He was like Samson, a man one convinced of his own strength now humbled by his weakness and trapped by his enemies. The longer they sailed, the more he felt as though he was in chains again.

Amazing Grace: The Life of John Newton and the Surprising Story Behind His Song

Overview

I’m a sucker for historical fiction—and when I heard about a novel detailing the life of the author of “Amazing Grace,” I had to pick it up. It’s not a pretty tale, but to see Newton’s struggle through the consequences of his choices and the realities of a fallen world, it really hit home how much we have in common. I expected to see a huge gulf between me and Newton. Like he had somehow been closer to God or more of a Christian. But I was absolutely off the mark. For a biography, this sits at an overall 5 out of 5 stars.

Ratings

Story: 5/5

Worldview: 5/5

The Simplicity of Surrender

There isn’t much to say on plot, since a person’s life isn’t cut and edited for the sake of a better story, but Newton’s life definitely reads like a novel. He hits the same lows, falling into worse traps every time… but how often has that been me? It may not make for “good fiction” to stumble over the same stone, but the people of Israel went around a mountain for 40 years and God still had grace enough to lead them into the promised land!

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how hard we try to be saintly, or how motivated we may be at first to follow the law. Newton’s encounter with Jesus was rooted in a simple, universal sentiment that is open to all: surrender. Newton vowed to serve God many times but never fully grasped what it meant to surrender. To allow God to set the course, stir the wind in the sails, and carry the ship even through the most despairing storms.

This novel is a great testament of God’s undeserved grace. I highly recommend checking it out if you want to know the real weight on the heart of the man who wrote, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.”

Book Info

Amazing Grace: The Life of John Newton and the Surprising Story Behind His Song

Authors: Bruce Hindmarsh and Craig Borlase

Genre: History, Biography, Christian