Surprised by Oxford

July 11, 2011
Following in the footsteps of C.S. Lewis, another Oxonian famously surprised by joy, Weber chronicles her encounters with God and Jesus while studying at Oxford University, in an honest and earnest tale structured around the university's trimester school year. Her narrative bares not only her internal conflicts during her time in England, but also her family life and how it shaped her distrust of religion as she grew up. The tale of her coming to Christianity from an intellectual agnosticism is woven with poetry and song lyrics that punctuate and, at times, encapsulate key moments of her study and discovery. The metaphors and allusions don't make the text inaccessibly erudite, but instead illustrate the beauty and struggle of her conversion. Some readers might question the length and apparent happenstance of some of the events included, while others will allow the professor of Romantic literature her poetic license, and enjoy the prose ride in the city of dreaming spires.

July 1, 2011
Weber's transformation from agnostic to Christian occurs in the intellectually rigorous setting of Oxford University, where brainy students and brilliant professors both lead her to salvation and threaten to draw her away from it. Conveying the effects of unbridled inquiry and open-mindedness, this memoir of obtaining a degree in literature, and much more, also offers a peek inside of what many consider the world's most prestigious university, which Weber portrays as a place both steeped in great traditions yet tolerant of youthful exuberance. One of the best parts of the book is the author's self-deprecating sense of humor, which she uses to transcend challenging moments. Brimming with inspiring quotes from literary giants and great artists, this is a truly endearing work that offers great comfort and delight as it celebrates the Christian faith.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

July 15, 2011

Memoir of a literature professor who converted to Christianity in the halls of Oxford University.

Coming home for the holidays, Weber (English/Seattle Univ.) had a handsome young man with a jewelry box in his pocket waiting for her at the gate. Most girls would be excited, but not the author. As her ex-fianc�-to-be awaited her arrival, Weber found herself confiding to a concerned stranger that she'd been thinking about someone else: Jesus. It's an inauspicious beginning for a conversion story, inciting the same adverse reaction in readers as the author's agnostic friends--nice, well-educated girls do not break up with their boyfriends and become Christians. But a lot has changed since Weber began her graduate studies at Oxford, an establishment where semesters with names like "Michaelmas" and "Hilary" frame a touching narrative of friendship, love and faith. There, the author was just as often inspired by Keats and the Beatles as she was by the Gospel. Weaving lines of poetry, philosophy and scripture into her narrative, Weber grasps at the meaning of life in the pages of great works of literature and overcomes her own childhood cynicism. Ultimately, a boy she refers to as TDK (i.e., tall, dark and handsome) won her heart and encouraged her to convert. When normal, 20-something trials ensued, notably a visit from a Georgia Peach in designer stilettos who threatened to steal her crush, the author's new faith was put to the test. The delicately crafted moments when Weber's faith allowed her to think more clearly and walk more gracefully through her life are, much like her romance, worth the wait.

Well-written, often poignant and surprisingly relatable.

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