Where the Light Fell

A Memoir

By: Philip Yancey

Narrated by: Philip Yancey

In this searing meditation on the bonds of family and the allure of extremist faith, one of today’s most celebrated Christian writers recounts his unexpected journey from a strict fundamentalist upbringing to a life of compassion and grace — a revelatory memoir that “invites comparison to Hillbilly Elegy” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

“This stunning tale reminds us that the only way to keep living is to ask God for the impossible: love, forgiveness, and hope.” (Kate Bowler, New York Times bestselling author of Everything Happens for a Reason)

Raised by an impoverished widow who earned room and board as a Bible teacher in 1950s Atlanta, Philip Yancey and his brother, Marshall, found ways to venture out beyond the confines of their eight-foot-wide trailer. But when Yancey was in college, he uncovered a shocking secret about his father’s death — a secret that began to illuminate the motivations that drove his mother to extreme, often hostile religious convictions and a belief that her sons had been ordained for a divine cause.

Searching for answers, Yancey dives into his family origins, taking us on an evocative journey from the backwoods of the Bible Belt to the bustling streets of Philadelphia; from trailer parks to church sanctuaries; from family oddballs to fire-and-brimstone preachers and childhood awakenings through nature, music, and literature. In time, the weight of religious and family pressure sent both sons on opposite paths — one toward healing from the impact of what he calls a “toxic faith,” the other into a self-destructive spiral.

Where the Light Fell is a gripping family narrative set against a turbulent time in post-World War II America, shaped by the collision of Southern fundamentalism with the mounting pressures of the civil rights movement and '60s-era forces of social change. In piecing together his fragmented personal history and his search for redemption, Yancey gives testament to the enduring power of our hunger for truth and the possibility of faith rooted in grace instead of fear.

“I truly believe this is the one book I was put on earth to write,” says Yancey. “So many of the strands from my childhood — racial hostility, political division, culture wars — have resurfaced in modern form. Looking back points me forward.”

©2021 Philip Yancey (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"[Raw], honest, beautifully written, and at times searing . . . We live in a world that is always clouded by ungrace, by strife and anger and division, according to Yancey, and Christians should be on the other side . . . The pain of [Yancey’s] early life gives his words and his witness an authority and authenticity that he would otherwise not have. He has become, over time, a person to whom the wounded and the brokenhearted are drawn, compelled by his message of grace.”—The Atlantic

“Where the Light Fell is in many ways a classic spiritual autobiography tracing one man’s conversion from cynic to believer. But it’s more. It’s a searing family story as revelatory as gothic Southern fiction. It’s an exposé. It’s a social critique. It’s a tragedy. It’s a tale of redemption. . . . The memoir itself is an answer to the question that looms throughout: What do we do with the burdens, sins, and pain of our past?”—Christianity Today

“Searing. Heartrending . . . This stunning tale reminds us that the only way to keep living is to ask God for the impossible: love, forgiveness, and hope.”—Kate Bowler, New York Times bestselling author of Everything Happens for a Reason

A book of Grace and Pain

This is an amazing book of self-disclsure Thank be to Philip for his frank honesty.

Profound. Authentic. Important.

I was deeply moved and profoundly touched by this book. I’m sure it will be a book that has lasting impact in my life. I too experienced much trauma and hardship in a fundamentalist Christian family, by very wounded parents. The grace and honestly in this memoir was very moving to me. Thank you, thank you.

truthful and redemptive

I was entranced from the start. This is the kind of grace FULL truth telling I have needed to hear for a very long time.

Amazing book a life account story.

This is one of the best books I have read. I loved it. It’s an amazing life account where one can feel the emotions of the writer as they would if they were right there in it. Especially if you had been hurt In similar ways at all. I thank the author Phillip Yancey for his candid non sugar coated account. It was life giving to my soul.

Honest, Graceful, Achingly Heartfelt

The author, through his narration, provides as much insight through his intonation as he does through his words. This book came alive with Philip's accents, whispers and shouts, and pauses as he relives his story with all its triumphs, regrets and profound moments of insight.

Wonderful

What an amazing treat to have Philip Yancey read this book.

I have one word to describe his narration … WOW!

Who would have thought he could replicate SO MANY different southern drawls and bounce so seamlessly to his naturally pleasant voice that emanates a true sense of love … well, a true sense of GRACE.

I loved this story.
I loved the combination of words that tell it.
I loved the voices that shared it.
I loved each of the characters in it.

Truth is truly better than fiction when told to you by someone as skilled as a contemporary CS Lewis.

It may be Philip Yancey’s greatest gift and that comes from someone that finished What’s So Amazing About Grace and immediately re entered it’s pages again for a second amazing ride.

Raw.

Philip lets you draw your own conclusions as he takes you on a journey through his life. He writes about growing up in a fundamentalist church in the racist south, deconstructing his faith, navigating family history & drama, to reconstructing his faith & trying to reconcile his family back together. A beautiful memoir!

Unforgettable

This is a top shelf “top ten” book. Excellent, heart wrenching, yet enjoyable story throughout.

Amazing

What a gift to the world. A peek into the evangelical world and into a struggling family. I will think about this for a long time. Thank you for this vulnerable recollection.

Beautiful memoir

I have been a Yancey fan since I read, What’s so Amazing about Grace. After listening to this memoir I see why Philip is the man he is today. This book is an open and honest rendering of his life. It does not leave out the pain he experienced. He includes the pain inflicted on him and the pain he inflicted on others. Hearing the story in his own words is powerful. So grateful for Philip and the gift he brings to all of us.