Light Amid Darkness

More than mere autobiography, Light Amid Darkness presents an account of an English childhood set in the context of several generations of the Pope, Birkett, and Kelly families--each of which must strive to overcome the challenges, setbacks, and tragedies of their age. It is a tale of human loss and gain, of countless hardships faced and overcome, and of the enduring personal victory of love, hope, faith, and determination. The story commences during the reign of Queen Victoria--at the height of the British Empire--and it concludes during that of her great-granddaughter, the Second Elizabeth--at a time when Britain was coming to terms with the loss of that same empire. The themes of emigration, early life on the Canadian frontier, the promises of young love and the poignancy of love amidst the carnage of the Somme, the joy of marriage and the despair of abandonment, and growing up in wartime England--all are explored in this unique and cogent portrayal of an English childhood. Grayson Carter is Associate Professor of Church History at Fuller Theological Seminary in Phoenix, Arizona. He is the author of Anglican Evangelicals: Protestant Secession from the Via Media, c. 1800-1850 (2001).