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When I saw that Ray Rhodes Jr. had written a book about Susannah Spurgeon, I jumped at the opportunity to join the launch team. I honestly didn’t know anything about the life of Susie other than that she was adored by her husband Charles and she loved the Lord. I was excited to learn about the wife of the famous “prince of preachers” and Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon Wife of Charles H. Spurgeon, truly exceeded my expectations. Susie is the only book of its kind that gives a truly comprehensive look at Susie’s life. I was encouraged to learn about how Susie was a woman who strove to put Christ first in every area of her life. My heart was also blessed to learn about how she cared for her husband who was a famous pastor with a very demanding schedule. Although Susie missed Charles as he had to travel often, she really wanted to place his needs above her own and support him however she could. This was a good reminder for me to adopt the same attitude in my own marriage. It was truly sweet to read about the love Charles and Susie had for one another and I enjoyed seeing many commonalities between their love story and my own.
A theme that really struck a chord with me in reading about Susie’s life is the idea of legacy. Throughout the book, there are multiple examples of Susie remaining faithful to the Lord even when her circumstances were discouraging. One of my favorite lines in the book about Susie’s legacy is, “She loved her husband. She loved Jesus. And she had served God faithfully,” (pg. 28). Upon reading that line I went back and re-read it at least three times and was so greatly encouraged. I hope that the same can be said about me when I enter into glory.
Other aspects of Susie’s legacy that encouraged my heart are how well she loved and served her husband, the impact she had in training her sons in the ways of the Lord, and her continued faithfulness to love and serve others even after her husband died. These are really great aspects of Susie’s character and they ultimately point to her deep love of Jesus.
In addition to the information about Susie’s life are the comprehensive resources included in the book. Susie begins with a timeline of Susie’s life which was helpful for someone like me who had no previous background info. There is also a section in the middle of the book that contains photos of Charles and Susie along with photos of places they’ve been and letters they’ve written. Reading Susie was a pure joy and encouragement to my heart and I give it my highest recommendation. It isn’t too often that emphasis is placed on women who have been foundational in church history and I’m so thankful for the time and diligence Ray invested in this remarkable work. I received Susie compliments of Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
