A brilliant new take on the story of William and Catherine Booth in which their personalities, love for each other and achievements come alive in an unprecedented way. A gem of a book. -- General John Larsson (Rtd), international leader of The Salvation Army 2002-2006
A fascinating new approach! These intimate letters give deep insights into their spiritual yearnings, their personal faith and their views on Christian ministry and leadership, and shine with their incredible love for each other. This is a `must' read. -- General Eva Burrows (Rtd), international leader of The Salvation Army 1986-1993
... the story of the couple's love, and their journey together in creating and managing a noisy, demanding, stress-making, messy baby Salvation Army, sweeps the reader relentlessly along. * The Salvationist *
A touching and sensitive retelling of the lives of an intensely loyal and committed couple whose love for each other and for God endured throughout many challenges against a backdrop of social change over the 40 plus years of their partnership. It also offers insights into daily Victorian life and shows the importance and value of letter writing in an age when instant communication did not exist. The author retells the story in a lively style, weaving in their own correspondence with key background details, bringing together a touching portrait of love, loyalty and commitment, with God firmly at the centre of their lives. * Life & Work *
This extremely enjoyable and informative book tells the story of William and Catherine Booth, who were founders of The Salvation Army, an organisation that is still active and respected world wide and is now almost 150 years old. What makes this book stand out from other biographies is its concentration on the letters the pair exchanged from their first meeting until Catherine's death. Spanning nearly 40 years the letters five an intimate portrait of the couple, their love for each other and their children, their spiritual struggles and the gradual evolution of their desire to help the poor and disadvantaged. Author Cathy Le Feuvre expertly puts these letters into context, and fills in the background of what was happening in Victorian England at the time, both within and without the Methodist Church into which William and Catherine were born. By centring the book on the letters in full, rather than just quoting from them, the reader learns not only about the couple's inner feelings in some depth but also their attitudes to the church and its ministry, society in general, child-rearing, health and medicine. All in all this is not just a portrait of a fascinating couple but also of an age, and thus will be of enormous interest not just those wanting to find out more about The Salvation Army, but equally to anyone interested in social history - or perhaps just in a touching and still resonant love affair. -- Jenkinson * Netgalley *
This book will be of much interest to anyone who wants to read more about religious belief in the Victorian period but it is also of interest to those who want to read a touching and poignant love story which lasted for more than forty years. -- Jill Weekes * Netgalley *
Whether read as a poignant love story, an interesting social history or as an inspiring Christian title of two great leaders of the Victorian era, William and Catherine is both insightful and uplifting and will make a positive impact on all those who share this outstanding book. -- The Plain Truth * The Plain Truth *
