Where the Light Fell
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- Author：Philip Yancey
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Summary
In this searing meditation on the bonds of family and the allure of extremist faith， one of today's most celebrated Christian writers recounts his unexpected journey from a strict fundamentalist upbringing to a life of compassion and grace--a revelatory memoir in the tradition of Educated and Hillbilly Elegy。
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。"
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。"
Reviews
MG
，
I have read many of Philip Yancey's wonderful books， but I was still unprepared for how dysfunctional and horrible his fundamentalist Christian upbringing was: deeply racist， judgmental， and intolerant。 Now I am even more appreciative of what this memoir reveals: how， even in this context， he became such a passionate voice for grace， openness， and faith。 I have read many of Philip Yancey's wonderful books， but I was still unprepared for how dysfunctional and horrible his fundamentalist Christian upbringing was: deeply racist， judgmental， and intolerant。 Now I am even more appreciative of what this memoir reveals: how， even in this context， he became such a passionate voice for grace， openness， and faith。 。。。more
Karen R
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My first Philip Yancy book。 A profound and enlightening memoir that had the inspirational side benefit of re-examination of my own faith。
Meagan
，
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 insightf 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。 。。。more
Eunice R
，
Books written by Philip Yancey have been a boon and a blessing in many believers' lives; I for one， can attest to that。 They are "get real" books; drop the facade。 In this book， Yancey unveils "where he's coming from" in those books。 Again， a blessing to know of the struggles endured throughout his lifetime， at home and at church， yet being able to strongly come to terms， in sincere faith and by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ。 Those who have grown up in a home and/or church setting that have Books written by Philip Yancey have been a boon and a blessing in many believers' lives; I for one， can attest to that。 They are "get real" books; drop the facade。 In this book， Yancey unveils "where he's coming from" in those books。 Again， a blessing to know of the struggles endured throughout his lifetime， at home and at church， yet being able to strongly come to terms， in sincere faith and by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ。 Those who have grown up in a home and/or church setting that have， as Yancey puts it， an "extreme form of faith" and have been spiritually and emotionally abused thereby， will relate to his "verbal selfie" aka "memoir" （his terms）。 They will know there is hope。 Philip Yancey， thank-you for candidly sharing your life's journey; it helps！ ~Eunice C。， Reviewer/Blogger~ September 2021Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy sent by the publisher。 。。。more
Candace S。
，
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 o 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 author， and the publisher for an advanced copy for review。 。。。more
Vickie
，
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， 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。 DisclaimerDisclosure 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。” 。。。more
Jennifer
，
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 re 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。 。。。more
Jean
，
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 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。 。。。more
Betty
，
“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 “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。 。。。more
Don Doebler
，
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 fathe 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。 。。。more
Tammy （tales。of。tammy）
，
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 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。 。。。more
Susan
，
Philip Yancey is a very familiar name to me。 He’s been a Christian author for decades， and although I couldn’t tell you a single book of his that I have read for sure， I’m pretty confident that I have read some by him。 In my mind， I associate him with readable， intelligent writing。But I don’t know much if anything about his background。 So when his publicist wrote， asking if I’d like to review his new memoir， “Where the Light Fell，” I was happy to say yes。There were times， as Yancey describes his Philip Yancey is a very familiar name to me。 He’s been a Christian author for decades， and although I couldn’t tell you a single book of his that I have read for sure， I’m pretty confident that I have read some by him。 In my mind， I associate him with readable， intelligent writing。But I don’t know much if anything about his background。 So when his publicist wrote， asking if I’d like to review his new memoir， “Where the Light Fell，” I was happy to say yes。There were times， as Yancey describes his upbringing in the church， when I could have sworn he was channeling my memoir。 His descriptions of his reluctance at witnessing， reactions to various Bible stories， and even his anecdote about his brother answering the phone with a bit of the Lord’s Prayer， all rang very， very true and familiar to me。But Yancey had some really tough times。 They began early: when he was just a toddler and his brother a few years older， their father died。 Dad contracted polio and was in an iron lung， when his parents decided to “trust God” and spring Dad from the iron lung， only to see him die soon thereafter。 Now the Yanceys faced truly dire circumstances — a single mom with no income， and her two young boys。The family lived in a small trailer in Georgia， which they often parked in the parking lots of churches willing to let them hook up for water and electric。 