Reviews

Probably the most powerful read of the year. I cried a lot reading this book, and carried the heavy weight of it for weeks and weeks afterwards. It was a treasure to carry, though mind you, not a regrettable burden. This story did not bring any feelings of guilt or pressures toward piety, but rather increased my capacity for love and my longing for hope. Betsy has become a category in my life now (and her fleas), and I look for traces of her faith in my Bible reading, in my relationships, and I pray to see in my responses to suffering. I always thought of this book as an “obligatory Christian read.” I felt I was doing my duty to read it and be done with the task when nothing else on my list felt right at the time. These were foolish thoughts. This book is so well written that I am confident it will continue to hold its own in classic literature throughout the following decades and perhaps beyond. Please read it. Enjoy its beautiful images of a strong and humble family situated in the cozy simple livelihood of Holland, and bear the thrills of entering an adventure which sparks imagination and stirs a hope for faith that is a feast for the soul.

Recommended by: Elisa Watson (and the entire Christian heritage)