I was given this hardback book for Christmas and I devoured it! It is a republishing of the original work from the 1970s and is a well-researched and honest account of the life and work of Gladys Aylward. If you know anything about Gladys, it is probably through Allan Burgess’ book The Small Woman or the film based on that book The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (which Gladys hated). Phyllis Thompson sets the record straight.
With the world’s eyes turned on China due to the outbreak of coronavirus, this is a well-timed reminder of what God has been doing through the history of that country. The book reads like a novel and is a ‘warts and all’ approach to this heroine of the faith.
The book is a challenge, showing what God can do through someone totally dedicated to him. Gladys wouldn’t get through the selection process of many, if any, modern missionary societies, being just a poorly educated house servant with nothing to commend her except a sense of call and a strong faith in what God could do. Read it to challenge your own faith.
