was unduly harsh and judgmental, both on mom and on the church. Then, in the last pages Yancy beautifully displays the grace and forgiveness he so often includes in his writings. He has not washed his hands of his mother. He continues to seek her out, spend time with her, and tries still to understand the whys of his upbringing.

Philip Yancey has for years written reflective titles balanced between the practicality of Christian living and the mystical nature of the faith.

He is the sort of author who welcomes you into struggles of life, areas he has overcome and those he has not.

As a thinker, but someone willing to allow that I will not ever fully understand the grandness of a Creator, Yancey is a gem in helping those investigating or living the faith to see his life and draw comfort from his insights.

This book delivers on those premises. I encourage it as a resource. It was a joy to read.

Where The Light Fell was offered to me and I was more than happy to delve into Philip Yancey's memoir as a fan of his books. This memoir explains Yancey's deep knowledge of pain, faith, doubt and grace. It's a heartbreaking yet hopeful story that I found hard to read at times. I'm glad Yancey chose to write this very personal book.

With thanks to Convergent Books and Netgalley for the digital advanced review copy.

I adored this book and could not put it down. Having grown up with a similar parent I really related to this story and am extremely grateful to have been able to read this incredibly moving memoir. This one will stay with me a long time.

Powerful and profoundly honest memoir by Philip Yancey. Yancey’s earlier book “What is so amazing about grace.” was a book that left me in awe and wonder at the radical expanse of God’s mercy and kindness. After reading “Where the light fell,” I am equally in awe of how God can bring healing and restoration out of the most flawed, traumatic, broken families, This was a hard read. Yancey pulls no punches. It’s disheartening to read of the blindness and capacity of denial and outright hateful ideas that hold/held sway in those with deep Christian convictions in certain areas and such cruelty and confusion in others. Yancey does not sugarcoat what many would like to be hidden away or buried. Yancey is a master wordsmith and is also a soul still processing a very confused and broken southern, Bible Belt upbringing. I am grateful he had the boldness and courage to write this book.

I received a free digital copy for review in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this memoir!

Yancey’s personal story hits so close to home. Similar upbringings in a hyper religious Christian home. Some of the topics he brings up are spot on to what happens in so many families when it come to religious abuse disguised as Christianity! If you can relate even a little, this one is for you.

4 STARS

As a fan of Phillip Yancey, I real enjoyed reading his memoir. It was like getting to know Yancey better, after already being acquainted with him for years. There was much to learn about the challenges in Yancey’s life. I wanted to keep reading and know more as I turned each page. I highly recommend this book.