Thunderstorm in Church

Religious Heritage

by Louise A. Vernon

Hans thinks people expect a lot of him because he is the son of Martin Luther and wonders what he can do to fulfill their expectations.

Genres: History, Biography, Childrens, Historical

134 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1974

About the author

Born in Coquille, Oregon, on March 6, 1914, Vernon later graduated from Willamette University. An author of children's books about religious heritage and historical fiction, Vernon has seen numerous books published in series form. After traveling abroad to research her subjects, Vernon has penned novels about John Wesley, William Tyndale, John Wycliffe, and Johann Gutenberg, to name a few. Several of her older books have been reprinted, showing their continued popularity, and in 2003, Vernon wrote Doctor in Rags. She lives in California.

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is my second read of a book by Vernon and I haven’t cared for either. I appreciate her writing on church leaders through the ages but I’ve been far from impressed with her “heroes” (the child main characters). They have been rather petty and confused, and the lessons they learn seem fairly trite and/or I disagree with the message.

To quote from this book: “‘Children these days are rebellious,’ Cranach told father. ‘They’re not like they used to be. The authorities spend a lot of time with parents and children who can’t get along together. There is widespread disobedience and ingratitude. Children aren’t like they used to be.’ Hans reflected on the artist remarks. Maybe children weren’t really rebellious. Maybe they were just trying to find the right way for themselves.”

There’s a bit in this one passage that I disagree with and that I won’t take the time to expound upon now. But the main character, Luther’s oldest son, is unsure of who he is, is petulantly scared of his father, lazy in knowledge and has several other flaws.

At one point, Hans is unsure of whether he will go to heaven. Rather than address this, Vernon decides that the final take away for her character (and the reader) is that Hans doesn’t have to be his father; he can be himself. What!?

It’s the prioritizing of lessons that I guess really disturb me. Why bring up such a big question, like salvation, and treat it so lightly, as if it’s a small question and the big one that the character has to resolve is “who am I?” Ugh!

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[Selah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this aloud to my children as part of World History. I feel that The Reformation is an extremely important part of history, whether you are a Christian or not. The information in this book is interesting. We learned about Luther's life as a monk, Biblical translator, and preacher. We learned about his unusual romance with his wife, and their chaotic home life. However, the author chose to tell the story through Luther's oldest son, Hans, instead of as a straight biography. So, we learn about Luther through stories he, his wife, and Hans' aunt Lena tell. The stories are told out of order and in a frustratingly disjointed manner.

[Jennifer Dreier · Rating 1 out of 5]

So disappointed! I read this with my kids for our study of the Reformation. It was highly recommended by several homeschool sources, but although it gave some important information about the life of Martin Luther…. It was a terribly written story! Dry, boring, no plot line…. Did nothing to engender curiosity and excitement about this era of history. Much better choices out there to teach children about Luther

[Heather Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really more of 3.5 stars to me. The book felt very disjointed. It almost seemed like the author had several quotes from Luther or stories about Luther that she wanted to include, so she built the other parts of the story around them. The problem is that it didn’t flow well. Many times we would be reading about the boy and the plot was moving along but then it would switch to a flashback from Luther or something and then didn’t come back to the present. Also, there were several quotes or stories about Luther that cast him in a shadowy light (I’m familiar enough with Luther to know his negative aspects) but the author would tell one of these and then say something like, “But everyone loved Father” without explaining the meaning of his quotes or giving a reason why people should constantly be overlooking some of his odd sayings. Finally, the ending was just bleh. There’s a theme throughout the book and it seemed like the author just needed to finish it so she did it in the quickest way possible.
I’d recommend this for families to read with elementary kids to learn more about Luther in a fictional/ story manner but I also think there are just better books on the topic.

[Jake Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fun, little book to introduce kids to Martin Luther and his importance in Church history. There wasn’t much of a plot, and the dialogue was mostly Luther quotations about various things.

I did not find the moral of the story very helpful. Hans, who struggles being the son of his famous father, ultimately finds peace by realizing “I don’t have to be like Father when I grow up. I only have to be me, myself, the way God intended for me to be.” And this is the story’s resolution.

The author missed the mark with this message. Instead of Hans overcoming his fear and anxiety through finding his identity in Jesus Christ (rather than as “Luther’s oldest son) he does it through a shallow, Disney-channel-like self-acceptance. So if you’re looking for virtues or good themes to draw from, I’d go to Luther’s quotations.

The best part is its historical authenticity, which could be fun and helpful for kids.

[Madison Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thunderstorm in Church by Louise A. Vernon is about Martin Luther’s son, Hans, and his struggle to discover who he wants to be when he grows up. Hans Luther does not want to become a Reformer-preacher like his famous father, but under the pressure of his family and friends, he has to decide who he is and how God wants him to live. Thunderstorm in Church shows us the life of one of the greatest preachers of all time; and we also see Martin Luther as a father with a sense of humor and as a friend. Vernon writes this story in a way that we are able to almost see through Hans’ eyes. Thunderstorm in Church is a book that everyone should read.

[Kin Kin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hans Luther must find something important to do in life, for he felt constantly overshadowed by his father, a famous preacher Martin Luther. He needed to find something to do, anything to do. The Thunderstorm in Church is a very great book with detail and a feel to learn more about the church. The time they were in was hard, but the Luthers went through it, expanding their house to a lot of help and many students wanting to learn the will of Christianity.
Thank you for letting me read this book.

[Melanie Mead · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book doesn't have too much of a plot but is invaluable in getting a flavour for the life of Martin Luther and his personality and teaching. We read it as a family before and after visiting Wittenberg, Germany, where he lived. Having visited his former home, Lutherhaus, which is now a museum, it's clear that the many quotes in the book are very accurate (ie Luther actually said them)!

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Awkward reading—the life of Luther through his son’s eyes, except the author tells rather than shows in that most of the story is his aunt or other adults telling Hans what happened before he was born.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid historical fiction work that captures the complexities of Martin Luther. The author successfully uses the perspective of children asking about their father, and adults answering their questions by filling in Luther's history. This is interwoven with the child's observations of Luther throughout the day, as well as the child's internal struggles with being the children of a famous man.

After a start that was a bit too contemplative and an end that was a bit drawn out with Luther quotes, the students were educated. A worthy library check out. Recommended.

[Atticus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it was a good book, but it portrayed Martin Luther as a mean man, and kind of the antagonist of the story. I also think that the protagonist, Hans, should have come to his finding peace within himself before the end of the book so that we would get a glimpse of his life after his decision. But over all, great book read at least like 2-3 chapters a day.

[Peter Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good picture of Luther at home. Written for children. The writing is a bit choppy in places. But over all good.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good read.