Review of “Christy” by Catherine Marshall

I have so many thoughts on this book! I actually finished it a couple months ago, but I needed time to process everything that happened in the story, and the holiday season put a hold on writing. The story itself takes up a lot of space in the imagination, but there’s a spiritual depth to it when you slow down and really digest what the characters are going through.

“Christy” by Catherine Marshall reads slightly like a biography since it is based on Marshall’s mother’s early life as a teacher; but it can also be included in the historical fiction genre since some events are historically accurate yet dramatized for the story. It is also a coming-of-age story with some romance, but most often the book reads like a lengthy descriptive essay, focusing less on Christy’s emotions and more on her actions and the actions of those around her and their effects on the community.

The story follows nineteen-year-old Christy Huddleston when she chooses to travel from her home in Asheville, North Carolina deep into the Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. After being inspired by a visiting speaker at her church, Christy volunteers to travel to the impoverished community of Cutter Gap to become the new school teacher. Although she doesn’t have any teaching experience, Christy’s desire to be a part of something larger than herself gives her the confidence to teach the children what she knows. Along the way, Christy discovers you don’t always need to do something big to have an impact on those around you–often it’s the seemingly insignificant, unnoticed actions that bring about the most good. She also realizes the importance of developing a personal relationship with the Almighty Creator, and not basing her faith on what others say or believe but what God reveals to her through His Word. As Christy discovers, it’s usually the unfavorable and heart-wrenching difficulties that bring us closest to God.

My rating for this book is ☕☕☕☕/5 coffees. I would have rated it 5/5 but there were some elements to the book that weren’t to my liking, such as a couple instances when Catherine Marshall gave too intimate of details that didn’t contribute to the story.

This book was so great! I didn’t realize it had such a history, too. Many of its readers over the years have been inspired to become teachers after finishing this novel. It also challenged me to take a look at myself and ask God to point out areas of my life that need improvement. An example for me is trusting Him more even in the simple, everyday things. Not only that, but it’s easy to become complacent when your normal routine doesn’t change much from day to day. But every day we should be thankful for the time God blesses us with and push ourselves daily to trust Him with everything. I can’t remember if I heard this from my mom or someone else, but I always tell people (and remind myself) to do your best and trust God for the rest.

I hope this post finds you healthy and well, but if you’re struggling right now, just know that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” Romans 8:28 KJV. So if you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior and asked Him to forgive you of all your sins, I pray you will do so now. Then all the promises of the Bible can be yours!

Praying you have a safe and happy New Years Eve, and a blessed 2022! Happy reading!