Review
Title: Eternity Through The Review Mirror How Simple Faith Changes Everything -Seventeen Extraordinary Lives
Author: Annette Hubbell
Publisher: Credo House Publishers (credohousepublishers.com)
Genre: Biography/Autobiography
Year Published: 2019
Number of Pages: 240
Binding: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-625861-26-9
Price: $17.99
Reviewed by Trudy Thompson for the Association For Mormon Letters
One of the reasons I love to read biographies is because I find it enlightening to learn how people overcome hardships, setbacks, and loss, to become successful in their chosen professions and in life. What makes some people rise above the mundane drudgery of daily life to become extraordinary? What drives some people to push through all odds, to never give up, and become leaders among us?
In her delightful, engaging, and thought provoking new book, Ms. Hubbell beautifully outlines that it is simple faith, combined with courage, obedience, faithfulness, fortitude, personal strength and a determined purpose that leads to their success.
Each of the seventeen chapters highlights the lives of once ordinary men and women who became Christian historical figures. The author brilliantly weaves little known biographical facts with a wonderful first person narrative point of view. It is as if fascinating people from history are talking to us directly-and telling us of their failures, successes, doubts, concerns and past mistakes, along with their triumphs.
As an avid music lover, the first chapter I eagerly dove into was Johann Sebastian Bach. From the outset, we learn that Bach was driven by his desire to always glorify God. He clearly stated, “the aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul. If heed is not paid to this, it is not true music but a diabolical bawling and twanging.”
I never knew that Bach could sing soprano and alto tones simultaneously, that he was married twice and had 20 children, twelve of which lived beyond infancy. Bach moved often throughout his life, either to pursue opportunity or to flee unfavorable circumstances. He states that he could be overbearing, and as he saw it, others, and especially his employers, caused most of the problems. At one point, he asked to be released from a Duke’s employ, to take a better position elsewhere. He was so sure he would be released that he accepted an advance in salary and moving expenses from the new employer, only to have the Duke refuse to release him from his obligations there. Bach exploded in anger and the Duke had him jailed for nearly four weeks.
Bach tells how he felt somewhat like the apostle Paul, who did not suffer fools gladly. However, personal glory was not important to him. He saw himself as God’s servant and created music to glorify Him.
His life however was filled with disappointments. Losing so many children was a constant source of sorrow, and in regards to his work, his skill at playing the organ was appreciated far more than his compositions, giving him constant consternation. So little did some people think of his music that after he died, his written music was used to wrap fish and garbage, and many manuscripts were lost forever!
But more important to him than music was his faith. He saw himself as a theologian with a keyboard. Scriptures were his inspiration, especially the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. He immersed himself in the scriptures, writing in the margins, inserting missing words, and correcting errors.
Although his health was good, when his eyesight started to fail, he had two operations, and was never the same again. His eyesight was restored for ten days before he died, but only for a few hours. Through it all, Bach persevered and composed some of the worlds greatest musical masterpieces: Toccata in D Minor, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, and the masterful work of St. Matthew’s Passion, among thousands of other works which are still being performed today.
The life of Corrie ten Boom is another example of faith over fear in this inspiring volume. Ms. ten Boom grew up in a devoutly religious family in the Netherlands. During World War II, she and her family hid over 800 Jews in a secret room to protect them from arrest by Nazi authorities. Betrayed by a fellow Dutch citizen, the entire family was imprisoned. A Nazi officer offered freedom to Corrie’s father if he would stop what he was doing. Her father courageously stated, “If I go home today, tomorrow I will open my door to anyone who knocks for help…it would be an honor to give my life for God’s ancient people.” He died in prison ten days later at the age of eighty four.
Corrie and her sister Betsie were separated for three months while Corrie was held in solitary confinement because she was ill with a hacking cough. Once reunited, they found themselves in the most inhumane conditions imaginable. They were packed into a train like cattle, where they rode for three days, arriving at the women’s death camp of Ravensbruck. The first two nights were spent outside on the ground being pummeled by a pouring rain from violent thunderstorms. Then, they were marched into a barracks meant to hold 400, but 1400 were eventually crammed in. As newcomers, they were forced to remove their clothing and parade naked in front of the guards to ensure they had no contraband on them. Corrie was panicked wondering how the small Bible she had in a pouch hanging down her back was going to be handled. Her sister, even more nervous, felt a sudden need to use the toilet and the guards let them both go. There was a bench where the small pouch was hidden. Upon receiving flimsy prison garb, Corrie once again donned the pouch with its precious Bible. But when they found themselves being checked and frisked for contraband, Corrie uttered a silent prayer,” Lord make your angels untransparent.” She thought the request a strange one, but the guards acted as if she was not even there. They did not see or touch her at all. They endured unspeakable living conditions: extreme brutality, bedbugs, fleas, rats, roaches and lice. The bugs were so bad, the guards would never set foot past the barracks doorway. This caused her sister Betsie to exclaim, “the bugs are a blessing.” Every night, the sisters would secretly read from the small Bible, while women translated the passages into other languages the women could understand, including German, French, Polish, Russian, and Czech.
Betsie taught Corrie, and the other women, many things about forgiveness, and how the one thing their torturers wanted to take from them, but couldn’t, was God’s love. They began to look out for each other, making life a bit more civilized, and leaving no one alone. That barracks became known as the “crazy place, where there is hope.”
Ravensbruck saw nearly one hundred thousand women led to their death, including Betsie. Somehow Betsie knew her sister Corrie would survive. With her last breath, Betsie extracted a promise from Corrie that she would tell the world of the healing power of forgiving another, a power that is possible when one leans on God.
Due to a clerical error, a miracle occurred and Corrie was released from prison. For decades she lived out of a suitcase, traveling to sixty four countries with her and her sister’s message of reconciliation and forgiveness. She also wrote many books, and died on her birthday at the age of ninety-one.
These are just two examples of the remarkable stories in this amazing and well written and researched book. I do not believe I have ever read a more compelling, meaningful, and inspiring book of biographies in my life.
The other men and women highlighted in this book are: Galileo Galilei, John Newton, Elizabeth Fry, Sojourner Truth, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, Amy Wilson Carmichael, Mary McLeod Bethune, Aimee Semple McPherson, C.S. Lewis, Gladys May Alward, Louie Zamperini, and Johnny Cash.
While some are more widely known than others, all have a story to tell, a story where they all share a unique and common thread: they all publicly acknowledged God as the source of their success and accomplishments.
At the end of each narrative, Ms. Hubbell includes several relevant and meaningful Bible verses. There are footnotes for additional research, reference and study.
The final chapter of the book is entitled, ” Your Name Here.” We the readers are encouraged to consider what would happen if we totally trusted God and honored His Divine appointments. Just as we have looked in the rear view mirror to see God’s hand in the lives of these seventeen world changers, we too can look back and see how God has prepared us for the unique work that lies ahead in each of our lives. If we have a passion and capacity to love God and to love others, God will do the rest.
Annette Hubbell has provided us with a gift — a gift of feeling like we are having a direct conversation with these seventeen remarkable men and women who changed the world by living out their faith. The true and lasting gift is that whether we positively influence one person, or the whole world, for good, we too can and should make a difference. These stories can inspire and motivate us, and remind us that with God, anything is possible!
This refreshing new book by a very gifted author should be in the home of people of all faiths, or of no faith at all. It will be enjoyed by youth and adults alike. There is so very much to be learned and enlightened by. The poignant and stirring stories of how faith led these remarkable individuals past seemingly insurmountable odds, and how faith transformed them, with all their quirks and weaknesses, to become instruments in the hand of God to accomplish great things in their time, is not to be forgotten. I eagerly look forward to reading another book by this creative author.