“Abigail Santamaria’s biography of Joy Davidman is a tour de force of research and writing. Plumbing the depths of unpublished documents, Santamaria reveals the vision and writing of a young woman whose coming of age in the turbulent thirties is both distinctive and emblematic of her time. With exquisite sensitivity tinctured by realism, Santamaria explores the love shared by Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis, smashing old myths with fresh insights that illuminate their desire for love and the universal longing for spiritual transcendence.” —Susan Hertog, author of Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Her Life
“Abigail Santamaria’s Joy would be noteworthy enough for being the first in-depth examination of the complete and remarkable life of Joy Davidman, today remembered only for her last, few years as the wife of English theologian C. S. Lewis. But this elegantly written and persuasively analyzed story builds to something much more. Born a Jew but jolted into full Christianity by a soul-shattering vision, Davidman's life, as told by Santamaria, using fascinating new material and interviews, becomes a unique and intricate spiritual quest that takes us from the Bronx to the glory days of the American Communist Party, literary success, motherhood, divorce and ultimate rebirth. Davidman was manipulative, endearing, brilliant, and obsessive—and Lewis, one of the most influential and beloved spiritual writers of the twentieth century, fell in love with all of it. A complicated woman for our time, Davidman and her search for meaning and final arrival at love will resonate deeply long after the reader has closed Santamaria's masterful biography.” —Kate Buford, author of Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe
“Ever since Lyle Dorsett introduced Joy Davidman in his biography of the American poet and author, many have desired to know more about this fascinating figure who so captivated C. S. Lewis and eventually became his wife. In her engaging and comprehensive volume, Abigail Santamaria builds on Dorsett’s work and provides a rich feast of new material that reveals aspects of Joy’s life that have been largely unknown until now. A superb researcher, Santamaria has gathered a vast array of previously unmined resources that illuminate the complexity of Joy’s character and help deepen our appreciation of what drew her to Lewis—and Lewis to her. This insightful biography is a genuine contribution to our understanding of C. S. Lewis, even as the striking portrait painted of Joy allows her to emerge more fully from Lewis’s shadow into her own unique light.” —Marjorie Lamp Mead, author of A Reader’s Guide Through the Wardrobe and A Reader’s Guide to Caspian, and editor of C. S. Lewis: Letters to Children and Brothers and Friends: The Diaries of Major Warren Hamilton Lewis
"[An] impressive debut biography...Santamaria has fashioned a compelling narrative, remaining cleareyed about her subject's many personal failings."—Kirkus
“Abigail Santamaria has written a luscious Narnia tale for grownups, a literary biography that takes the shape of a quest narrative as the brilliant idealistic Joy Davidman Gresham, writer and free spirit, adopts one cause after another until finally setting her cap for her spiritual mentor, C. S. “Jack” Lewis. Santamaria’s astonishing detective work reveals the surprising truth behind Lewis’s description of the couple as ‘a sinful woman married to a sinful man,’ even as she portrays their late-life love affair as salvational to them both.” —Megan Marshall, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of
Margaret Fuller: A New American Life "A biography about the brilliant and brash New Yorker who captured C.S. Lewis's heart was long overdue, so I'm thrilled to report that Abigail Santamaria does not disappoint. Her highly readable book should be the definitive biography of Joy Davidman for a long time to come." —Eric Metaxas,
New York Times best-selling author of
Miracles and
Bonhoeffer “
Joy is a delightful and fast-paced romp through a fascinating life. I read most of this book in one sitting, genuinely curious about whether this feisty, brilliant woman was going to get her happy ending. A truly impressive, even enviable, debut for a writer and a historian.” —Debby Applegate, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the forthcoming
Madam: The Notorious Life and Times of Polly Adler “Joy Davidman was manipulative, endearing, brilliant, and obsessive—and C.S. Lewis, one of the most influential and beloved spiritual writers of the twentieth century, fell in love with all of it. A complicated woman for our time, Davidman’s search for meaning and her final arrival at love will resonate deeply long after the reader has closed Santamaria’s masterful biography.” — Kate Buford, author of
Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe “A tour de force. Plumbing the depths of unpublished documents, Santamaria reveals the vision and writing of a young woman whose coming of age in the turbulent thirties is both distinctive and emblematic of her time.” — Susan Hertog, author of
Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Her Life “This brilliantly researched biography has changed me for good. Until I read this book I could never take Joy Davidman to my heart; she now stands before me as real and believable as anyone I know.
