83. Dorothy and Jack

Dorothy and Jack: The Transforming Friendship of Dorothy L. Sayers and C.S. Lewis. Gina Dalfonzo. 2020. 208 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: They could not have been more alike. Born five years apart in the waning years of the nineteenth century, both of them were favored, at least for a time, with the kind of idyllic British childhood you read about in classic children’s stories. Both were highly intelligent, perceptive, and creative from the start, developing a deep knowledge of and passion for literature. Both attended Oxford University, graduated with honors, and became famous writers of novels, essays, scholarly works, and more. Each went through a period of spiritual rebellion in his or her youth but went on to become fruitful lifelong members of the Anglican church and respected Christian apologists with a theologically conservative bent. They could not have been more different. He lost his mother early and had a troubled relationship with his father. She had both of her parents in her life well into adulthood and was very close to them, though was not always able to be as open with them as she would have liked to be. Her marriage was strained; his marriage, though tragically short, was a very happy one. His was generally a contented spirit, hers an adventurous, even reckless one. His manner was winsome if boisterous, hers just plain blunt. Much of what came naturally to her, in work and in life, was difficult for him, and vice versa.

Gina Dalfonzo's newest book celebrates the friendship of Dorothy L. Sayers and C.S. Lewis. The book examines the lives of both Christian writers paying special attention to their friendship largely carried out through correspondence. The two wrote letters for almost two decades. (Her first letter was a fan letter sent in 1942.) 

The book reads like a mini-biography of both writers. If you enjoy the work of either author--Sayers or Lewis--this one might prove of interest. She spends some time examining the idea of male-female friendship. Is it possible for men and women to be friends? Is it beneficial? Is it healthy? Is it dangerous? She argues that their friendship benefited both tremendously. She even goes so far as to say that his friendship with Dorothy L. Sayers helped prepare him to have a relationship with his wife, Joy.

The book provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse at two writers' private lives. Neither was a perfect saint. This sometimes bordered on overshare--not in regards to Lewis or Sayers but when it came to their mutual friend Charles Williams. That being said I am not for covering over or covering up scandals. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible