A Severe Mercy: A Story of Faith, Tragedy and Triumph is a heart-rending love story described by its author as the spiritual autobiography of a love rather than of the lovers. It beautifully narrates the author's marriage and his profound search for faith.

Sheldon Vanauken chronicles the birth of a powerful pagan love borne out of the relationship he shares with his wife, Davy. He eloquently describes the growth of their relationship and the dreams that they share, offering a beloved, profoundly moving account of their journey.

The book delves into the couple's search for faith and their cherished friendship with C. S. Lewis. It explores the spiritual strength that sustained Vanauken after his wife's untimely death, addressing some of the universal questions that surround faith, such as the existence of God and the reasons behind tragedy.

This narrative is replete with 18 letters from C.S. Lewis, adding depth and insight into the couple's spiritual and emotional journey.

Despite—or because of—her irreverence, faith is a natural subject for Anne Lamott. Since Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird, her fans have been waiting for her to write the book that explained how she came to the big-hearted, grateful, generous faith that she so often alluded to in her two earlier nonfiction books.

The people in Anne Lamott's real life are like beloved characters in a favorite series for her readers: Her friend Pammy; her son, Sam; and the many funny and wise folks who attend her church are all familiar. And Traveling Mercies is a welcome return to those lives, as well as an introduction to new companions Lamott treats with the same candor, insight, and tenderness.

Lamott's faith isn't about easy answers, which is part of what endears her to believers as well as nonbelievers. Against all odds, she came to believe in God, and then, even more miraculously, in herself. As she puts it, "My coming to faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers."

At once tough, personal, affectionate, wise, and very funny, Traveling Mercies tells in exuberant detail how Anne Lamott learned to shine the light of faith on the darkest part of ordinary life, exposing surprising pockets of meaning and hope.