Joy offers a wonderful account of an unforgettable woman and her vibrant life; it is no wonder C.S. Lewis loved her so much.” —Walter Hooper, personal secretary to C.S. Lewis and editor of
The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis“Abigail Santamaria’s biography of Joy Davidman is a tour de force of research and writing. Plumbing the depths of unpublished documents, Santamaria reveals the vision and writing of a young woman whose coming of age in the turbulent thirties is both distinctive and emblematic of her time. With exquisite sensitivity tinctured by realism, Santamaria explores the love shared by Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis, smashing old myths with fresh insights that illuminate their desire for love and the universal longing for spiritual transcendence.” — Susan Hertog, author of Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Her Life
“Abigail Santamaria’s
Joy would be noteworthy enough for being the first in-depth examination of the complete and remarkable life of Joy Davidman, today remembered only for her last, few years as the wife of English theologian C. S. Lewis. But this elegantly written and persuasively analyzed story builds to something much more. Born a Jew but jolted into full Christianity by a soul-shattering vision, Davidman’s life, as told by Santamaria, using fascinating new material and interviews, becomes a unique and intricate spiritual quest that takes us from the Bronx, to the glory days of the American Communist Party, literary success, motherhood, divorce, and ultimate re-birth. Davidman was manipulative, endearing, brilliant, and obsessive—and Lewis, one of the most influential and beloved spiritual writers of the twentieth century, fell in love with all of it. A complicated woman for our time, Davidman’s search for meaning and her final arrival at love will resonate deeply long after the reader has closed Santamaria’s masterful biography.” — Kate Buford, author of
Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe“Ever since Lyle Dorsett introduced Joy Davidman in his biography of the American poet and author, many have desired to know more about this fascinating figure who so captivated C. S. Lewis and eventually became his wife. In her engaging and comprehensive volume, Abigail Santamaria builds on Dorsett’s work and provides a rich feast of new material that reveals aspects of Joy’s life that have been largely unknown until now. A superb researcher, Santamaria has gathered a vast array of previously unmined resources that illuminate the complexity of Joy’s character and help deepen our appreciation of what drew her to Lewis—and Lewis to her. This insightful biography is a genuine contribution to our understanding of C. S. Lewis, even as the striking portrait painted of Joy allows her to emerge more fully from Lewis’s shadow into her own unique light.” —Marjorie Lamp Mead, author of A Reader’s Guide Through the Wardrobe and A Reader’s Guide to Caspian, and editor of C. S. Lewis: Letters to Children and Brothers and Friends: The Diaries of Major Warren Hamilton Lewis
"[An] impressive debut biography...Santamaria has fashioned a compelling narrative, remaining cleareyed about her subject's many personal failings."—Kirkus
"Santamaria’s debut is sure to get attention from C.S. Lewis scholars and fans...Those who want to know the real Davidman will discover a woman in search of purpose and meaning who finally finds it in the faith and person of Lewis."—
Library Journal “Abigail Santamaria has written a luscious Narnia tale for grownups, a literary biography that takes the shape of a quest narrative as the brilliant idealistic Joy Davidman Gresham, writer and free spirit, adopts one cause after another until finally setting her cap for her spiritual mentor, C. S. “Jack” Lewis. Santamaria’s astonishing detective work reveals the surprising truth behind Lewis’s description of the couple as ‘a sinful woman married to a sinful man,’ even as she portrays their late-life love affair as salvational to them both.” —Megan Marshall, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of
Margaret Fuller: A New American Life "A biography about the brilliant and brash New Yorker who captured C.S. Lewis's heart was long overdue, so I'm thrilled to report that Abigail Santamaria does not disappoint. Her highly readable book should be the definitive biography of Joy Davidman for a long time to come." —Eric Metaxas,
New York Times best-selling author of
Miracles and
Bonhoeffer “
Joy is a delightful and fast-paced romp through a fascinating life. I read most of this book in one sitting, genuinely curious about whether this feisty, brilliant woman was going to get her happy ending. A truly impressive, even enviable, debut for a writer and a historian.” —Debby Applegate, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the forthcoming
Madam: The Notorious Life and Times of Polly Adler “Joy Davidman was manipulative, endearing, brilliant, and obsessive—and C.S. Lewis, one of the most influential and beloved spiritual writers of the twentieth century, fell in love with all of it. A complicated woman for our time, Davidman’s search for meaning and her final arrival at love will resonate deeply long after the reader has closed Santamaria’s masterful biography.” — Kate Buford, author of
Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe “A tour de force. Plumbing the depths of unpublished documents, Santamaria reveals the vision and writing of a young woman whose coming of age in the turbulent thirties is both distinctive and emblematic of her time.” — Susan Hertog, author of
Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Her Life “This brilliantly researched biography has changed me for good. Until I read this book I could never take Joy Davidman to my heart; she now stands before me as real and believable as anyone I know.
