Out of My Bone: The Letters of Joy Davidman

Don W. King, the editor of this volume, is a literary scholar whose work focuses on C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. Davidman is probably best known today as the divorced mother of two who married Lewis late in both of their lives. (The story of their romance and of Davidman's death from cancer is depicted in Shadowlands, a play and then film in which Anthony Hopkins plays Lewis and Debra Winger plays Davidman.)"Out of My Bone" is largely a collection of letters written by (and, in a few cases, received by) Davidman, arranged chronologically. King has included in this volume a helpful introduction as well as numerous notes that help to provide a context for many of the letters. While she does mention Lewis several times in these letters, readers who want to see a collection of love letters between Lewis and Davidman will be disappointed: They aren't included in this volume (and aren't likely to be published, even if some still exist). But readers who want to get to know Davidman better will definitely find this collection of letters interesting and valuable. Davidman's personality shines forth in her letters--particularly those with her Douglas Gresham, her ex-husband and the father of her two sons. Readers interested in Davidman's story of her spiritual journey (from secular Jew to atheist and Communist and then to Christian) will also enjoy reading this collection of letters.

Anyone who has read the Narnian series in its entirety, or who wants to do so, may be fascinated with spunky feisty Jill Pole who breaks the traditional mold of how a girl ought to behave in Lewis' day. I believe that Jill was, perhaps in part, based on his one true love: Joy Davidman Lewis.Joy drank beer, and complained when there was not enough of it to her liking. She wrote fierce poetry. She showed courage in the face of an economic depression, a painful divorce, World War II, McCarthyism, and cancer. Her letters to family and friends show a constant display of strength, almost to the point of harshness. This was the woman who won C.S. Lewis' heart!This cheering book, at times, makes me laugh at not only Joy's irony, but God's. She remarks in one letter "Jack's juveniles [the Narnian series including The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader] have a small steady sale . . . but we'll never get rich from those . . . the good thing is that they don't dwindle with time - but I think it's only the most successful juveniles that go on forever." While downplaying her cancer, she remarks about nasties such as financial nightmares and the fact that mild intestinal flu played hell with her beer-drinking! There is even a picture of Joy in 1958, wearing pants and wielding an air rifle!While tea and shortbread have their place, Joy shows the very joy in beer, laughter, intellectual pursuits, and sheer chutzpah!My only dislike on this magnificent book is the picture of her first husband William Lindsay Gresham on the front cover, as it is my understanding that the love of her life was Lewis, and while his picture is also on the cover, I believe it would have been much more appropriate for only her, Lewis, and her sons David and Douglas to be pictured, leaving Gresham's picture in its proper place among the other photographs.The wise seeking tales of comfort and joy, with a good loud laugh or two thrown in for good measure, would do well in reading Joy's letters, and reading them often in this excellent book.

A very nice excursion into the life of the woman that became Mrs. C.S. Lewis. Sorry to say, however, that her letters to him - and every letter he wrote, are gone. (Lewis had his own lifetime of letters destroyed.

I purchased the book for a research project and discovered a fascinating character in Joy Davidman. Book is extremely well written with much in-depth material.

If you want to know more about the personal side of Joy Davidman, this is a good book for that. The author started with an over view on her life. There are a few notes here and there that give some context to what she was writing about. I think that it would have been better if the author had intertwined more of the overview section in between the letters. It was good to get a big picture up front, but as you read through the letters, it would have been better to get those specifics in between the letters. Overall a good read.

Enjoying Joy!

I found this collection of the letters of Joy Davidman to be extremely interesting. I was thrilled to gain the insight into her dramatic life. Dr. King did an outstanding job organizing these letters and filling in any gaps or misconceptions with a thorough explanation. This book is a valuable addition to my library. It should be welcome universally in personal collections especially when there is an interest in the life of C.S. Lewis.

I can't believe I'm the first to review a book about the wife of C. S. Lewis. This is an exceptional woman. I really enjoy reading about her journey from being a young communist to giving it up when she became a mother--and eventually a Christian. And what a gifted writer. She's is quite amazing.

Joy Davidman is an oft-forgotten poet and writer. Here "Smoke on the Mountain" is a bracing and clear reflection on the 10 Commandments by and American Jewish convert to the kind of Christianity that C.S. Lewis espoused. Her letter writing is superb, from her attempts to seek deeper spiritual roots, to the falling apart of her marriage when her husband had an affair, through her terminal illness.My Complaint? I wish all her letters were published. Thanks to the editor for what we have.