reviewsbyerin

Martin Luther revolutionized Christianity in the 1500s by challenging widely-accepted beliefs, translating the Bible into German, and putting forth many teachings and hymns. His marriage to Katharina von Bora helped set the standard for Protestant ministers to be married. In her newest book, Jody Hedlund explores the relationship between Luther and Katharina, a nun who escaped her convent to follow Luther's teachings about freedom in Christ.

Katharina's parents committed her to the convent when she was only 5 years old, and she was raised believing she would be a nun her whole life. When she and 11 others escaped from the convent in 1523, they made their way to Luther's home in Wittenberg, and he assisted in finding homes or marriages for all of them - except Katharina.

In this novel, Hedlund portrays both Katharina and Luther as very passionate people. Because Katharina had been regarded as a noblewoman even while a nun, she thought she would be able to find a marriage within her social class. She was not happy having to work as a servant or tutor and earn her living while waiting for a properly marriageable man to come along.

Reading books like this one really makes you appreciate again the sacrifices of those who worked to translate the Bible from Latin, risking their lives and being persecuted and often killed for their efforts. Luther's life was under constant threat, and he faced criticism from all sides. He thought it would be wrong to marry and bring a wife into the uncertainty that was his life, and also since Katharina felt herself to be of too high a social class for him, this seemed an unlikely pairing.

I would definitely not recommend this book for young readers. There are descriptions or torture and customs of the time which I feel would only be appropriate for older teens and adults. I would also recommend being familiar with Hedlund's other works before reading this one. I think the content and style might otherwise be an unwelcome surprise, as it seemed stronger than usual.

Please click here for more information about this novel. I received my copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.