Florence Young: Mission Accomplished

Christian Heroes: Then & Now #23

by Janet Benge, Geoff Benge

New Zealander Florence Young (1856 1940) rose to her calling and became a fearless and faithful witness for Jesus Christ in the remote and dangerous Solomon Islands and in China during the deadly Boxer Rebellion.

Genres: Biography, Christian, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Christianity, Religion

183 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2005

About the author

Janet and Geoff Benge are a husband and wife writing team with twenty years of writing experience. They are best known for the books in the two series Christian Heroes: Then & Now series and Heroes of History. Janet is a former elementary school teacher. Geoff holds a degree in history. Together they have a passion to make history come alive for a new generation. Originally from New Zealand, the Benges make their home in the Orlando, Florida, area.

Reviews

[Daniel Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A missionary to the dangerous Solomon Islands in the early 1900s. The tribal cannibalism and murder of missionaries was prevalent. But I thought the story was uninteresting and didn’t have a climax.

[Kate Matson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
Florence Young had a calling to be a missionary. With a lot of loss in her life, and many trials, that calling came to be.
What I liked:
Normally when I'm reading nonfiction, it just states facts kind of like bullet notes. The thing about this book, is that it was told more in the form of a story. That's what really pulled it together. Also, I love her life story. It is so encouraging, and it shows you how Florence got through such rough times stronger than ever. Her faith in God is amazing. RIP Florence Young.
What I didn't like:
Even though it's a biography, I feel like subjects fly by fast. I think that if stuff was gone over just a wee bit more, then it would have been a little better. Although, I do really like the fact that it's a short book and can be read in one sitting. That makes my confidence in reading even higher!
Overall:
I would most definitely recommend this book. If you're looking for a quick, nice read, look no further.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about this woman and her work with the people of the Islands around Australia

[Carin Hickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story, amazing life, beautiful service. The writing isn’t the best but as geared to middle school is appropriate.

[ClaraBelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually find it easy to read this series but this book was hard to read! First half was boring and monotonous but second half was spellbinding! But I’m glad I read it though!
The good: I loved Florence Young. She was just like me in personality! I was inspired by her faithfulness in being a missionary to the aboriginal people of Australia, New Zealand , and the Solomon Islands!
The not so good: first half=boring, monotonous and annoying due to her dysfunctional parents, illness, constant moving by sailing, and boarding school experience
Rating: 3 out of 10 stars

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve heard a lot of great things about this missionary biography series. I had also heard that this one isn’t the best which I would agree with. We read it anyway because it lined up with our geography study. Florence’s story is inspiring, but the way this book is written is a bit dry. It reads like… Florence went here then she went there then she went somewhere else. There’s also some violence described at the end that I reworded to be less descriptive. I’ll definitely try this series again, but I probably won’t re-read this one.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about energy, sacrifice, leadership--Florence had it all. She really got around for someone living over a 100 years ago. As a child, she was in London, then Australia, back to where she was born in New Zealand, London again for school. She must have had the travel bug. Well, she really had a desire to tell people about Jesus.

When she was up in Queensland, after being in NSW as a younger person, she saw the Kanakas and thought that someone needed to share with them. She started that ministry. Then she went to China. Back in London. Switzerland. I was so impressed with how she'd take those sea voyages as if she was getting on a plane or bus. Often she was sick as were the rest of the passengers. She could have been murdered in China, on the Solomon Islands yet she ended up living to age 80.

It was great to see some of her nieces and nephews following her for work first in Queensland and then in the Solomon Islands. I wonder if that organization still exists today?

So excited that my "I like to look at gravestones" friend Susan in Brisbane has been to her grave site!

[Joanna Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Florence Young grew up in Australia and New Zealand, started a ministry to Pacific Islander indentured laborers. Florence spent some years in China with the China Inland Mission until she fled the Boxer Rebellion. When Australia ended the indentured labor system hundreds of believing Kanakas returned to their homeland in the Solomon Islands, taking the gospel to their people. Florence worked among them for the rest of her life. Florence was quite a woman, however this book really drags at times, has definite colonialist overtones and odd way of transcribing the speech of the Kanaka people. Still an amazing testimony of God’s work in the Pacific Islands.

