Catherine Mackenzie’s biography of Martin Luther is aimed at readers aged nine and above. It makes historical and gospel truths accessible and Mackenzie captures the sense of danger surrounding Luther’s work. The reader is left with an appreciation of the historical impact of those Reformation events from 500 years ago.
Many of the facts are communicated through conversations between Martin Luther and the people in his life, making the book read like an historical novel rather than a typical biography. However, this is appropriate for the target audience.
At the end of the main story, there is a helpful ‘fact file’ section. This includes a timeline of events, map of the key places in Luther’s life, famous quotations and also study questions for each chapter (perhaps useful for a youth group or individuals to go through).
With the 500-year anniversary of Luther’s 95 theses coming up on 31October 2017, this would be a timely book to read and recommend to young people. Children’s book it may be, but adults need not pass it by; it is an easily digestible biography of one of the heroes of our faith.
Julia Milner
Northampton
