An engaging, easy-going read. Sometimes this is exactly what is called for, a book into which one can escape, and which does not make too many demands. It was satisfying, although I admittedly found the first half more captivating than the last, where I had to fight the urge to skim. ( )

"Loving Luther" by Allison Pittman is a captivating read about the woman behind (or should I say "next to") Martin Luther. The book is told from Katharina von Bora's perspective--the woman who eventually becomes the wife of the great Martin Luther (the author of the famous 95 Theses). But Katherina's tale is a little known, but fascinating story all in itself. This book is about this smart and witty woman and what her life is like leading up to her marriage to Luther. It starts from her girlhood in a convent and takes the reader on a journey of faith and growth alongside Katharina. Katharina is captivated by Luther's words and ideas and escapes a convent due to Luther's writings and influence. Katharina has to then go through her own journey to find her place in life as an unmarried woman without family to support her. She develops a relationship and friendship with Luther, but it is many years until she comes to realize that she has feelings for this man. Will he return her feelings?

Allison Pittman's writing and storytelling ability in "Loving Luther" are superb! She draws the reader right into the story. I experienced many feelings while reading Katharina's story, from humor when reading the scenes of her as a girl interacting with her friends in the convent to fury as I read of the way she is treated by a superior (although not all her superiors in the convent were portrayed as evil). I rejoiced along with Katharina and the other nuns as they realized the truths of the Gospel through Martin Luther's writings.

I enjoy the fact that Ms. Pittman starts the story from Katharina's girlhood and made it more Katharina's life story--not just a romance. Ms. Pittman did an amazing time transporting the reader back to the time of the Reformation. Katharina is a well written character and I love seeing the hunger she develops for God's Words, but also her struggles as she has to break free from the only life she has known. The witty exchanges between Katharina and Luther make me smile and it's a great relationship that slowly builds throughout the story. This is one of those books where you get to know the characters so well that you don't want to leave them at the end of it all. I still can't stop thinking about this beautifully written story.

Content: When Katharina is in the convent, there is a scene where she is physically abused by a priest. There is mention of a girl's mother being a prostitute and how men would try to do things to the young girl. A character curses once, but the curse isn't actually written. Both Katharina and Luther get drunk. There are a few jokes and references to the marriage bed.

Rating: I give this book 5 stars!

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction; Medieval; Romance

I want to thank Allison Pittman and Tyndale Blog Network for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255. ( )

As a young woman who's been raised in a convent, Katharina von Bora takes her vows to become a nun for practical reasons. But she desires something more for her future as she begins reading the words of an excommunicated priest: one Martin Luther. Pondering Luther’s teachings about freedom in Christ, Katharina plans a risky escape from her cloistered life in Loving Luther, a novel by author Allison Pittman.

Now, this love story isn’t a romance, as much of the novel is (wisely) given to painting a picture of Katharina’s years in the convent and her thoughts and questions about Christian life, with no love interest around. Neither is this a novel about the Protestant Reformation, as although it’s the obvious backdrop for Luther’s character, the ins and outs of the reformation aren’t the novel’s focus.

Rather, this is the compelling story of a woman who loves God, longs for liberty, and faces a challenging life outside the convent walls. There’s a richness to Katharina’s character and experience. She’s flawed, unpredictable, and doesn’t always know how to feel in new situations.

It would’ve been easy to spring for too much drama and overdone characters during such a tumultuous period in history. But instead, this novel’s style is nuanced, with emotion that isn’t flashy but runs deep. Now, I agonized through some of the waiting I had to endure during the reading. And after all of that agony, I was somewhat dissatisfied with where and how the story ends.

Nevertheless, this is a substantive, poignant, beautiful read. I’d highly recommend it to fans of historical ChristFic—especially those who are already familiar with Katharina and Luther and who’d be interested in a different approach to their love story.
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Tyndale House provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review. ( )