Any time there is a book written in verse I want to read it. I'm trying to get more into nonfiction and historical fiction to learn more about the world, so getting a book about a historically significant person written in verse seemed like a good fit. I enjoyed the rhythm of the book and learning about Frances Ridley Havergal, someone I hadn't heard about before. I enjoyed learning about her journey of faith as well.

The story of a girl who loves poetry like no other, and her journey finding God's presence in her life. Dedicating her life to creating hymns until her last breath, this is the story of Frances Ridley Havergal.

Born in 1836, where not much gadget available those days, maybe it is not easy to imagine her life. But she had fun childhood, living in the countryside of England and a dog to play with. And with the new job for her father, Fanny moved to Worchester. Little Fanny who memorized the Bible at such a young age, started to doubt God. It is not easy, even for a person who was introduced to Christ since small, to walk with Him.

This is the story of Frances Ridley Havergal, but "Fanny" can be you and me, who struggle to see the Good God amidst the storm in our life.

I really enjoyed this book! If anything has characterized our family’s days throughout my life, I’d say they would be Bible reading and music. We enjoy singing together as a family, and also enjoy times when we get together for a sing-along with others. Due to my love of music, I’ve been quite interested in the stories behind some of the songs we sing. So when I saw Frances Ridley Havergal available for review, I was interested in hearing her story.

Though it was written in free verse, which I wondered if I would enjoy, it didn’t end up being a distraction—it added a fun element to the story!

One of my favorite parts of this story is the fact that though it’s not the life story of someone extraordinary, it’s still something many would find easy to read—and would likely be encouraged by. I love that. We have a lot to learn even from those who seem to live ordinary lives, but often we overlook them because of our perception of who we think spiritual giants are. Missionaries and pastors, and perhaps a few elderly people in the church, are those we should look up to as holding the seat of wisdom, right? Well…we can learn from others, too, as becomes clear from this story.

Personally, the thing that inspired me the most was Frances’ struggle to know whether she was saved or not, and the following freedom she found in the hope Christ offers. The songs that came out of the hope she found are beautiful, and I loved the little stories behind each of those songs, as well. I’m sure I’ll never look at “Take My Life” “Like a River Glorious”, or “Who Is on the Lord’s Side?” the same again.

If you would like to know about this ordinary woman with a talent for putting feelings into beautiful poetry, words that touch our hearts, check this book out. It’s a lovely one—with beautiful pictures sprinkled through it, too!

I requested a free review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

I love Frances Ridley Havergal and the truth and encouragement her hymns are filled with. Until now, I never knew much about her personal life. This tiny biography contains not only her salvation testimony but also the joys and struggles God allowed her to have. The illustrations only add to the sweetness of this story. The only think that was a bit distracting is the free verse the book is written in.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and BJU Press for sending me this ebook in exchange for an hones review.

Children need to read inspirational biographies, but Eileen Berry's book about Frances Ridley Havergal might not be a favorite choice. Written in the first person as an autobiography, the book begins with her childhood and continues to trace her spiritual journey through the major events of her life. The background story for many of her famous hymns is included in the narrative. The reading is not particularly difficult, but the entire book is formatted as free verse, which can be distracting or confusing. Throughout the book are some of Miss Havergal's own illustrations, but they lack the interest that illustrations typically add to children's books. While I would still recommend this book to my students, my guess is that not many would enjoy reading it.

I found this book quite interesting, as I had never read anything about this author before. The story is told in free verse poetry, which made it unique. I don't enjoy poetry, as a rule, but because this was free verse I was able to read it and really enjoy it. Frances's story is told from when she was a young girl and her mother died, until her own death at a relatively young age. The account given of her spiritual growth was inspiring. This is a great story for anyone who loves God and wants a closer walk with Him.

April 07, 2019
I received this Kindle title to review thru Net Galley. This was an interesting book about the author of multiple favorite hymns and poetry.

Frances was a young girl who many years was unsure of her own love for God. However, as she read and listened to her own father preach about the love of God grew. Soon as Frances matured and grew she was able to make her faith real.

An interesting statement she makes in the book, "it takes a lifetime of living to write effectively."

It is written very well and easily read. It could be read by all ages and give history of her favorite hymns.
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