Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Surprised by Oxford is a truly wonderful read. Mrs. Weber, then Ms. Drake during the time of her conversion to Christ, chronicled how her intellectual journey in Oxford, became all the more interesting when it lead her to question the deeper purpose of her existence. As most people with good intentions, she and her family were under the impression that being a good person – not committing any crime and striving to have a good life, in their case, in a very intellectual sense – make them Christians. But Caro, despite her initial misgivings and hesitation, after months of musings and contemplation, made a decision that changed her life forever. Despite possible persecution and criticisms, she decided to embrace the truth about the God she could not fully understand (something highly intellectual people could not wrap their brain on).

There are many things that I liked about the book, but the most striking for me was when she narrated the story of her conversation with one of her male Christian friends. By then she was amazed that when she tried to look back, she finally saw that there has been multiple times, when God provided an opportunity for her to believe, and she struggled with the question of why she never took it back then, and why only later. And her friend said that it is truly an interesting question, but that the more mind boggling question is, how come God kept on trying. This just goes to show how much of a gentleman God is.

For some other things, I love the prose. She is an excellent writer and is truly gifted with words. Who says only Carrie Bradshaw can be so politically correct and downright funny and to some extent satirical? If you are a brainiac and have misgivings about the Christian faith, or if you are a hopeless romantic who is looking for a proof that God has the best lifetime partner for you, this is the book for you. Surprised by Oxford will not disappoint.

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