Surprised by Oxford

A Memoir

By: Carolyn Weber

Narrated by: Nancy Peterson

Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Surprised by Oxford is the memoir of a skeptical agnostic who comes to a dynamic personal faith in God during graduate studies in literature at Oxford University.

Carolyn Weber arrives at Oxford a feminist from a loving but broken family, suspicious of men and intellectually hostile to all things religious. As she grapples with her God-shaped void alongside the friends, classmates, and professors she meets, she tackles big questions in search of truth, love, and a life that matters.

From issues of fatherhood, feminism, doubt, doctrine, and love, Weber explores the intricacies of coming to faith with an aching honesty and insight echoing that of the poets and writers she studied. Rich with literary references, Surprised by Oxford is at once gritty and lyrical; both humorous and spiritually perceptive. This savvy, credible account of Christian conversion and its aftereffects follows the Oxford liturgical calendar as it entertains, informs, and promises to engage even the most skeptical and unlikely listener.

©2011 Carolyn Weber (P)2019 Tantor

Enjoyable memoir of one life changing year in Oxford

I too spent a memorable summer in Oxford and my faith was restored and strengthened. I enjoyed Carolyn‘s story of meeting God there. My book is sufficiently book darted with quotes and questions and musings. The language was so beautiful.

Indeed, surprised 

Deftly written, complex in its language, and yet easy to read, Surprised By Oxford is a delight. As an educator, I often try to choose a novel that will be easy to read, light on my mind. Surprised by Oxford is none of that! And yet all of that. I found the mental pictures and words and truths to be extraordinary. Definitely will revisit this novel again.

Great story

This was a great story, and some episodes in it particularly edifying and moving. Dialog isn't always strong, but other than that it is very well written. I do wish I'd read the print book, because I think the reader wasn't the best, especially when it came to the male chatacters' voices...I think the dialog would have come across better without the reader.

Amazing

So impressed by the quality of the writing and how this connects with both the mind and the heart.

Uplifting and inspiring!

I really appreciated the time Carol took to lay out her quandaries and problems with Christianity. I loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter too, and getting a glimpse into the world of a Master in English!

Inspiringly Sweet

Delightfully Sweet.
If you have ever travelled someone magical, or been captivated by love story only to realize it was your own, or sat among giants, or been given advise by a wondering wizard, then this book will enchant your imagination for reality, and bring the heavens closer to touch.
I am coming away from this book moved, revived, and thrilled. Because of it I want to make new friendships and probe deeply into the heart and mind of those I interact with. I want to love deeper the friends and acquaintances that I cherish. I want to read and become wise, and study the great men and woman of my day and centuries past. 
Most of all, I want to read my Bible more.
What great motivations can come from the story of one woman over the span of nine months.
This book was well written and wonderfully read. Yes, I admit there were a lot of moments where felt it too mushy, too soft, maybe too sentimental, but then again, I could relate to it all. The language was flowery, but well cultivated like an immaculate garden. There wasn't "fluff" but flower. The author kept very much on the topic of her conversion, and did not cloud the story with too much else.
I want to give this book a 4 star... but I enjoyed it just too much to not put 5.

Surprised by the Eloquence

What an incredible book and story! Deeply moving and thought-provoking... with a poetic depth and eloquence of days gone by. I could not recommend this book more!

Very Enjoyable

I love autobiographies. This one was so good especially as it is a conversion story as well.

Another C.S. Lewis

Carolyn Weber has given a great gift to the 21st century in the category of spiritual memoir. Surprised by Oxford will give the listener many surprises but mostly an abiding sense in the relentless, loving pursuit of divine providence.

Saw the movie, loved it, loved the book more

Saw the movie, loved it, loved the book more Beautifully written. Amazing indepth redemption story.