Whether you identify as a Christian or not, it's likely that you have had at least heard of the man called, C.S. Lewis. Most people will see the name and say, "Oh, yes, he wrote The Chronicles of Narnia." Yes, he is the author of that icon of literature, but as is the case with any person, he was more than a writer. I love biographies, because it fascinates me to hear the story of a specific person, and how their experiences shaped them into the people that they became. YWAM Publishing generously provided my family with a copy of the book, Christian Heroes-C.S.Lewis , from the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series, and its accompanying Study Guide to read and review.
This book comes from a selection of titles included in the Christian Heroes series, written by Janet and Geoff Benge. The writing style has a conversational tone, and reads like a story, which is a feature that my daughters and I like very much. The opening pages find the reader jumping right into the setting of the story, and effectively, at least for me and my girls, capturing our attention. In this case, we were transported back to Ireland, where a 6 year old C.S. Lewis is being gently admonished for splashing mud onto his older brother, Warren. Interestingly enough, C.S. Lewis did not go by his given name, Clive Staples. Since the age of 2 years, he had insisted that everyone call him Jack. So, that's how I will refer to him for the remaining parts of this review.
If you have any knowledge of the history of Ireland, then you may know that many families in the 1900's suffered from extreme poverty. Sanitation was less than ideal, and in Belfast, where Jack lived with his family, an open sewer ran through the city, and there were many diseases that infected the people. As such, Flora Lewis, Jack's mother, was extremely careful to keep her children indoors whenever it rained, and away from areas where exposure was possible. Fortunately, Jack and his brother Warren loved to be away from the city, and in the country, and enjoyed pleasant days there in their early years.
The boys had lively imaginations, and spent hours not only listening to their nursemaid tell them stories of fairies and leprechauns, but created their own fantastical tales, with rich characters and details. Sadly, their carefree times would not last, as their mother passed away from stomach cancer. Their father, Albert Lewis, having lost his own father only months before, was overcome with grief. He was already a melancholy personality, and these events caused him to withdraw into himself, and he distanced himself from Jack and Warren. Both boys were sent away to England to an abusive boarding school. It would be one of several schools that Jack would attend in Britain.
One might consider Lewis to be a solid example of the Christian faith, but the truth is, he struggled for years whether he believed that there was even a God, and did in fact consider himself an atheist for a time. Friends like the legendary J.R.R. Tolkien kept the spark of interest alive, and Jack returned to the faith that had upheld him from childhood.
My daughters and I found this, as other titles in this series have been, an easy and compelling read. There is a wealth of details within these pages that will gift readers with a bounty of information regarding Lewis that, during his lifetime, only the closest to the man were privy to. Perhaps it is because I am now at the stage in life called Middle Age, but I am even more interested than I used to be about the hardships that people faced in their lives, and how they not only persevered through them, but thrived. In an age where we can toss aside anyone and anything that causes us discomfort or pain, it is inspiring to read of a man who dealt with so many hardships, and yet still sought after God, and found joy in life.
A few bits that I never knew about C.S. Lewis include:
- The fact that his close friend's mother was more kind and attentive to him than his own father
- How he took in that friends mother and daughters after the friend was killed in WWI, and cared for her for some thirty years, even though she was demanding and selfish
- J.R.R. Tolkien thought his first book of the Narnia Series was ridiculous, and that he would be a joke if he published it.
- He eventually married an American divorcee to allow her British citizenship
My oldest daughter, at 15 years of age, does not typically appreciate the dryness of the average biography. This series, though, is actually one that she actually enjoys very much, and there is never an argument when a book from these authors is assigned. My youngest, 13 years old, is much more interested in history in general, but she is also a big fan of this company, for the same reasons.
For this review, the three of us read the chapters separately, and then discussed them together. The Study Guide provides great questions to get the conversation going, as well as Scripture verses and vocabulary words to define. These are available as a PDF, but we generally read them on the computer, and discussed out loud, simply because my daughters processed the information better this way. There are so many possibilities with the study guide, if you decide to use this a subject for a Unit Study. In that case, there are ideas to create display tables, maps, skits, and writing activities. It just depends on how far you want to apply the book. There are also suggestions for related books to read. The sky is the limit, as they say. Here are some photos of possible things to use from the guide:
I love this book, and I love YWAM Publishing . I have considered taking a bit of our school year, and using these books as our history, because the company provides so much in extra activities. At the very least, we are on our way to collecting all of the titles available. On deck for our next study, is Christian Heroes-Corrie Ten Boom , and Heroes of History-Benjamin Franklin . Visit their site for a complete list of titles.
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