25 Surprising Marriages : Faith-Building Stories from the Lives of Famous Christians Book

This book reveals that the marriages of many Christian leaders were anything but dull. In fact, the dynamic personalities of great leaders, mixed with the difficult circumstances and sacrifices of their vocations, made for many surprises along the marital journey. Writing in an entertaining narrative style, Petersen describes the quiet strength of Polly Newton, Emma Moody, and Susie Spurgeon, long-suffering women who helped refine their "diamond-in-the-rough" husbands. He recounts the "storybook romance" that was William and Mary Bryan's marriage and the mutual admiration society of Billy and Nell Sunday. But Petersen also sheds light on unions that were far from blissful, including those of authors Hannah Whitall Smith and Grace Livingston Hill. Whether the marriages in these pages were solid or shaky, they all hold valuable lessons for dealing with universal issues such as financial worries, temptation, separation, and personality differences.