Mrs. Oswald Chambers ~ Book Review

Mrs. Oswald Chambers

By: Michelle Ule

About the Book:

Among Christian devotional works, My Utmost for His Highest stands head and shoulders above the rest, with more than 13 million copies sold. But most readers have no idea that Oswald Chambers' most famous work was not published until ten years after his death. The remarkable person behind its compilation and publication was his wife, Biddy.

Bestselling novelist Michelle Ule brings Biddy's story to life as she traces her from her upbringing in Victorian England to her experiences in a WWI YMCA camp in Egypt to her return to post-war Britain, a destitute widow with a toddler in tow. Refusing personal payment, Biddy published thirty books with her husband's name on the covers, all while raising a child alone, providing hospitality to a never-ending stream of visitors and missionaries, and nearly losing everything in the London Blitz during WWII.

This inspiring story of a devoted woman ahead of her time will quickly become a favorite of anyone who loves true stories of overcoming incredible odds, making a life out of nothing, and serving God's kingdom.

My Review:

Before reading this book, I didn't know anything about Oswald or his wife, Gertrude. She was always called "Biddy", which was the nickname Oswald gave to her. (The nickname was first "Beloved Disciple", then it was shortened to "B.D.", then became "Biddy.") I felt like the author did a very thorough job of researching and providing facts in a somewhat story-like manner. I learned so much about the Chambers-they were a family who had given themselves wholly to God and were devoted to living a life to the extreme for the King. Biddy was an expert in shorthand and each time her husband spoke, she would write down everything he said in shorthand. She filled countless notebooks with his sermons and teachings. From those, she compiled many books, including My Utmost for His Highest. Something interesting I learned about the Oswalds is that they lived in Egypt for many years, ministering and sharing the gospel to soldiers and the natives. They also became close friends of Samuel and Amy Zwemer, missionaries to the Muslims. This was an excellent book, one I'd recommend to most anyone.

I received this book from Baker Books in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase the book here.