Jonathan and Sarah: An Uncommon Union

by Edna Gerstner

Book by Gerstner, Edna

Genres: Biography, History, Christian, Church History, Nonfiction

242 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1997

Reviews

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards has all the makings of a good novel. And, that's just what Edna Gerstner wrote- an exciting biofic about one of history's most famous Puritan and Colonial Era couples.

The novel is told from the perspective of their son, Jonathan, Jr. Its a frame-style story in that it begins with an adult Jonathan, Jr, having experienced a terrible personal loss. He is grieving and his grief takes him back in his memories of growing up on the Colonial frontier in Stockbridge, MA, where his parents are now missionaries to the Houssatonnuck tribe and also a couple bands of Iroquois tribes of Oneida and Mohawk.

After being the pastor of the largest church in New England, Jonathan Edwards' was relieved of his pulpit due to family conflict and his stance about the Half-Way Covenant. He and his wife could have grown angry and embittered especially as they ran up against the same problem where they ended up, but instead, they were happy in the circumstances God placed them. Edwards, Sarah, and eight of their children moved to the frontier and happily took up this new ministry in Stockbridge.

In Stockbridge, Edwards had his most prolific writing period, but also the family faced the most excitement, changes, and turmoil. Young Jonathan grew up not just along side the Houssatonnuck and Mohawk his father was ministering to, but he spoke the languages and lived with them so that he was accepted as part of the tribes and could bridge the gap between the races.

I've read a couple biographies about Jonathan and Sarah Edwards so I knew the storyline and some of the details, but Edna Gerstner's writing style and implementation of journal entries from both parents and family members really filled in the story particularly from the children's perspective, especially Jonathan.

The novel covers the eight year time period the family lives in Stockbridge, but also sets the foundation with mentions of what came before and an epilogue of what came after. There is a meandering story style describing the tribal situation, the residents both British and native, and how historical time period events played a role in this part of the Edwards' family life. There are descriptions of a home on the colonial frontier and ministry, but also details on the individual members of the family including the couple of family slaves that came with them and some of the guests especially men who came acourting. The parenting efforts of Jonathan and Sarah and how the lives of the children turned out seemed to be the focus. Though, that said, I enjoyed a few brief scenes showing the loving partnership Jonathan and Sarah shared and their sharing in the ministry.

Historical detail and explanations accompanied the activities, but there were also several moments that were direct quotes so that the person's thoughts on each part of the story gave it the feeling of reality rather than fictional novel. God's guidance and direction are at the heart of all this family did and it showed up especially when they faced many tragedies.

I enjoyed this poignant, heartwarming look into the Colonial family life of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards and their family.

[Leah Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Loved every page of this book. A very accessible and easy read, including the social and emotional sides of their lives whilst also giving a good overview of the history and political goings on of the time. I learned so much from this!

[Jen Vanderwey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread this to teach my middle-school worldview class. It is a lovely read. I love them.

[Jenny Ilderton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give it 3 stars for the writing but 4 for the content. A very intriguing book about the last years of Jonathan Edwards’ life in Stockbridge. It’s not at all directly about Jonathan and Sarah’s marriage, so the title is misleading. Nonetheless, it was fascinating to read about frontier life at this time, relationships within the family and with the Native Americans who made up part of their church community. Another thing that bothered me was that there are no sources cited (except for occasional quote or general reference from a journal or letter) nor was there a bibliography which is surprising even if she considered this a novel—but I guess it was written in the 1960s and published at a later date. Still, the book kept me interested and I would like to learn more.

[Tania Bingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an engaging middle grade level book that your kids as well as yourself will enjoy. I learned a lot about Jonathan Edward’s and his family. I didn’t know he was a missionary to Native Americans! I would have given this book 3 1/2 stars if I had the option. The reason for a lower rating is because of the organization of the book. It is roughly divided into 2 parts, the first part more about Jonathan and Sarah and events, the second part more about his family and who his children married. Because of this, the chronology is a bit hard to follow at times. Some of the chapters seem disconnected chronologically. But overall it was a good read and one I’ll give to my kids to read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard book to review. It isn’t what I was expecting. It wasn’t a dry, boring biography as some are but drew me in from the first couple of pages. However, it was a bit of a meandering journey, not strictly chronological or linear but more like a butterfly flitting from flower to flower without much rhyme or reason cross the garden of the book. This made it hard to follow and a little confusing at times. However, all in all, it was an enjoyable and edifying read.

[Shawn Durham · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love reading about J. Edwards, which upsets me to give this 1 star. But this book was absolutely horrible (I actually didn’t finish it).

If you want to read a good book/bio on Edwards, read both bios by George Marsden.

This book seemed to be random facts, not an actual story.

Also, I was bothered by a lack of citation.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The very scattered feel of this book is outweighed by very moving writing in the parts where they matter, those moments of great joy and sorrow, of God's "smiles" and "frowns". Harriet Beecher Stowe's quote about the "vinegar of life" very fittingly sandwiches the text.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the stories and quotes, as it gave me a more well-rounded view of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards. 2 of 5 stars due to poor writing quality and lack of citations and sources. The information presented was fascinating, and the stories/facts presented are familiar, but the lack of support was disappointing - especially since the majority of the information could have been sourced. Perhaps this book wasn't intended to be scholarly in nature, but it would have been a big asset to credibility.

[Susanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book was not well written and I skim-read large parts of it, I'm really glad I read it as I learned a lot about the Jonathan Edwards family and the legacy they left. The last couple chapters talked a lot about how they dealt with a rapid succession of deaths in the family and it was very convicting and inspiring to see their godly response.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing style was a little difficult...more like a collection of facts with random dialogue thrown in than a biography. Certainly not written like her novel Idellete. But the information about the Edwards was fascinating and worth the read.

[Winnie Thornton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while, but I remember liking this when I was 15.