They may not have married for love, but the union of these two unconventional people turned into a warm, rich and fruitful partnership that led Luther to believe that marriage is sacred and blessed by God. They came to represent an ideal of Protestant family life and have exerted a lasting influence on the institution of marriage.

Read our coverage at Religion News Service at the link below.

500 years later, we knew little about Luther and Katharina’s life as husband and wife… Until now. “This book will hold your attention and open your eyes.” – Rev. Warren Wiersbe #KatharinaAndLuther For all the book details and more from this author check out her web-site at: www.michellederusha.com/lutherbook

The first thing I saw, when I opened the book was her book dedication to her dad “the most Lutheran Catholic I know” I thought I think I am going to like this book, as I have Lutheran and Catholic roots, so it gave me a chuckle!!
This book is the story of a famous couple, most of us know Martin Luther and now we get more of the inside scoop about his wife Katharina, who was a runaway nun (what! shocking!). Who at that time in history would have thought, what an impact these two made to the church and not only that, they are an example of what a marriage should be and represent. “Together, this legendary couple encountered tremendous adversity and preserved n the face of hardship. They experienced joy and grief, triumph and travail in their twenty-one years together. In short, they were human, which means they were flawed and fallible, just like the rest of us.” You will read about how their unlikely union happened 500 years ago and just how “chancy” it was, she was a run-away nun and Martin a renegade monk! You will feel for how she was raised and basically given away at a young age, you will cry with them at losing their child, and mourn with her when Martin died. Katharina is a great role-model for us women, she had great dedication to her faith and family. She went through many hard-ships in life, but never gave up! More than that, this book is so well written, the details, the history! Michelle DeRusha, the author, keeps you from putting the book down! Michelle, did her research when she wrote this book! I love how she included so many details (living conditions, marriage customs, childbirth and raising, church history/theology). This book is so intriguing and interesting to read. I don’t think I have ever read such a great biography, usually they are kind of dull, but this has life to it! So if you enjoy reading biographies, have never read a biography, or are interested in some church history from one of the most famous couples, you will want to read this book and then add it to your library. We can learn so much from them about faith, love, and life today! I have already decided this book will be future reading for my children in our homeschool!
This book releases tomorrow, January 31, 2017, so go look for it, you know my favorite book place to shop is Amazon, but it will be at all the major book stores!

"Katharina and Martin Luther” by Michelle Derusha is the riveting life story of the revolutionary marriage of one of the most extraordinary and intriguing couples in Christian history. Beating all odds and silencing all critics, this most unlikely and unusual wedding blossomed into the most tender of love stories, offering illuminating insights into Christian history, highlighting their profound impact upon Christian marriage, reverberating down the corridors of time until today, over five centuries later. It portrays Luther as a family patriarch and honors Katharina, a woman with a pivotal role in shaping the institution of Christian marriage as it is today. his legendary couple experienced supreme joy and bitter grief, moments of triumph and weary travail. This book shines the searching spotlight on their private lives and offers powerful insights into the twenty-first-century concept of Christian marriage. The impact of this marriage was said to be as great in the social sphere as the Ninety-five Theses in the religious sphere. Theirs is the story of the joys and sorrows of marriage, and faith in God’s providence. Michelle DeRusha portrays the passionate struggles in the Luthers’ private lives as well as their theological wrestlings in the religious sphere. In a penetrating, revealing, behind-the-scenes look at a legendary Christian couple, this book illustrates how God’s transforming grace leaves an eternal legacy in the lives of Christian believers in all ages. This is what God designed Christian marriage to be: an allegiance and obedience to Him that glorifies Him, and faithfulness to each other, a true picture of Christ’s relationship to His bride, the Church. This book introduces us to the customs and cultural context of the times, as well as the historical significance of Katharina and Martin Luther’s lives, the scalding opposition they faced when they got married and the bitter harassment the former nun, Katharina faced as Martin Luther’s widow. Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses charted a new course for the Church. This is a powerful glimpse of Luther’s life and ministry in Reformation Germany, sparking a Christian revolution lit by the flames of conviction. “Katharina and Martin Luther” is a living testament to the awesome power of surrender in a future in which courage and truth play a most important role. This book is well researched and entirely user friendly. In many ways, the Luthers’ story is our story, too. I highly recommend this inspiring book.

I enjoyed this biography of the great Reformer and his wife. It was not a technical, academic look at their lives and theology but more of a personal exploration of their relationship and the circumstances that precipitated it.

As a longtime Lutheran, I became familiar with many elements of Martin Luther’s story when I was a schoolgirl. Yet this book paints a fuller picture based on the marriage between Martin and Katharina, and as a woman I particularly appreciate this vantage point. I learned so many new things and found even greater respect for these two courageous saints.

Several points fascinated me:

Katharina had to risk everything to escape from a convent. She had no family waiting for her, and had to rely on the kindness of strangers to take her in. This choice was truly brave in that time period, when women’s roles were far diminished compared to now.
The author describes childbirth, housekeeping, and cooking in ways which made me stop and literally pray out loud, “Thank you, Lord, that I was born in the 20th century with all its conveniences.” I have heard many stories of the not-so-good-old-days from my great-grandmother, but those were nothing compared to what Katharina had to endure in the sixteenth century.
Their marriage was not based on romance or attraction, but on necessity. Luther agreed to marry Katharina to provide for her, since she found no one else agreeable and he was running out of prospects. I cannot imagine the mixture of wild emotions she must have felt as a newlywed: relief, humiliation (in those days, a man was appointed to witness the consummation!), enormous transition from her cloistered life, and probably hope and renewed faith.
Luther’s letters show that in time he developed a deep appreciation and affection for Katharina, which I found to be happy news in all the trials they faced. Two of their children died before adulthood, and also they faced severe criticism and financial challenges. They relied on each other for love, strength, prayers, and comfort, which I believe is God’s ideal design for marriages.
We can thank Martin Luther for many Western practices, especially marriage ceremonies. I was fascinated by the tales of how people in the sixteenth century were equally, if not more so, confused about how marriage works than we are in our culture, in my opinion!
I loved how this historical account brought the sixteenth century to life in front of my eyes. The author writes with warmth, compassion, and real descriptions. Neither Katharina nor Martin are drawn as perfect people. I enjoyed the well-rounded view of them in their imperfections, because it makes their courageous faith all the more inspiring for an imperfect 21st century woman like me.

