Inklings

This review is written in honor of my younger sister, who just finished reading this series and could not stop gushing about it. I've enjoyed and reread the books for years, so it was delightful to find that my sister loves them as much as I do.

The year is 1964, and Kate is an American student doing a year of study at Oxford University. To her delight, she finds herself invited into a group of young people who meet weekly in an attempt to replicate the meetings of the famous "Inklings." C.S. Lewis died the year before, so the original group is no longer meeting, however Lewis's former student, the handsome don David MacKenzie, is well suited for raising up a new generation of literature lovers and creators. David becomes one of Kate's lit tutors, and it isn't long before the two of them develop feelings for each other. However, love is never simple, and Kate finds herself being courted by the dashing Lord Stuart Deveroux... meanwhile, David's glamorous fiance Charlotte appears on the scene...

Inklings. Oxford. Romance. And appearances by Tolkien and later (in the prequel "Evasions") Lewis himself. What could be better?

What lifts this series above the ordinary "Christian Romance" is that Jeschke deals with more issues than just romance. In the pages of her books you'll find her dealing with such topics as modesty, chastity, unexpected pregnancy (and abortion), alcoholism, mixed race relationships, the importance of parental approval, and above all, the importance of the Christian Faith.

Although tastefully handled (my sister laughed about the fact that the series rarely uses the word "sex" and instead goes with the older "made love...") these topics are mature ones and this series is probably best handled by the 16+ crowd. It is however a really good entry for those ready to jump into the world of adult fiction. It introduces topics often found in Adult books, but from a Christian worldview and in an informative way that shows these issues in light of their consequences, not their glamor.