Where the Light Fell
A Memoir
by Philip Yancey
Pub Date 05 Oct 2021
Convergent Books
Biographies & Memoirs | Nonfiction (Adult)



I am reviewing a copy of Where the Light Fell through Convergent Books and NetGalley:





Phillip Yancey and his brother. Marshall raised by an impoverished widow who earned room and board as a Bible teacher in 1950s Atlanta. Both he and his brother, Marshall, found ways to venture out beyond the confines of their eight-foot-wide trailer. But while he was in college Phillip Yancey uncover the shocking secret of his Fathers desk, the 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





Yancey dives into his family origins, searching for answers, 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 the family pressure sent Phillip and Marshall on opposite path, one toward healing from the impact of what he calls a “toxic faith,” the other into a self-destructive spiral.





I give Where the Lights Fell from five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

Philip Yancey is very open and candid about the darkness of his childhood. He describes in detail the impact the events surrounding his father's death and his mother's brand of fundamentalist Christianity impacted his and his brother's lives. He also describes how he came out on the other side. I imagine that the writing of this book was a bit cathartic. This is one book where I am certain the reader's reaction will largely depend on the lens through which they read it.

I appreciate Convergent Books providing me with a complimentary copy of Where the Light Fell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I absolutely love this book so much. Something about getting a glimpse into someone's life that has been so uniquely challenging.

At points this book was hard to get through for me. There was a lot of discussion about religion, and different areas of the Bible that I am not familiar with. I grew up in a household where we believed in God, and went to church only on special occasions after I was around 10 or so. Before that time I went to church every Sunday, and I went to Religon class as well every Sunday. After that point, I struggled with what to believe, the same as the author grapples with in this book.
The book follows Phillip throughout his childhood, and through parts of his adult life. It starts with showing how him and his brother were raised by their single mother, after their father passed away when the boys were basically toddlers. Their father had contracted polio, and decided that he would stop his treatment in the "Iron Lung" machine, and leave his recovery to God. Unfortunately within days he was deceased, and his mother was left poor, with two young children to raise.
The book follows the lives of Phillip and his brother, throughout their childhood until they are adults; and examines the way their mother tried to raise them, and also explored some of her past as well. They were raised in a very strict Fundamentalist church, and that helped neither one of them to succeed. Between the church, and their mother's upbringing, these boys didn't have the chance to be happy and live a more normal adolescent life. The book offered a glimpse of what this type of Fundamentalist church upbringing would be like.

I found Phillip Yancey’s choice of memories very interesting in his memoir. He definitely faced many challenges in his family, church and life which at times were difficult to read. Fortunately, a few people played positive roles in his life. I did notice that his reading life had a big impact on him. I understand that the author wanted to be truthful about his upbringing but there were a few stories that I wished he hadn’t shared. Most of the book was focused on growing up in an environment involving fundamentalism and his home life. But I was hoping to hear more about his writing career, which might have provided a little balance to the book. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I have read many of Philip Yancey’s previous books. His book What’s So Amazing About Grace made a big impact me as a teenager—and so I was interested to read this memoir that purported to be about his journey from being raised in a strict fundamentalist version of Christianity to being known for a grace-filled faith.

I confess I was expecting this book to be more of a spiritual memoir, but what it actually was, however, was an extremely detailed description of an abusive childhood at the hands of his mentally ill mother and various other adults in his community who weaponized religion. Yancey recounts page after page of the physical, spiritual, emotional, and animal abuse he experienced growing up. During his recounting of his adult life, Yancey spent a lot more time analyzing his brother’s choices and struggles than he did reflecting on how his own trauma was affecting his life and choices. I finished the book just feeling sad for everyone involved, which was unexpected for a memo titled Where the Light Fell.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for review.

Spend any amount of time in the Christian book industry, and Philip Yancey's name will inevitably come up. "What's So Amazing about Grace?" in particular stands out to me as a book many have heard of, if not read (I'll admit I haven't read it either ... yet! It's on my radar to read this year, finally!).

I'll also admit I've not read anything else by Yancey, not just "WSAAG"; "Where the Light Fell" was probably not my best choice to start with as an "Intro to Yancey 101." It's absolutely insightful, painful at times, powerful throughout, and always bearing testimony to a God stronger than circumstances, family members, and life choices (good or bad). That testimony is my own biggest takeaway from the read.