[Laurie Hetherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book in the Christian Hero’s series. Note: the intended audience is middle school tween/teen. The writing is not Jane Austen or CS Lewis worthy but the story content is fascinating and true.

I had not heard of Florence Young prior to this book. It’s an inspiring life story of the overwhelming good a single young woman can accomplish when she sets her mind to the task.

Florence is courageous and bold, adventurous and strong in the early 1900s when women did not do these things. Apparently she didn’t even know she was “oppressed”, she just prayed and went, irregardless of what society had to say.

[Uncle Alfred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read aloud to my children. I loved this spunky woman who moved into a need and began an amazing ministry that brought 7,000 people to Christ. Because our lives are so much more insulated now, I particularly was touched how constant severe hardships did not discourage her from the work of God. Florence Young was immovable because she knew she served a steadfast, loving God. Her life was spent in obscure beauty.

[Lisa Denford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and interesting. Caution for younger readers that there are some graphic details about the murder of missionaries and some cannibalistic incidents particularly in the last few chapters. If reading aloud I would skip the gorey details and simply state “so and so was killed”

[Becca Harris]

This was a hard-to-get-into story. A lot of details that were probably necessary but it was just not as interesting as some other Christian Hero stories... I used it as a chance to talk about how mission work is not all glamorous adventure. Sometimes it’s just years and years and years of toiling.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting biography of Florence Young for young people. I really enjoyed reading about the Kanakas and particularly how their lives - and then their entire culture (violence, paybacks, cannibalism) changed as a result of the gospel.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so thankful that through Christian Missionaries around the world, much of the cruel practices of different cultures have stopped. We owe a debt to so many who did so much to spread the gospel of peace and love.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about the life of Florence Young, a New Zealand missionary who served in Australia and Oceania. She is best-known for opening the Queensland Kanaka Mission and worked with Kanaka laborers.

The audiobook narrator was Rebecca Gallagher.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

What another Wonder Woman of faith who served the Lord in the Solomon Islands.

[whataboutpadfoot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book!

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such devastating tragedy. Armed with the Word of God, a young woman was able to see the transformation of a nation.

[Adam Balshan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars [Biography]
(W: 2.54, P: 2.76, T: 2.83)
Exact rating: 2.71

[Emilka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did it. I managed to finish this book today.

[Ashleigh Rivers · Rating 2 out of 5]

When read as a read aloud, this book was quite boring. Unfortunate, as her work was so important. It could have been half the length and just as informative.

[Abigail Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the Audiobook.

Florence's story is a testimony to saying yes even when you feel timid, shy, and ill-equipped. God will do the equipping.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

*HOD World Geography* This is the first book by the Benges that I really didn’t enjoy. It felt like a fact dump much of the time. There was no overarching story or plot to move things forward. “First she went here, and then she went there, and then she went over there…” for almost the whole book.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the life and mission of Florence Young was great, the presentation in this book was boring. It would probably be better to just read her autobiography, Pearls From the Pacific, which is the only book they listed in their bibliography. I haven't read her autobiography, but I would hope it is better than this.

[Jaeger Matthias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Florence Young lived from 1856-1940. she went to England and Australia and was Born in new Zealand and was a missionary to China.

[Chris Burt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed

[Ruthe Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Florence Young was one of those amazing people who, as a young, timid woman, reached out beyond herself to the natives in a large area of her world and brought thousands to faith in Jesus Christ. She was born in New Zealand in 1856. Later, when 26, she went to live with her two brothers on a sugar plantation in Queensland, Australia. There she began holding prayer meetings with the planters and established an evangelical mission church called the Queensland Kanaka Mission, which grew with great success, bringing thousands to faith in Jesus. Amazingly, she also felt called to China, learned the necessary language and spent 6 years there, part of which was during the Boxer Rebellion. She then returned to Sydney and expanded her missionary work, making lengthy visits to the Solomon Islands until the age at 70, when her aged body could no longer sail the treacherous seas. She died 8 years later in Sydney. Listening to this audiobook was extremely inspiring, and I highly recommend this audiobook as well as all the biography books and audiobooks published by YWAM.