Out of the darkness 

The autobiography documenting the transformation of one of Scotland’s most violent prisoners

Out of the darkness - the transformation of one of Scotland’s most violent prisoners
By Anthony Gielty 
Monarch Books 
ISBN No: 978-0-85721-771-4
Reviewed By: Jeannie Kendall

This book is the autobiography of Anthony Gielty, who at 17 was sentenced to ten years imprisonment in the Scottish penal system. Much of the book describes his life from the early years in a small mining village, his early boxing career, but his subsequent descent into violence, and prison life, where that descent only continued. For me, this part of the book was a little too much, almost overshadowing in length the section from his conversion through to the current day, but that may well just be me.

That said, the book is really interesting, particularly for the eclectic denominational influences on Tony’s growing faith – he is described on the back cover as “a man of passion who speaks as an evangelical, feels as a charismatic and acts as a Catholic.” I would have enjoyed more about this, and about how he came to terms with his past and learned new ways of thinking and feeling.

I think though the best review for this book comes from my granddaughter. She was asking me about the book and so I was explaining, and that I had to do a review. She declared that she would like to write it – this is all her own work. Over to her:

“Out of the darkness is a book where a man is really so naughty. But when he meets Jesus, Jesus changed his life. The man was called Tony and he was so naughty that he had to be sent to prison. Tony was told that Jesus could change his life... so Tony asked if Jesus could change his life and Jesus did”.  Faith James-Morse, aged six.

Says it all, really!
 

Jeannie is co-minister of Carshalton Beeches Baptist church