It'll be interesting to read other Yancey books in the context or light of this one. I do feel it lends gravitas and merit/life experience to what I know of his books and message; he has known much hardship on many levels, and as we often see with the Christian life, that ends up being one of the most powerful things God uses to work in our lives and those around us.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Honestly, this was a difficult book to read because it is not the story of a triumphant Christian. Rather, it is the memoir of a man who has suffered deeply and who still believes in grace. The story of his suffering is portrayed in most of the book. In fact, I noted that he did not really have a testimony as a Christian until the book was over three-fourths of the way through. With a difficult childhood and an obstinate mother who preached the God of wrath instead of the God of love and grace, it is a wonder that Yancey was ever able to overcome his past. In that regard, the book is somewhat one of triumph, but it was by no means uplifting or encouraging. This is a memoir that is brutally honest about a life that was horribly scarred. Since I am not a general fan or reader of memoirs, I don’t have much on which to base a comparison. But I can say, again, that this was a difficult book to read and at the end all I could do is pray for God to bless the man he has become and to help him become the man he will be.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Philip Yancy in this memoir gives a candid view of his childhood and young adult years. Yancey, because of the hard-nosed and rascist Christian fundamentalism with which he was raised, had a hard time perceiving a loving God with whom he should have anything to do. During his time at a Bible college, he at first rebels but then has a conversion experience.

Yancey's memoir of his growing up with a mother who had significant issues sheds light on his embrace of grace as a defining quality of a truly loving God. It traces his long childhood and into adolescence with numerous stories of his own and others' failures and struggles, while hinting at how he came to search for grace despite the Fundamentalist setting of his youth.

Once I got a few chapters in, I could not put the book down. The writing is excellent and the story intriguing. I now want to read some of his more famous books now that I understand the drive behind his works.

I received an ARC of this book as a reviewer for NetGalley. It truly deserves 5 stars.

We know Philip Yancey from his great works over the years such as "The Jesus I Never Knew" and "Where is God When It Hurts". What we did not know was was the real Philip Yancey - and what prompted these themes. This is an extremely well crafted memoir, with writing that is beautiful and captivating. But the story - written with extreme rawness, honesty, vulnerability - will leave one unsettled at how so many things could be seemingly against one man, even a Christian. From the death of his father, to growing up in a racist south, to his broken relationship with his mother and brother... And then - how he could take this undesired and unexpected journey in his life and come out still with hope, and offer that hope to others through his writings. This work has been compared to Hillbilly Elegy due to its revelatory nature. An advance copy was made available for review via Netgalley with no commitment for positive review.

I am not sure how I stumbled across this book. Maybe, like another reader/reviewer, it is because I thoroughly enjoyed Educated. Regardless, this is a huge departure for me as I am an atheist and personally do not believe in organized religion as Yancey wrote, "a dysfunctional cluster of needy people."

That aside, I did enjoy the reading. Aspects reminded me of Rising Out of Hatred as breaking away from a fundamentalist point of view. In that case it was the KKK.

I felt the writing style was good, not great, and the author gave good insight as to how two brothers emerge from the same situation very differently. I am sure my Christian friends would enjoy this book better than I because the biblical references meant nothing to me.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy.

“Not until college do I discover the secret of my father’s death.” I was hooked from the first sentence of Yancey’s memoir. This whole beginning chapter reminds me of a preacher whose church I recently left; that preacher wrote “I choose to ask God to continue to protect me. I do not have flu shot, I do not have pneumonia shot, I do not have COVID shot”
Yancey describes his father as a “saintly giant...holy fool.” His mother, a Bible teacher, was considered the holiest woman in Atlanta who said she had not sinned in years, yet abused her sons. Most of the book talks about his mother and his brother and the life-long battles between them.
I grew up in the same state and at the same time as Yancey. His memories reminded me of my own memories, the Cyclorama, Children of the Confederacy, Rich’s, racism in the South, and many many books.
His church was described as “white-racist-paranoid-fundamentalism as its own kind of culture.” It surprises me that a Bible study group I was in read several books written by Yancey. Yancey briefly mentions how he left this cult-like environment.
Trigger warning: skip chapter 13 if you do not want to read about abuse of animals.

Thank you to Philip Yancey, Netgalley, and Convergent Books for a gifted copy of this memoir in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what an interesting life Philip Yancey led. In his memoir, he is very open and honest about his beliefs, his racist upbringing, and the toxic relationship he and his brother Marshall had with their mother.

While I am not a religious person, I found it very intriguing and eye opening to read about people in faith who question their beliefs, not just once, but sometimes multiple times in their life. The author was very upfront and was not afraid to put the bad and the ugly on display, which is appreciated.

If you are interested in memoirs of reading about those growing up with religious faith, I recommend giving this book a try.

This is a memoir about Philip Yancey’s life. And what a story! Yancey shares the blessings in his life and the dirt! The reader learns about Yancey’s father dying in an iron lung, his mother’s mental illness and cruelty to her sons, addictions of his brother and his own challenges. Very eye opening! It is amazing to me that this respected, spiritual author has this background. It makes me respect Yancey even more! It gives me hope that there is goodness in all of us that God will use. If you enjoy Yancey’s writing, read this! It will give you a new respect of Philip Yancey.

