Hearts and Hands

Title: Hearts and Hands
Author: Mindy and Brandon Withrow
Series: History Lives series, Volume 4: Chronicles of the Awakening Church
Major Themes: Church History, Great Awakening
Synopsis: Fascinating stories about 11 famous people who were instrumental in advancing the Christian faith and missions between 1700 and 1860.

We have now finished Hearts and Hands, the fourth book in the series. It didn’t seem quite as well-written to me as the earlier books, as if the authors are getting a little tired—but still very interesting. My children are fascinated with the stories about the various people mentioned—from Jonathan Edwards to David Livingstone. I was intrigued with the inclusion of Johann Sebastian Bach; I didn’t know he was instrumental in introducing new forms of music into services! We also meet several of the earlier modern missionaries. I’ve read several books about Adoniram and Ann Judson, in Burma, of course—but I had never heard of Liang Fa and Fidelia Fiske! We also meet several abolitionists, such as William Wilberforce, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. The variety of people introduced in this book is amazing. As with the earlier three books, it is a great supplement to your study of Christian history, or even just secular history of this time period.

Other Books in This Series:

• Peril and Peace
• Monks and Mystics
• Courage and Conviction
• Rescue and Redeem

WARNING: The story of Liang Fa includes a description of Chinese torture—not nice to read about.