Church was a huge part of the family’s life， coming mainly through their mom。 One big lesson of this book to me， at least， is how damaging one person can be to a child growing up， and in this case that person was their mom。 She was a Christian and tried her darnedest to get her boys to grow up in the faith， but unfortunately she went about things in a horribly misguided way。 “Lord， if you don’t want them to fill their father’s place as missionaries in Africa， go ahead and take them now。 They’re yours。 I’ve given them to you，” her boys heard their mom pray。 Not exactly a ringing endorsement of parental affection， and Yancy recounts how the Biblical story of Hannah crying out to God became one of his least favorites。Mrs。 Yancey is revered in local churches， although her boys see another side of her。 When young Philip bites his brother， his mom bites him back， hard， to teach him a lesson。 When neighborhood cats wander through， Mrs。 Yancey throws boiling water at them。 She teaches young Philip to ride a bike by running after him， hitting him with a switch each time he falls。 When he confronts her about this as an adult， her response is， “Well， you learned to ride a bike， didn’t you？” When older brother Marshall transgresses in some way， his mom’s response is often “You’ll never make a missionary with that attitude。” Yancey writes， “We can’t put together the two people who are our mother: the angelic one everyone else sees and the volatile one we live with。” Making matters worse is his mother’s theological belief that she has achieved sinlessness: “Mother claims she hasn’t sinned in twelve years — longer than I’ve been alive。” It’s a little hard for someone believing they’re perfect to see their faults。As Philip grows up， he goes to a Bible college and begins to see the inconsistencies of his upbringing and within the church。 I was a little off-put by his many criticisms of the church and its faults （he mainly mentions a lot about racism）。 I admit that his particular churches may have been guilty of this， although despite the similarities in our upbringings， it’s not an issue I saw growing up。 He mentions near the end “the more recent anomaly of evangelicals’ support for Donald Trump，” which to me is code for Yancey being a fairly “liberal Christian。” This makes me take many things he says with a grain of salt but that’s okay; he’s obviously entitled to his own beliefs and opinions on various things as we all are。Mrs。 Yancey’s harshness had a much worse effect on Philip’s older brother Marshall。 Marshall decides to switch from his small Bible College to Wheaton， which Mrs。 Yancey sees as a godless， liberal place。 She announces to her son， “I’ll do whatever it takes to stop you， young man。 You listen to me。 If you find a way to pull off this plan， I guarantee you one thing。 I’ll pray every day for the rest of your life that God will break you。 Maybe you’ll be in a terrible accident and die。 That’ll teach you。 Or， better yet， maybe you’ll be paralyzed。 Then you’ll have to lie on your back and stare at the ceiling and realize what a rebellious thing you’ve done， going against God’s will and everything you’ve been brought up to believe。” Wow — I have been witness to similar things， but still， it amazes that a parent could say such things to their child。 What awful， awful damage they inflict。 Sadly， this curse scarred Marshall for life and he is living a broken life， having had a stroke about a decade ago and having dealt with drug abuse and mental illness。 He has told Philip that he’ll never feel free while his mother is alive。 And， just short of 100， Mrs。 Yancey still lives。Philip， meanwhile， married （no children， interestingly） and is the author of numerous best-selling books。 He is still a Christian， although his beliefs have evolved。 He says that the two major themes he writes on are grace and suffering — reasonable given his past。Interesting book。 。。。more
Deb
，
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 enj 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。 。。。more
Michele Morin
，
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 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。 。。。more
Jennifer K
，
3。5 stars Difficult Memoir 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 growi 3。5 stars Difficult Memoir 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。 。。。more
Megan
，
Through the first few chapters of this memoir， I worried that I was reading another Educated -- brutal for the sake of being brutal。 But Philip Yancey's tumultuous upbringing set the stage for a life lived in pursuit of God despite the pain and temptation the world inflicts。 This respected Christian author tells the story of his fundamentalist Southern background and broken family in a way that's both honest and compassionate。 I've never read any of his other work， and I think I need to fix that Through the first few chapters of this memoir， I worried that I was reading another Educated -- brutal for the sake of being brutal。 But Philip Yancey's tumultuous upbringing set the stage for a life lived in pursuit of God despite the pain and temptation the world inflicts。 This respected Christian author tells the story of his fundamentalist Southern background and broken family in a way that's both honest and compassionate。 I've never read any of his other work， and I think I need to fix that。I received an ARC in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
*TUDOR^QUEEN* （on hiatus）
，
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 b 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。 。。。more
Lisa
，
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway and it is in that spirit that I write this review。Having worked in Christian retail I was familiar with Philip Yancey， but had not taken the time to read any of his work before this book。 Where the Light Fell was a great way to start and I will definitely be reading more from this author。 This book is very well written and held my interest throughout his story。
Melissa Smith
，
