George Whitefield: The Voice that Woke the World

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 "...I am not sorry I’ve been poor, or despised, cast-out, and now am almost a worn-out itinerant. I would do it all again, if I had my choice.”

George Whitefield was extremely passionate about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone who would listen. With his loud and powerful voice he preached to huge crowds of people all over the American colonies and Great Britain as often as he could. His preaching was always a priority over sleep, eating, safety and even his health because his view was that "the whole world  is now [his] parish".

Author, Lucille Travis has done a wonderful job of chronicling the life of this itinerant preacher in her book, George Whitefield: The Voice that Woke the World. Beginning with his childhood and schooling, she explains his conversion experience in which the gospel message is made very clear. Her description of Whitefield's realization that salvation is not by good works but only through trust in Jesus is very powerful.

Travis continues the story with Whitefield's ministry in England, his missionary journeys to the American colonies and the establishment of the Bethesda Orphanage in Georgia. During his life, Whitefield faced many trials, such as religious persecution, helping orphans, and opposing slavery. The author carefully addresses these conflicts and mature topics with honesty and at a level that is appropriate for the elementary-aged audience.

This is a great resource for homeschool families or for further study in American History. I was greatly disappointed in the attention given to Whitefield in my daughter's 5th grade American History class last year. I would love to have her read this book to truly understand the impact George Whitefield had on his generation. This book is perfect for a 3rd-5th grader to read independently or to read out loud to younger children. There are also discussion/review questions at the end of the book. I also appreciate that in the "Author's Note", Travis states that direct quotes from Whitefield are in italics and that certain characters, conversations and situations were fictional for the purpose of clearly communicating the story.

*Please note: I received this book free from Christian Focus 4 Kids as part of their Trailblazers Book Review Extravaganza. The opinions I have expressed are my own.