A Severe Mercy

A Severe Mercy, by Sheldon Vanauken, is a heart-rending love story described by its author as the spiritual autobiography of a love rather than of the lovers. Vanauken chronicles the birth of a powerful pagan love borne out of the relationship he shares with his wife, Davy, and describes the growth of their relationship and the dreams that they share. As a symbol of their love, they name their dream schooner the Grey Goose, for the grey goose, if its mate is killed flies on alone and never takes another. While studying at Oxford, Sheldon and Davy develop a friendship with C.S. Lewis, under whose influence and with much intellectual scrutiny they accept the Christian doctrine. As their devotion to God intensifies, Sheldon realizes that he is no longer Davys primary love–God is. Within this discovery begins a brewing jealousy. Shortly after, Davy acquires a fatal illness. After her death Sheldon embarks on an intense experience of grief, to find the meaning of it, taste the whole of it … to learn from sorrow whatever it had to teach. Through painstaking reveries, he comes to discover the meaning of a mercy as severe as death, a severity as merciful as love. He learns that her death had these results: It brought me as nothing else could do to know and end my jealously of God. It saved her faith from assault. …And it saved our love from perishing. Replete with 18 letters from C.S. Lewis, A Severe Mercy addresses some of the universal questions that surround faith–the existence of God and the reasons behind tragedy. No brief review can do justice to the human depth of this book.The Washington Post An adventure story of intellect, faith, and ideology, a love story filled with the reality of one relationship and one search, with questions that cant easily be ignored.Los Angeles Times A towering and noble work in its own right, wrought by a real craftsman forged with an austere and truly civilized imagination and intelligence.New Oxford Review Here is a book for anyone who has truly loved another person.Christianity Today A gem of a book a study in conversion, in human love, in grief, that delivers an extraordinary impact on the reader.Eternity