This was my first time reading a Philip Yancey book and I loved his writing。 He talks about his personal life and how he was hurt in the past by his family and how he grows as a person。Thank you Netgalley for this ARC。
Hannah Linder
，
This is my first time in the page of a Philip Yancey book， and I found the writing so smooth and natural that I was drawn right in。 This memoir explores the author’s personal life of hurt and suffering—but also what led him to grace。 Recommended！ *I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。
Madalina Negrea
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I am ashamed to admit I've never read one of Philip Yancey's books before， but I was deeply moved by this memoir。 It resonated with my upbringing in a different kind of 'prison' （a communist country）， struggling to understand what is real and what is fake， never believing what it was said because of what I could see with my own eyes， crushed under so many arbitrary rules， and escaping in great literature。 To this day I still feel a gap between church as institution， with its rituals that you mus I am ashamed to admit I've never read one of Philip Yancey's books before， but I was deeply moved by this memoir。 It resonated with my upbringing in a different kind of 'prison' （a communist country）， struggling to understand what is real and what is fake， never believing what it was said because of what I could see with my own eyes， crushed under so many arbitrary rules， and escaping in great literature。 To this day I still feel a gap between church as institution， with its rituals that you must observe without questioning， and my personal faith。 But then I never sought to understand it， whereas Philip lived and breathed it， rebelled against it and finally accepted it on his own terms。 Admirable！ 。。。more
Mechthild
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A profound memoirJournalist， publisher of Christianity Today， and well-known Christian author Philip Yancey presents a special book with "Where the Light Fell。 A Memoir" published by Convergent Books。 He divided his book into five parts: 1） The Family Plot， 2） Boyhood， 3） Roots， 4） Disorder， and 5） Graced。 Between the chapters there are quotes from well-known personalities， e。g。， Richard Selzer， William Nicholson， Emily Dickson， William Cowper。 The book starts with his unexpected discovery of th A profound memoirJournalist， publisher of Christianity Today， and well-known Christian author Philip Yancey presents a special book with "Where the Light Fell。 A Memoir" published by Convergent Books。 He divided his book into five parts: 1） The Family Plot， 2） Boyhood， 3） Roots， 4） Disorder， and 5） Graced。 Between the chapters there are quotes from well-known personalities， e。g。， Richard Selzer， William Nicholson， Emily Dickson， William Cowper。 The book starts with his unexpected discovery of the truth of his father's death when he brings his girlfriend home for the first time。 Yancey talks about the fact that they were moving around a lot when he was a child due to their poverty。 He was being labeled as "slow" （chapter 6） in contrast to his brother Marshall who is labeled as lazy and his reaction to it， but also as quick and smart。 Later he is also labeled a sneak。 Yancey talks a lot about the challenging relationship with his mother。 In chapter 23 he talks about the different ways he and his brother dealt with their childhood: "Although we are both recovering from the toxic effects of our childhood， we react in opposite ways。 Marshall becomes a proud atheist， shunning all religion。 I accept a job with a Christian magazine， Campus Life。" But he talks also about the results of it in the same chapter: "。。。 But the pained look on his face shows me that lacerations of the soul can wound as deeply as those of the body。"This memoir is personal， open， and honest， but also profound。 I recommend it for readers who are interested in what shaped Yancey's life and work。 It is for readers who are willing to read a challenging memoir， who like memoirs that are honest， readers who do not want to ignore the topics of verbal， mental， emotional， and spiritual abuse， childhood trauma and the reality of life。The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge。 I was under no obligation to offer a positive review。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。#WhereTheLightFellt#NetGalley 。。。more
Jared McNeill
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Philip Yancy is a person I've come to deeply respect as someone who is honest about the evangelical faith。I've read many of his books and have appreciated his insight。This book， his memoir， shows where that insight comes from。 It's an honest， deep look at the effects of growing up in the South in a fundamentalist and often racist ecosystem， not to mention growing up in the aftermath of a father taken too soon and a mother widowed too soon。His honesty and candor are refreshing。 I highly recommend Philip Yancy is a person I've come to deeply respect as someone who is honest about the evangelical faith。I've read many of his books and have appreciated his insight。This book， his memoir， shows where that insight comes from。 It's an honest， deep look at the effects of growing up in the South in a fundamentalist and often racist ecosystem， not to mention growing up in the aftermath of a father taken too soon and a mother widowed too soon。His honesty and candor are refreshing。 I highly recommend this book when it hits the bookstores on Oct。 5。 。。。more
Brenda Spaulding
