Lenten Lands takes the reader behind the scenes into Douglas Gresham’s world as a child until he grows up to maturity. I was anxious to read this book since it is a deeper dive into his life and that of the adult ‘actors,’ or should I say, the adult influencers in his upbringing. What I didn’t expect was a feeling of being drawn into the narrative by a kinship which jives with various strands that went into the telling of it. This book has poignant scenes that bring it to life, and I readily identified with them. I have watched videos of Douglas Gresham talking about his famous stepfather, C. S. Lewis, and was intrigued by the content.  (I’m reading C. S. Lewis’s library of works right now) Gresham’s childhood wasn’t particularly happy nor sweet or easy but his memories include descriptions of beauty wherever he found it. Besides telling his story, Douglas Gresham spoke from his soul in Lenten Lands. I leave you with a little treat, a glimpse of the Kilns where C. S. Lewis lived along with a brief narration by Gresham. Enjoy!

In his book, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Nabeel Qureshi takes us on his personal journey from Islam to Christianity. He spends a portion of the book telling how his parents, Islam, and Islamic culture defined him. He peals back the layers as he comes face to face with Christianity through a Christian friend’s verbal engagement and intellectual argument, We see his quandary through study, research, and examining his Muslim beliefs and core aspects of Christian belief. Dreams and a vision impact him. From childhood up, he has been taught to disavow the merits of Christianity. He intends to disprove Christianity. However, doubts surface about his beliefs, and he pushes hard to find truth. This tension is the better part of the book. He realizes what is at stake should he become a Christ-follower, the loss of family and community. Eventually Qureshi comes to faith in Christ and in the process he finds peace, but it comes at personal cost. . .as he knew it would. This book unfolds at a slow pace since much goes into the telling of it. Lots of details, descriptions, and definitions make up the better part of this book. It is a bit of a stretch to wade through the many religious terms and information but there is also much to appreciate within the process. It is informative as much as it is thorough. I learned as I read. I was curious as to how Qureshi would silence his inner critic while discussing the claims of Christianity with his best friend. Qureshi’s discusses his thoughts and center of reference as you ponder along with him on his spiritual journey of five years. I enjoyed reading Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. Side note: Here is a video of Nabeel giving his testimony. It’s well worth the listen. He has since passed on.