Imagine a love so total it becomes its own world. You build a fortress of devotion, a “Shining Barrier” meant to protect your union from every outside influence. This is the profound, pagan love Sheldon Vanauken shared with his wife, Davy.
Now, what happens when you encounter a truth so powerful it demands entry into that perfect, guarded space? For the Vanaukens, studying at Oxford, that truth arrived through a new friend named C.S. Lewis.
Their shared devotion to God becomes as fierce as their devotion to each other. Then tragedy strikes, leaving one to navigate an unspeakable loss and discover the meaning of a love redefined by grief.
Sheldon Vanauken’s National Book Award winner, A Severe Mercy, is that story. It is the spiritual autobiography of a love so powerful it competed with God Himself.
The book invites you into the heart of an intense romance, a faith forged through intellectual friendship, and a sorrow that threatened to shatter everything. You will feel the weight of its central question.
What is the nature of a mercy that feels as severe as death? Through Vanauken’s exquisite prose and his candid letters from Lewis, you witness a soul being unmade and then remade by a power more profound than he could have imagined. This is a masterpiece that will leave a permanent impression on your soul.
Who Will Benefit the Most from This Book?
Those Navigating Grief and Loss
Readers walking through the valley of loss will find a profound companion in Vanauken’s honest journey. The story offers a powerful vision for finding spiritual strength and meaning after unspeakable tragedy.
Admirers of C.S. Lewis
Fans of C.S. Lewis gain an intimate look at the beloved author through his friendship and correspondence with Vanauken. Eighteen original letters reveal Lewis’s pastoral heart and sharp theological mind in a deeply personal context.
Seekers and Christian Intellectuals
This book is for those who wrestle with the great questions of life, love, and God. Vanauken’s spiritual autobiography models a faith that powerfully engages both the heart and the intellect.
Readers of Deep Love Stories
Anyone who cherishes stories of profound human connection will be moved by this classic. It chronicles a stunningly committed love and explores its intersection with an even greater divine love.
What Do Readers Think About A Severe Mercy?
Readers are deeply moved by Sheldon Vanauken’s autobiographical account of love, faith, and loss. The book resonates as a powerful and beautifully written story that leaves a lasting spiritual impression.
Many find the book unforgettable.
This book will leave a lifetime impression on your soul and spirit.
The story’s emotional and intellectual depth is a recurring theme.
It is not light nor easy reading as it mines the depths of their efforts to achieve a perfect union, to talk everything through, and to glory in Beauty.
At its core is one of the great love stories.
This is honest-to-goodness one of the best love stories I’ve ever read! The depth, the romance produced from self-sacrifice… is just astounding. And it’s so refreshing to hear a romance from the man’s perspective!
Readers appreciate its contemplative, reflective pace.
It is not a breathless, edge of your seat read. Rather it is like pausing to consider a rose, watch a sunset unfold, or stopping to watch snow flakes fall from the sky. It’s a book of reflections on existence and life.
The friendship with C.S. Lewis offers another layer of intimacy to the story.
As someone who deeply appreciates C.S. Lewis’s work, this book offered a fresh perspective on him while telling the compelling story of a couple I found myself wishing I could have known personally.
5 Things You Will Take Away
You will witness a profound model of romantic love.
Sheldon Vanauken’s story presents a powerful vision of marriage built on total commitment. Their “Shining Barrier” offers a compelling picture of a love that seeks to be a fortress against the world.
You will gain personal insight into C.S. Lewis.
The book contains 18 original letters from Lewis himself, revealing his pastoral heart and brilliant mind. You will feel like you are sitting in on his faith-forming conversations with the author.
You will discover how God’s mercy works through tragedy.
This spiritual autobiography gives a raw, honest look at processing immense grief. It powerfully illustrates how the deepest suffering can lead to a new understanding of God’s severe yet merciful love.
You will follow an intellectual journey to Christ.
The book chronicles a brilliant couple’s conversion from a self-contained “pagan” love to a vibrant Christian faith. Their story validates the search for truth and the beautiful discovery of a personal Savior.
You will re-examine the place of love in your life.
A Severe Mercy challenges you to consider the proper ordering of your affections. It explores the tension that arises when a perfect human love must make room for God as the ultimate love.
Who is Sheldon Vanauken?
Sheldon Vanauken was a distinguished professor of history and English literature at Lynchburg College in Virginia. Known to friends as Van, he is most celebrated for his powerful 1977 autobiography, A Severe Mercy. This unforgettable book recounts his and his wife Davy’s friendship with C. S. Lewis, their conversion to Christianity, and the profound “severe mercy” of Davy’s death.
Vanauken’s literary career was both prolific and diverse, spanning multiple genres. He penned a sequel, Under the Mercy, and a novel, Gateway to Heaven, continuing his exploration of faith and grief. His extensive bibliography also includes his early conversion story Encounter with Light, a collection of poems titled Mercies, and the historical study The Glittering Illusion.
Where Can I Buy the Book?
Experience this powerful spiritual classic for yourself. Sheldon Vanauken’s National Book Award-winning story, A Severe Mercy, is a profound chronicle of love, loss, and faith that has influenced readers for decades. This masterpiece is available now on Amazon. Click the link below and read more about the book.
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