Fanny Crosby

Fanny Jane Crosby (1820-1915), needs no introduction to most people as far as her hymnwriting is concerned. Her best hymns, "Blessed Assurance," "To God Be the Glory," "Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross," "I Am Thine, O Lord," "He Hideth My Soul," and many others, are among the greatest gospel songs ever written, and have a place in the "memory banks" of most people raised in any sort of church environment. However, the greatness of some of her lyrics has obscured the equally extraordinary life of a woman who, for many of her almost 95 years on this planet, was known as the "Methodist Saint." Ruffin's contribution to the "Heroes of the Faith" series does much, but not enough, to bring the amazing life of this lost saint to the attention of a modern audience. Blind from the age of six weeks as a result of gross medical malpractice, fatherless from the age of ten months, and trapped in an unhappy marriage for much of her adult life, "Aunt Fanny" nevertheless rose above afflictions which would have incapacitated many people to give the world some of its most inspiring songs of the Christian faith. In this day when many modern religious lyricists have grown wealthy from their works, it is an astounding revelation to know that Crosby wrote most of her hymns for a few dollars each, and never retained the rights to any of them. Not only that, until she became too old to care for herself, Fanny lived in the Bowery, which was then, as now, one of the worst sections of New York City, and daily spent her time and the little money she had giving aid to some of the most needy segments of her day's society. This book fills a needed gap by giving us a great deal of inspirational material concerning Crosby's ministerial activities (among other things, she became one of the few popular female evangelists of her day), but more should be done to relate the life of this amazing, yet little-known, woman to the songs she wrote that have inspired countless Christians for over a century. A more complete listing of all her important hymns would also be helpful. Nevertheless, this is certainly the best book on Crosby in print today, and I would sincerely recommend it to anyone who wishes to rediscover the wonderful life of this lost saint.

Not long after her birth in 1820, Fanny Crosby was blinded by the improper treatment of an eye infection by a supposed doctor. Yet despite the distress this caused her family, little did they suspect the paths which this disability would lead their remarkable child down. Fanny Crosby would surpass her obstacle of blindness and become a prolific poet and a compassionate servant of the Gospel of Jesus. From her early schooling in a newly established school for the blind she amazed people all around her with her surprising knack for writing poems, earning her fame and the nickname "The Blind Poetess." A devout Christian throughout her life, she eventually put her poetic talent toward hymn writing. Throughout her life she composed over 9,000 hymns, although as the author points out, due to this massive output, many of the lyrics were of lower quality and sentimental. Nonetheless, many of her better hymns were very popular in the churches of that day, and reportedly many of them led to the conversions of people who were touched by their message. I would have enjoyed it if the author had included more of the hymn lyrics in the book, as I am unfamiliar with most of the hymns mentioned. Of the ones included some did seem a little "fluffy" and overly sentimental, yet she still had a great impact on many people both through her hymn-writing and her caring and generous behavior. Altogether it was a pretty interesting look into the life of a Christian woman who overcame her physical limitations to be a shining witness of the Gospel.

In the work the author takes the reader through the life of Aunt Fanny. He talks about the Puritan town she grew up in, and her first poem at 8 when she talks about the blessing of being blind. The Author gives great background into the many people that shaped her life, and the lifes that she touched. It is amazing to know that the author found her 204 pen names, and many of her 9,000 hymns. A great work about the Amazing Faith of a Sweet Little Woman. I suggest this as reading for any Christian, Musician, Poet or Teacher.