Book description from Amazon:
“The definitive biography of Susannah Spurgeon.”
“While many Christians recognize the name of Charles H. Spurgeon, the beloved preacher and writer, few are familiar with the life and legacy of his wife, Susie. Yet Susannah Spurgeon was an accomplished and devout woman of God who had a tremendous ministry in her own right, as well as in support of her husband. Even while dealing with serious health issues, she administered a book fund for poor pastors, edited and published her husband’s sermons and other writings, led a pastor’s aid ministry, wrote five books, made her home a hub of hospitality, and was instrumental in planting a church. And as her own writing attests, she was also a warm, charming, and fascinating woman.
Now, for the first time, Susie brings this vibrant woman’s story to modern readers. Ray Rhodes Jr. examines Susannah’s life, showing that she was not only the wife of London’s most famous preacher, but also a woman who gave all she had in grateful service to the Lord.
Susie is an inspiring and encouraging account of a truly remarkable woman of faith that will delight Spurgeon devotees and fans of Christian biographies alike.
“I am writing in my husband’s study, where he thought, and prayed, and wrote. Every inch of the place is sacred ground. Everything remains precisely as he left it. His books (now my most precious possessions), stand in shining rows upon the shelves, in exactly the order in which he placed them, and one might almost fancy the room was ready and waiting for its master. But oh! That empty chair! That great portrait over the door! The strange, solemn silence, which pervades the place now that he is no longer on earth! I kneel sometimes by his chair, and laying my head on the cushioned arms, which so long supported his dear form, I pour out my grief before the Lord, and tell Him again that though I am left alone, yet I know that ‘He hath done all things well’…”
My Review:
Until I read this book, I had never read a biography about Susie Spurgeon. Through the meticulous research of this author, I felt that I came to know her and could see her heart for her husband, her family, and her God. I enjoyed reading passages of the letters that she and her husband exchanged as well as some of Susie’s own writings. She had much to overcome during her lifetime, but she found great strength and peace through her strong faith in God. She was in very poor health for much of her life, yet she was determined to serve God in anyway that she could with the little physical strength that she had.
This book also highlights the true, life-long love story between she and her husband. I loved reading about their courtship and engagement. Their letters to each other are so sweet and indicate much about their life together. Their love and support for each other never wavered through tragedy and loss. The love their sons had for both their parents, as well as their own future ministries, show the evidence of Susie’s never-failing faithfulness to her family.
Even though Susie lived in Victorian times, her testimony lives on to challenge us today in our daily walk with God. I’m very glad that I read this book.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.