John Newton: A Slave Set Free

John Newton: A Slave Set Free
Irene Howat
Pages: 135
ISBN: 978-1-85792-834-1

Summary: His father was a well renowned captain.  His mother, a most godly influence, died when he was but 6.  John Newton grew up to be a rough lad.  Following his father's lead, John made a living on the seas--eventually becoming a captain of his own vessel.  But the Lord would not relinguish His hold on Newton.  Converted and suffering a health scare, Newton abandoned the slave trade and became a minister.  Nearing the end of his life, he aided William Wiberforce in the abolition of slavery.

Personal Thoughts: I love the story of John Newton.  This book is a fair retelling of his life, but it also lacked in several ways.  The book was choppy.  As I read it to my son I had to continually stop to explain that a good amount of time elapsed between 2 paragraphs.  I also found the story did a poor job of integrating details into the main flow of the book.  It often felt like this or that fact was thrown in haphazardly.  Finally, the book made absolutely no mention of Willaim Cowper--a man under great distress for much of his life.  Newton came alongside this man and kept him close for many years, counselling and encouraging him.  Other than that, I think it was a pretty good read.  My son enjoyed it.

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