Hind's Feet on High Places - Book Review

Author: Hannah Hurnard

First Published: 1955

Genre: Christian Allegory

For Ages: 12+

Mature Content: None, aside from bullying.

Questionable Language: Nothing!

God-glorifyingness: 10/10!

Ease of Reading: 6 1/2/10

Overall Rating: 9/10

Ok, so my first ever book review! Wait - make that my first successful book review. My last one did an automatic self-destruct just as I was about to publish it. But maybe that was God; perhaps the book I was reviewing was more about what I specifically enjoy than what most others would be blessed by. What I really needed was a God-centered and widely enjoyable piece of literature - and in my humble opinion, this one fits the bill.

But let me just start by saying that it's in my Top 10 all-time best ever books list. And that's mainly because I found that it spoke to my heart and described my own specific struggles in life. So, if you do read this book, find it boring, and wonder why I wrote so fondly about it, I apologise. Maybe this book's beauty is in the interpretation - in which case it isn't for everyone. But, unless your name is Everyone, I have a pretty good idea you might just like it - many have!

Hinds Feet On High Places is an allegory. I guess you could compare it to Pilgrim's Progress, except 1) it describes the life journey of someone already saved, 2) the main character is a young lady, and 3) the end goal of her travels is a closer walk with the Shepherd (hint hint), not getting to Heaven.

Much-Afraid is a young shepherdess who lives in the Valley of Humiliation. Although working for the Chief Shepherd is her joy, she is sadly held back by three things: her lame foot and twisted mouth, living with her relatives the Fearings, and her timid and frightened nature.

When the Shepherd plants a painful yet breathtakingly lovely seed in her heart, she embarks on a journey that takes her far further than her lonely life could have imagined - into the High Places beyond...

So, without spoiling anything, that's the plot condensed. I may add that she meets Sorrow and Suffering, two mysterious yet beautiful women, builds altars, tries her hand at climbing impassable crevasses, goes through places like The Shores of Loneliness and The Place of Anointing, and is humbled by the flower Acceptance-with-joy.

Hind's Feet On High Places has encouraged me, brought me to tears, and lifted me up from my fears to more trusting places. To the best of my knowledge, it is pretty theologically sound and seems to glorify Jesus as he is. Although perhaps it might be a little works based? I read here (in the comments of the page) that there were some issues biblically with the book... but although they were worth pointing out, I don't think they were enough to make me reconsider reading the book. The main ones that this lady raised (and I agree with her) was perhaps that the Shepherd says to Much Afraid that"when the plant of Love is ready to bloom in your heart and when you are ready to change your name, then you will be loved in return."

In the book, Much Afraid was already a servant of the Shepherd, (i.e., she was already saved.)

Doesn't Jesus love us with an everlasting love from beginning to end of our Christian walk? There are no conditions of Jesus' love - although I do agree that he reveals himself more and more to us over the course of our lifetimes. So, I don't think this paragraph is theologically sound - there are no tasks to do or conditions on Jesus' love to us.

Also - important point! Hannah Hurnard, the author, while she wrote beautiful books (well, most of them...), DID get some strange and unbiblical theology towards the end of her life. Apparently, at the end, she believed in pantheism, thought that God taught veganism, and was into the New Age. Again, see here for more info. (Same link as last time!)

Thankfully, these un-Christian teachings don't show through in Hind's Feet On High Places.

Schulyer M., who wrote the review I have already linked twice, said that "Hinds' Feet on High Places holds much useful Biblical truth, and I hear from several sources that its sequel, Mountain of Spices, is theologically sound as well, though I would have to check it out to be completely sure. But do avoid Eagles' Wings to the Higher Places, as that book contains much of the faulty thought she embraced later in life."

So. To summarise: Hinds Feet On High Places is a wonderful book that many (especially me!) have drawn great encouragement from. It's well-written and has a good storyline - but the main focus is encouraging Christians out of their fears and into a more perfect knowledge of their Shepherd and "the lover of their souls."