Book Review: Hinds' Feet on High Places

Another thing I like to do besides writing is reading. So, why not combine the two? I plan to start writing book reviews on some of the books I read (the good ones anyway). My hope is that maybe you might see something that you would like to read. Anyway, here is the first review.

Hinds' Feet on High Places
Hannah Hurnard

First my mom recommended this book to me. Then my neighbors told me it was an excellent book. So, I picked it up a couple weeks ago and slowly made my way through it.

The book is an allegory about the journey to spiritual heights. It's based on the verse at the end of Habakkuk: "The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me walk upon mine high places." The story recounts the journey of a woman named Much-Afraid. Much-Afraid has a desire to go up to the high places where she can be free from her relatives who continually torture her--Pride, Bitterness, Resentment, and Craven Fear to name a few. The problem is Much-Afraid is crippled and cannot make it on her own. So, she goes to the Shepherd for help. The Shepherd agrees and promises to make her feet like hinds' feet so that she may leap across the high places herself and follow Him wherever He goes. But the journey is not an easy one. Much-Afraid has many lessons to learn and a lot of growing to do before she is ready for hinds' feet.

The story is very much a love story between Much-Afraid and the Shepherd--the type of love that each of us has for our King. As Much-Afraid goes through various trials, her love for the Shepherd and her willingness to follow Him wherever grows. The theme of love runs throughout the book, from the beginning when the Shepherd plants the seed of love into Much-Afraid's heart, through the middle where Much-Afraid learns the basics of love, to the end where true Godly love blossoms in Much-Afraid's heart.



Biblical imagery is woven throughout the book and several times quotes from Scripture are integrated seamlessly into the dialogue. The whole time I was reading the story, I couldn't help but think of stories like the Exodus from Egypt, the binding of Isaac, and Psalm 23.

Reading through Much-Afraid's journey, I found several lessons that I could apply to my own life. One example is to accept everything God sends our way with joy--even if He takes us through the furnace of Egypt. Probably the biggest lesson I got from this book, however, is that our Shepherd is leading us to help us grow and become more like Him. No matter what the cost, I must choose to always follow Him. This book has been an encouragement to me as I seek after my God and His ways--I would definitely recommend it to you.