Joy offers a wonderful account of an unforgettable woman and her vibrant life; it is no wonder C.S. Lewis loved her so much.” —Walter Hooper, personal secretary to C.S. Lewis and editor of
The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis"Abigail Santamaria’s biography of Joy Davidman is a tour de force of research and writing. Plumbing the depths of unpublished documents, Santamaria reveals the vision and writing of a young woman whose coming of age in the turbulent ‘thirties is both distinctive and emblematic of her time. With exquisite sensitivity tinctured by realism, Santamaria explores the love shared by Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis, smashing old myths with fresh insights that illuminate their desire for love and the universal longing for spiritual transcendence."
—Susan Hertog, author of Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Her Life
"Abigail Santamaria's Joy would be noteworthy enough for being the first in-depth examination of the complete and remarkable life of Joy Davidman, today remembered only for her last, few years as the wife of English theologian C.S. Lewis. But this elegantly written and persuasively analyzed story builds to something much more. Born a Jew but jolted into full Christianity by a soul-shattering vision, Davidman's life, as told by Santamaria, using fascinating new material and interviews, becomes a unique and intricate spiritual quest that takes us from the Bronx, to the glory days of the American Communist Party, literary success, motherhood, divorce and ultimate re-birth. Davidman was manipulative, endearing, brilliant and obsessive—and Lewis, one of the most influential and beloved spiritual writers of the 20th century, fell in love with all of it. A complicated woman for our time, Davidman's search for meaning and her final arrival at love will resonate deeply long after the reader has closed Santamaria's masterful biography."
—Kate Buford, author of Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe
“Abigail Santamaria’s biography of Joy Davidman is a tour de force of research and writing. Plumbing the depths of unpublished documents, Santamaria reveals the vision and writing of a young woman whose coming of age in the turbulent thirties is both distinctive and emblematic of her time. With exquisite sensitivity tinctured by realism, Santamaria explores the love shared by Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis, smashing old myths with fresh insights that illuminate their desire for love and the universal longing for spiritual transcendence.” — Susan Hertog, author of Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Her Life
“Abigail Santamaria’s Joy would be noteworthy enough for being the first in-depth examination of the complete and remarkable life of Joy Davidman, today remembered only for her last, few years as the wife of English theologian C. S. Lewis. But this elegantly written and persuasively analyzed story builds to something much more. Born a Jew but jolted into full Christianity by a soul-shattering vision, Davidman’s life, as told by Santamaria, using fascinating new material and interviews, becomes a unique and intricate spiritual quest that takes us from the Bronx, to the glory days of the American Communist Party, literary success, motherhood, divorce, and ultimate re-birth. Davidman was manipulative, endearing, brilliant, and obsessive—and Lewis, one of the most influential and beloved spiritual writers of the twentieth century, fell in love with all of it. A complicated woman for our time, Davidman’s search for meaning and her final arrival at love will resonate deeply long after the reader has closed Santamaria’s masterful biography.” — Kate Buford, author of Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe
"[An] impressive debut biography...Santamaria has fashioned a compelling narrative, remaining cleareyed about her subject's many personal failings."—Kirkus
“Abigail Santamaria’s biography of Joy ...
