Earlier this week I posted an interview with debut author Ryan Pemberton. We talked about his new book—CALLED: My Journey to C.S. Lewis’s House & Back Again—and I had a chance to gush just briefly. But today I’d like to gush at length. What follows is half-review, half-reflection. Oh, and if you haven’t had a chance to enter the giveaway for a copy of CALLED, you can do that below.
Winsome. Engaging. Poignant. Ryan Pemberton’s CALLED is all this and more.
But let’s be honest. Part of the reason I picked up CALLED, Ryan’s brilliantly and personably penned memoir about his time at Oxford, was pure nostalgia. I studied and interned in England ten years ago and have returned several times since. Though I spent most of my time in London—living a block from Buckingham Palace and just down the road from Westminster Abbey—I did take a weekend trip to Oxford. I purchased a rowing t-shirt there that I swear I wore until it was see-through.
Anyway, I was pretty sure the book would feed my nostalgia.
It did. Little details—mentions of Sainsbury’s, digestives (tea biscuits with the best/worst name ever), cozy pubs—took me back to what was definitely one of the coolest experiences of my life.
Even if you’ve never been to England, Ryan’s vivid storytelling will make you feel as if you have.
But by the end of the first chapter, I knew this book was going to be more than a “hey, I saw that landmark, too!” experience. By the end of the second chapter, I was in tears. And by the end of the last chapter, I felt churned up…in a good, good way.
The thing with Ryan’s story is…it’s not just his story. It’s his journey, yes, of letting go of a comfortable career in the U.S. to instead study at Oxford and pursue a writing dream that perhaps hadn’t even fully formed when he started out. But as much as CALLED is Ryan’s story, as I read I couldn’t stop thinking, this can be my story. This journey of abandon and dependence and trust and deepening faith even in the face of questions or doubts, loneliness or hardship…it’s not just for Oxford students or writers or artists.
It’s for all of us. If we want it to be.
That said, and here’s where I get personal, I am a writer. One who fumbled her way through 2014. I felt creatively “off” for a lot of the year. Spiritually dry. I lost my focus and I’m pretty sure my motivation was colored with all the wrong shades. And, I truly don’t say this flippantly or lightly, I wasn’t sure by the end of the year I even wanted to wear the label “writer” anymore. But 2015 rolled around and with it, about a hundred refreshing moments which all seemed to come together when I read this:
p.55
And this:
p. 242
Reading CALLED reminded me why I write.
The experience Ryan describes of reading Lewis’s Mere Christianity and discovering his own passion and purpose became my experience as I read Ryan’s words. Which is why I didn’t just finish this book challenged and inspired…but grateful. Incredibly, incredibly grateful.
CALLED is an experience in lyrical writing and thoughtful narrative. It has a wonderful pace about it, along with a heart and sincerity that constantly kept me turning pages. It’s hopeful, and I love that. CALLED is for fans of C.S. Lewis, yes, and those who enjoy memoirs. But I hope its audience expands far beyond those boundaries, because its takeaway is the game-changing kind.
*****
Learn more about Ryan Pemberton and CALLED here. Order the book at any of these bookstores and online retailers. And enter the giveaway below!
Comments 20
Great review Melissa! I love the line that says, “Because that’s what you do with gifts, you give them away.” It speaks to any talent, any gift. It isn’t ours to keep, but to share. Everything we do has the ability to make an impact on another person, but the question always stands “will it be a positive, or negative one?” Yours is most definitely the first. Your writing encourages and inspires. It takes us on a journey that ultimately leads to God. I’m so glad you decided to press on. 🙂
Author
First of all, thanks so much for the kind words, Sarah. I appreciate them (and you!) so much.
And I loved that line, too, about giving gifts away. It’s funny–I’ve heard a lot of writers say they would always write, no matter what, even if nobody ever reads their words. And I get that. It’s therapeutic. But for me, I’m not sure I could be happy writing story after story if no one else was ever to read them…and I used to not want to admit that because I thought it made me sound egotistical. But no, reading that line in Ryan’s book is a reminder to me that those gifts we know God planted in us really are meant to be shared and they don’t have a chance to blossom and impact others if we hold them too tightly.
That IS a great review. This definitely sounds like one to add to my collection…and read until it’s good and dog-eared.
Author
My copy is definitely dog-eared. 🙂
Great review, Melissa, and great work, Ryan! I’m loving the continuation of this journey.
Peace,
Dustin
Author
Thanks, Dustin, and thanks for stopping by!
I love C. S. Lewis. I am also just now (finally) discovering my gifts and talents and exactly what He wants me to with them. This WILL be going on my list!
Author
YAY for discovering your gifts and talents!!
Sounds wonderful. Thank you for the chance.
I forgot to say I love all the Chronicles of Narnia books.
Author
I love them, too! And talking about Ryan’s book has made me want to re-read them. 🙂
Honestly, the only C.S Lewis books that I have ever read are The Chronicles of Narnia, which I still love. These posts have made me want to read more. I would love to win this book.
Author
The Narnia books never get old. 🙂
If it helped you get past your writing funk, it must be worth checking out. 🙂
Author
It’s soooooo worth checking out!
Beautiful review Melissa! Sadly I think I’ve only read C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books but my favorite was always Prince Caspian!
Author
That’s definitely a good one. The cool thing about C.S. Lewis’s writing (as Ryan pointed out in his Q&A earlier in the week) is that he did so many different kinds of writing, from children’s fantasy to deep academic stuff. Among his body of work, there’s really something for everyone.
Wow … great review. Fantastic that it had such an impact on you. Melissa, you have a such gift with your writing, not just your fiction, but your blog work too.
So many of us love that you write and you share your heart, your love for Jesus and your whimsy.
Please keep doing it.
Author
Thanks so much for your awesome and kind words, Ian! Glad you liked the review, too. I was soooo encouraged and challenged and inspired by this book. Hope you get a chance to read it.
And I definitely plan to keep writing on this blog. I haven’t been as consistent lately but anytime I’m away from it for more than a couple weeks, I miss it so much. 🙂 I love the conversation and community.
Days later and I finally have a chance to sit and read this review. (side note, pretty sure God kept me busy just so I’d read it this morning.) Wow. Just the review touched me. So much of what you said about your 2014 year I relate to in buckets right now:) Thank you for sharing that, Melissa, for your transparency. And those sections you underlined…I was thinking, “I need this book and I need to highlight those pages, just wish I knew what the page #s were!” And then, there they were under the pics. So thank you for putting the page #s too! LOL