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Having read and been a fan of author Philip Yancey’s works， I was delighted to receive an ARC of his memoir， Where The Light Fell。 Prior to reading it， I never would have guessed at the traumas and experiences in Yancey’s life。 This story is as real and raw as life gets。 Illustrating how parenting influences members of the same family entirely differently， how a parent can honestly believe that their actions were misinterpreted and I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Having read and been a fan of author Philip Yancey’s works， I was delighted to receive an ARC of his memoir， Where The Light Fell。 Prior to reading it， I never would have guessed at the traumas and experiences in Yancey’s life。 This story is as real and raw as life gets。 Illustrating how parenting influences members of the same family entirely differently， how a parent can honestly believe that their actions were misinterpreted and easily explained away。 To me， the themes of this book are courage and grace。 How courage enables young children to rise above their raising， how courage enables one to question principles and beliefs taught throughout one’s life， how courage enables one to admit wrongs and move forward even after many years。How grace provides and protects us in life even when we aren’t aware it’s there， how grace allows differences of opinion to evolve and co-exist to the benefit of all involved， how grace allows growth to come through trials but not always in the direction we would like to see growth come。 My admiration for Philip Yancey and his works increased greatly after finishing this book。 I continue to pray that the lines of communication， however crossed， continue to hold and deepen for the Yancey family。 。。。more
Michelle
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After reading this book my first thought is that it must have been very difficult for Philip Yancey to write this - to reach back in his memories and relive his mostly painful and sad childhood。 My heart constantly ached for all three of them as I made my way through this book。Losing their father at a young age allowed their mother to inflict her beliefs on Philip and Marshall unchecked。 One can't help but think of the correlations between that situation and how our society is suffering now thro After reading this book my first thought is that it must have been very difficult for Philip Yancey to write this - to reach back in his memories and relive his mostly painful and sad childhood。 My heart constantly ached for all three of them as I made my way through this book。Losing their father at a young age allowed their mother to inflict her beliefs on Philip and Marshall unchecked。 One can't help but think of the correlations between that situation and how our society is suffering now through COVID。 Although its not new， using religion as a weapon is always tragic especially on children。 As a single mother I know how hard it can be to do it alone but I wouldn't trade a minute of the time I spent and still spend with my now grown son。 Their mother missed out on so much joy in the name of religion which for her was just anger， judgement， and resentment。 It's truly amazing how Philip turned out to be the amazing person he is。 Marshall was her true victim。 。。。more
Laura Talley
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All I can say is thank you for sharing your inspiring thought provoking story！ Very well written！
Amanda Farmer
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What a read。 Writing a memoir can be difficult， especially when you dig deep and face truths you write rather ignore。 Yancey concludes that the fairy tale ending seldom comes。 But we need to face the truth that no matter what life has thrown at you， God is God and in Him is where we just keep our eyes and if faith。 Each of us is responsible for our own response to life。
Jennifer Schultz
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Read if you: Want an enlightening and moving memoir of the dangers of rigid faith from one of the giants of contemporary Christian writing。 It's been years since I've read something from Yancey。 He has a deep capacity for grace， love， and forgiveness that is quite admirable。 Librarians/booksellers: Definitely purchase for readers looking for profoundly moving and revealing memoirs of faith and childhood。 Many thanks to Convergent Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an h Read if you: Want an enlightening and moving memoir of the dangers of rigid faith from one of the giants of contemporary Christian writing。 It's been years since I've read something from Yancey。 He has a deep capacity for grace， love， and forgiveness that is quite admirable。 Librarians/booksellers: Definitely purchase for readers looking for profoundly moving and revealing memoirs of faith and childhood。 Many thanks to Convergent Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Susan Sanders
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Kindle ARC by NetGalley。 3。5 stars。 I probably would have liked it better if I k ew who the author was。
Jill
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Where the Light Fellby Philip Yancey5 starsWow， what a book。 A sad yet uplifting book about the childhood and life of Phillip Yancey。 I absolutely could not put it down。 I do believe a great many people are going to identify either with his legalistic background or the many questions he had regarding his faith。This is truly a book for anyone who has ever questioned their faith or thought they were missing the bigger picture。 Yancey has written a stark， painful yet inspiring account of his life a Where the Light Fellby Philip Yancey5 starsWow， what a book。 A sad yet uplifting book about the childhood and life of Phillip Yancey。 I absolutely could not put it down。 I do believe a great many people are going to identify either with his legalistic background or the many questions he had regarding his faith。This is truly a book for anyone who has ever questioned their faith or thought they were missing the bigger picture。 Yancey has written a stark， painful yet inspiring account of his life and his faith。 I highly recommend this book。I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Where the Light Fell
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Where the Light Fell&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Where the Light Fell&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0