A Christy Award-winning novel chronicling the forbidden romance between Martin Luther and his wife, Katharina von Bora, set against the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. She was a nun of noble birth. He was a heretic, a reformer, and an outlaw of the Holy Roman Empire. In the 16th century, nun Katharina von Bora’s fate fell no further than the Abbey. Until she read the writings of … than the Abbey. Until she read the writings of Martin Luther. His sweeping Catholic church reformation—condemning a cloistered life and promoting the goodness of marriage—awakened her desire for everything she’d been forbidden. Including Martin Luther himself.
Despite the fact that the attraction and tension between them is undeniable, Luther holds fast to his convictions and remains isolated, refusing to risk anyone’s life but his own. And Katharina longs for love, but is strong-willed. She clings proudly to her class distinction, pining for nobility over the heart of a reformer. They couldn’t be more different.
But as the world comes tumbling down around them, and with Luther’s threatened life a constant strain, these unlikely allies forge an unexpected bond of understanding, support and love. Together, they will alter the religious landscape forever.
– Christy Award: Historical Romance Fiction Winner
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sI’ve been curious about the marriage of Martin Luther, a former monk, and Katarina, a former nun so when I saw this book and written by Jody, I downloaded it!
The story did not disappoint as far as getting the straight history about this unusual couple. The characterization of both spouses was excellent–strengths, flaws and fascinating people. I’ve always been impressed by a lowly monk taking on the most powerful man in the world at the time, the pope. And yet Luther’s strength come from his faith in God and the power of his own spirit. He suffered from many ailments that might have sidelined a less faith-filled or intense character. The history of the time was portrayed in all its horror. I think that most 21st century people have no idea what life was like 500+ years ago. Yet the same struggles such as trying to figure out who to marry and why and reconciling with parents who don’t understand the path a child has taken are the same. Well done, Ms. Hedlund.
This book is worth reading on so many levels. It’s a beautiful – if tempestuous – romance. It’s chocked full of good history. The setting is wonderfully done. And the characters are real, not only in that they are historical characters, but they have all the faults and foibles of real people. Jody Hedlund didn’t whitewash them into larger-than-life caricatures.
This isn’t a book about the Reformation. It’s a book about Martin Luther – the man – and Katharina von Bora – the woman. It’s their story from the time Katharina escaped the convent (I didn’t realize what an ordeal that was) until they finally come together. They face danger, hunger, betrayal, disappointments, and all sorts of unpleasant things along the way.
Read it.
I really enjoyed this book. It gave some great background factual information and made some interesting plot lines. The book kept me reading! It was a great read.
The author used a story telling method to describe he beginnings of the Protestant Reformation through the eyes of Martin and Katharina Luther. the historical foundation was good and was plausible to those familiar with the Reformation. There was enough romance and intrigue to hold my attention even though I already knew the outcome.
Excellent perspective and interesting details about two important historical characters. Well sortent.
Setting: Germany
Time Period: 1523
When I picked up “Luther and Katharina: A Novel of Love and Rebellion” by Jody Hedlund, I knew nothing about the life of Martin Luther. Oh yeah, I knew he nailed his thesis to the door and left the Catholic Church to preach “the just shall live by faith,” but any other details about his life and ministry were alien to me. In fact, before this book, I never even knew he had a wife. (Maybe I shouldn’t admit that! LOL!) So, knowing the author had a talent for taking real stories and retelling them through fiction, I dove in. (I’ve also read “The Preacher’s Bride,” which is loosely based off of the story of John Bunyan and his wife. Great book, btw!)
I was surprised to learn that Martin Luther had some very eccentric ways and was sickly a lot of times. I also didn’t know that the church had tried to assassinate him several times! Yet, for all the heroic deeds we applaud Luther of, there were many times I thought, wow, he’s a real jerk, and had to remind myself that no one is perfect. Then there was Katharina – both brave and gullible, I grew to love the role she played in rescuing fellow nuns and supporting Luther through very rough times. But the thing that amazed me the most was when I reached the “Author’s Note” in the back and found out that most of the novel had been built around facts that were true about the couple and what they did. It was almost like reading a biographical novel!
Conclusion: I really enjoyed this book! It taught me a lot about church history and the people who supported Luther and of course, those who were against him. The author did a great job with the characters and setting, something that I always pay attention to when reading. No one can accuse these characters of being less than multi-dimensional! I also appreciated that the author tried to keep their story as true to fact as she could – something I’m sure wasn’t easy, but very neat. After reading this book, I would love to learn even more about these two people who changed church history forever!
Excellent fictionalized story of Martin Luther and his wife.
This book taught me very much about the period, political and social struggles and values people had, how they lived, and the history involving the characters. I loved the characters, and the way they interacted.
Luther and Katharina is a fictional account of the heroic couple who helped change the world of faith. Martin Luther is the monk who was trying to weed out corruption in the Catholic Church, and ended up leading the Reformation. Katharina is his equally strong and brave wife. Every Protestant owes them a lot. This book does a good job of bringing the couple to life, making them three-dimensional. This was all a nice surprise for me! I have spent much of my life in Reformed churches, and have studied Luther in several classes. Yet I NEVER knew he even had a wife! I had never given a lot of thought to how life-changing and liberating the Reformation was to people’s everyday lives. I was moved by what Katharina thought about personal prayers and the amazing thought that she might have a personal, one-on-one relationship with God: «She’d once prayed the traditional prayers with such confidence. But their power seemed to be slipping from her fingers….What if she talked to God without a traditional prayer, the way the pastor did each Sunday? Would God hear her?» I appreciated the last chapter, about fact vs. fiction, and was thankful that the author stayed so true to the Luthers’ history.