Thank you to Netgalley and the book’s publisher, Convergent Books, an imprint of Random House, for an advanced reader’s copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I’ve been waiting for this book for a LONG time! Of course, details of Philip Yancey’s hardscrabble upbringing have come out piecemeal throughout his other writing, and, more than once, I’ve borrowed his self-descriptive phrase: “recovering fundamentalist.” His long-awaited memoir combines the narrative drive of good storytelling with the life impact of Yancey’s Christian non-fiction.

On page one, I was transported back to Philip’s grandparents’ 1960’s-era living room, with The Lawrence Welk Show on the television and a new girlfriend seated beside him on the couch, as a family secret landed like a bomb in Philip’s young adult life. The agony of that untold story radically shaped his childhood.

Flannery O’Connor described the south as “Christ-haunted,” but the ghosts that showed up in Philip and his brother’s growing up years had more to do with their widowed mother’s fierce fundamentalism, the pervasive racism and legalism of their ultra-conservative church, and the suffocating poverty that impacted every aspect of their lives.

Where the Light Fell: A Memoir is a cautionary tale for Christian parents who long for a degree of orthodoxy in their children to validate their parenting practices or to confirm their own faith. It takes a sinewy faith to watch our children veer off into a different kind of following life, but God is in the business of building our faith by showing us how to let go.

Yancey’s memoir sheds light on the motives behind his writing career based on documenting the messiness of faith and the mystery of God’s ways. As he unwraps the layers of his story and comes to an understanding of the shaping influences on this Christianity and his writing, he reveals the mercy of God and the power of truth to prevail in a life that could have gone in at least a dozen destructive directions, but, by grace, followed the path to Light instead.

This is an eye opening book Philip Yancey's life. This is not a light fluffy read, it was full of emotions and some parts were hard to read. It's a raw honest look at his life. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Convergent Books via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I find memoirs hard to review because it feels as though I am judging the author and or the author's life choices. That's not the case here. Yancey has taken a hard look at his life and choices and come out the other side. He documents the not-pretty parts and his spiritual crises as well as his awakening. I was not familiar with him before this wonderfully written volume. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A thoughtful read.

My first Philip Yancy book. A profound and enlightening memoir that had the inspirational side benefit of reexamination of my own faith.

This book was not on my radar until I received a marketing email from Random House inviting me to read the book- because I had liked the book Educated by Tara Westover.

Philip Yancey has been a writer of religious themed books for decades, but this one is a true memoir of his upbringing. His parents were southern fundamentalists from Atlanta, Georgia who planned on being missionaries to Africa. But after having two sons (Marshall and Philip), the father died from polio at the age of 24. He had been fighting the disease attached to an iron lung machine at the hospital, but his religious sensibilities propelled him to leave against medical advice. The mother, grief-stricken at her husband's burial site, dedicated her two son's lives in service of God.

The now widowed Mrs. Yancey never even considered re-marrying, but steadfastly and determinedly raised the two boys on her own, deriving some charity income from her home church in Philadelphia as well as teaching bible study in various capacities. They moved practically every year, the boys having to keep changing schools, because of the need to find cheaper living accommodations. Eventually they wound up buying the cheapest version of a trailer which could be moved to various locations as needed (at one point church grounds where Mrs. Yancey taught), but at least it was theirs.

The author Philip was the younger of the sons. He learned to read well before even going to school, by his own design. He would see his mother and aunt mysteriously gleaning information from newspapers, and was hungry to crack the code. They weren't allowed to go to movies (not that they had the money anyway) or watch TV, so reading became a gift where one could travel in one's mind. Older brother Marshall had an exquisite talent for playing the piano, and also for standing up to their fire and brimstone mother. When Marshall decided to transfer out of one Bible study college for a more liberal one, Mother Yancey became so incensed that she "cursed" him that God would either paralyze him or make him lose his mind.

The book also covers Philip's personal journey in being called to God. He attended the same Bible college that his brother first went to, but struggled with his faith and mightily questioned everything including college rules, the integrity of his professors, etc. He also served as a vessel of communication between his psychologically challenged brother and difficult (and probably also psychologically challenged) mother.

I do enjoy reading how people survive through life's challenges, like keeping a roof over your head and providing for two children as a widow. I also found it fascinating reading about all the different living situations Philip found himself in, and how he adapted/survived. His eyes became open to the scourge of racism which he had been accustomed to growing up in the south during the sixties. Overall, this was an enlightening and interesting read.

Thank you to the publisher Convergent Books / Random House for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.