The River of Grace: The Story of John Calvin

We read a great many books for our homeschool history program. I enjoyed this book and think my 7th grade son will as well, because it is such an easy and pleasant reader. This is a pleasant change from some of the very technical and detailed history books we read. Although it is an easy read, it quite adequately gives a summary of Calvin's life and well expresses many of his beliefs.

My 8 year old read the book in two days lots of great history of the Reformed Faith. Highly recommend it.

I was delighted with this sensitive biography of John Calvin. McPherson writes simply to children, not down to children. She begins in John's childhood, and touches on the events and issues of his life. She shows his thoughts with frequent quotes him from his letters and other writings. This book is a great introduction to the life and heart of a great reformer, and an excellent work.

Like most protestants of my generation (at least the ones that I know), my knowledge of church history is...dismal. Anything that happened between the book of Acts and 1980 is a fuzzy area for me. So although The River of Grace: The Story of John Calvin is written for young readers, I still learned a lot. The River of Grace traces Calvin's life from his boyhood to his death in Geneva in 1564, from his early studies for the Catholic priesthood to his conversion and his eventual leadership in the Reformation. Calvin's beliefs and his objections to Catholicism are incorporated into the story but not belabored. I'm sure this was to keep younger readers from getting bogged down. Readers will still walk away with a better understanding of the peril Calvin and his friends were under in their work to teach and make the Scriptures available to the people. Learning about church history gives me a greater appreciation for the sacrifices that have been made by others to advance the Kingdom of God. My faith is strengthened as I am reminded to never take my freedom to worship for granted.

After reading two of Joyce McPherson's other books, I knew I was in for a treat when I picked up River of Grace, the biography of John Calvin. While the language is easily understandable for a child, it holds the interest of the adult. I have even seen my husband, who rarely picks up a book, reading this one. John Calvin is famous as a theologian, but I found out lots of things that I didn't know about him. It made his life come alive for me.