What a treat this book will be, for those interested in ancient church history or the Reformed faiths. It would make a good movie, though I doubt Hollywood would buy it. Perhaps one of the Christian film companies would be interested.
Since the age of five, Katharina von Bora has spent her life within the walls of a convent. In an act of daring, she, along with several other nuns, seek refuge with Martin Luther for both protection and his help in finding a husband of noble birth. As tensions among the classes and religious faction escalate to a dangerous degree, Martin Luther knows that each day could be his last, and he vows he will never marry. With the bloody peasant war looming, will proud Katharina and stubborn Martin unite as one, not just in the name of religious persecution, but in the name of love as well?
It goes without saying that I am always excited to read a Jody Hedlund novel. She is one of my favorite Christian fiction authors, and a go-to for me when I want to read a story full of history and romance. Her same trademark detail and romantic moments are here, yet there is something about this story that captivated me in a way that some of Hedlund’s previous novels did not. The plot is engrossing; once I started this story, it wasn’t one I could easily sit down for a long period of time. The heightened tension of that time in history is very evident throughout the story’s entirety.
The historical detail is exquisite. I loved the details about customs at the time, especially regarding betrothal and marriage. What seems strange now was quite commonplace then, and while it sort of jarred my modern sensibilities, I found it all fascinating. The ruthlessness of the times is very evident within this story as well; perhaps this, more than anything, sets this novel apart from her previous ones. There is a gritty nature to this story that drew me in from the start. It completely fits within the story’s context; the Reformation was a dangerous time, especially for Martin Luther and anyone who supported him. Jody doesn’t hesitate to portray these dangers accurately, and while some of the events that take place are heart-wrenching, they always feel realistic and true to the story. The world in general was a rougher, more precarious place, and it is especially so for these characters, who fly in the face of persecution for the Reformation.
Though Jody focused more heavily on the historical aspect of the story, fans of her romance, don’t fear. The romance between Luther and Katharina is passionate, based on both physical and emotional attraction, but they also challenged each other mentally and intellectually. I was actually surprised at the amount of romance in the story because for some reason, I had it in my mind that there would be less when compared to Hedlund’s previous books, but truly there wasn’t. While sometimes Martin and Katharina’s misunderstandings had me smacking my forehead in frustration, overall, I loved their bantering just as much as their stumbling, bumbling journey to love.
As individuals, both characters have nuances and complexity that make them fascinating to get to know. Katharina is a strange mix of humility and pride; humility because of the way she grew up in a convent as a nun, but pride because she remembers her noble birthright. Letting go of her nobility is one of Katharina’s biggest downfalls, and sometimes cause her to make choices that she thinks are the better thing to do. Martin Luther has both internal and external conflict against him; physical ailments hold him back from completing the work that he knows he is called to do, while his many enemies seek his demise. He is often torn between preserving his life in order to continue on with the work of the Reformation and doing the often dangerous, life-threatening tasks that propel it forward. Once these two characters meet, sparks fly, and I was fully engrossed in their interactions both as individuals and as a couple.
Since the story itself revolves around the Reformation, I wasn’t sure how the faith aspect would come across on the individual character level. There was no need to be worried though, because, as I mentioned above, while the Reformation provided the external conflict, their inner conflicts were rich and genuine as well. Martin doubted many times whether making this stand was the right thing to do and despaired when his actions caused harm to others. Katharina’s struggle with allowing God to transform how she saw herself and who she thought she could be is unique to her but also a universal struggle.
Hedlund presents details about the religious conflict in ways that appear organically throughout the story, whether through conversation or through the character’s own thoughts. Though I can’t say I know much about Martin Luther besides what I learned in school or watched on TV (thank you, History Channel!), I never felt lost in the details, nor overwhelmed with too much information. I felt informed while reading, which is always a bonus for me.
Luther and Katharina is definitely one of my favorites of Hedlund’s novels. While I suppose in some ways this was a departure from her previous novels, in that it is a bit heavier in historical detail, the decision to do so was a winning one indeed for this reader. Highly recommended for readers of her previous books and fans of historical fiction, especially stories based on real-life historical figures.
Fascinating history. Gave me a vivid picture of what it must have been like living in that time and circumstances.
Loved it and a world of knowledge and very memorable
Gained insight into the life of a courageous, inspiring original thinker.
I appreciate Author tried to keep this story close to actual facts. It drew me to find out more about Martin Luther and his Christian journey.
I liked how the author was able to entertain the reader and using the historical facts at the same time.
Loved this book. It appears to be based on historical sources of Luther’s life. He was known to be quite earthy and the true to life characterization keeps it interesting.
Great vehicle to make Martin Luther and “Kitty-my-rib” more “knowable.” Luther is a great hero with lasting influence.
Way too short, didn’t get into their life together at all. Very disappointed.
I loved this story of Martin Luther and his wife. I am a big fan of church history and it was the perfect romantic read!
loved this book, enjoyed the rich history of the reformation and the love story.