I had every intention of reading this book and writing an honest review but it expired before I had the chance. My apologies, If you like to resend it to me I would be happy to get it reviewed,

I really enjoyed the author's portrayal of Martin Luther as a husband and father in this book. I've read a number of books about him to my children recently, so I feel like I'm getting a pretty good perspective of his life. The chapters written directly about Katharina were especially interesting; I found the descriptions of life in the convent quite eye-opening.
I received a free ecopy of this book from NetGalley and chose to write a review.

What a fascinating biography of Martin and Katharina Luther! I'm not a huge non-fiction fan. The only non-fiction books I read are Bible commentaries and devotionals. Yes, it took me an extraordinary amount of time to finish the book, but not because it wasn't a good read...I just got sidetracked with other fiction books that I needed/wanted to read and review.

I didn't know much about the Luthers except what everyone knows - that he was at the head of the Protestant Reformation and was formerly a monk and she was formerly a nun. This book opened my eyes to who they were and what drove them. This biography reads so smoothly that I almost forgot that it really is a biography and not fiction. Furthermore, the author addressed the daily life and routine of the people who lived in that era, pointed out how Katharina and Luther were similar in some aspects to their neighbors and how dissimilar they were in others, and brought the ordinary living into the forefront of their story to show how human these two great historical figures were. At the same time, the author clearly painted how radical Luther's viewpoints on faith, church, marriage, and family life were during those late Middle Ages and also showed how radically different Katharina was from the other women in that time period.

Their love story took me by surprise. But it was a good one and I especially loved that the author tied in Katharina and Luther's public and private lives together to draw the conclusion that though the Reform would have happened without Katharina by Luther's side, both Katharina and Luther could not have become who they were without each other.

I received ARC of the book from Baker via NetGalley. I was not required to write a favorable review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

Who knew Katharina Luther was a significant force behind the whole Protestant Reformation? Such an interesting read. DeRusha has a unique way of weaving fascinating historical facts about the time period, women's issues, and religious intrigue into a compelling story line.

Full disclosure: I received a e-galley copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This dual biography includes the story of a dozen or so nuns who were able to leave their very cloistered life in Germany. These nuns were aided in their escape by the reformist, Martin Luther, along with some of his sympathetic followers. One of these nuns was Katharina von Bora. She lived with a family two years after her escape. Katharina turned down a marriage proposal. Then she asked Martin Luther to marry her. The well-narrated story tells of their adjustments to each other and of adapting to their new way of life. Their love and respect grew.

There are a few letters of correspondence in the appendix, which are fascinating to read.

Recommended for public libraries and academic libraries with Christianity collections. This book will be especially useful in light of the five hundredth anniversary of the Reformation.

Katharina and Martin Luther: The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun and a Renegade Monk by Michelle DeRusha gave a vivid picture of 2 individuals whose path led to each other and to changing the course of history. It shares personal details of their lives, childhoods separated from family and risking capture, the escape to new lives. They married as virtual strangers but over time they grew to love and admire each other.
The book was extremely well written and researched. When reading you get a glimpse of what life was like at the time, and how Katharina and Martin called on their faith and each other to share their progressive thoughts.
This is a very intimate view of someone who hundreds of years later is a household name. It presents Martin Luther as very human, with doubts and fears, but with courage and the support of a loving relationship, gave Christians another way to live in faith.

I received this advanced reader's copy from Baker Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Katharina and Martin Luther by Michelle DeRusha

This book is fascinating! Who knew that Martin Luther, the reformer of Protestant Christian religion as we know it today, a former Catholic monk and priest, married a runaway nun? She was twenty-four when she escaped from the convent. Even so, once married several years later, they lived in an abandoned monastery in Germany, the Black Cloister. They both had received death threats because of their marriage. They had 6 children, and many visitors at the monastery. Their life was very busy, and Martin traveled often to give sermons or participate in religious debates. Yes, he was instrumental in beginning the Protestant Christian religion, but his personal life was also eventful.

This is one of the best biographies I have read!

One wonders why with so many published resources which cover Martin Luther's theology, his doctrine and his politics, there is so little known about his impactful theological views on marriage and the circumstances of his scandalous marriage to Katharina von Bora, formerly of the Cistercian Order of Nuns. Michelle DeRusha tells the story and fills in the blanks on one of the most exceptional marriages in history.

DeRusha introduces the Katharina story with the difficult family situation which landed her at the cloister school in Brehna. She records her transfer to the Cistercian convent in Nimbshcen where she takes her vows of chastity, obedience and poverty at age sixteen. Meanwhile, the author educates the reader concerning the economic, social and moral impact of life in the sixteenth century convent.

Next, DeRusha introduces Martin Luther and the circumstances which caused his shift from the legal profession to his theological pursuit. She follows his career through his placement as professor at the University of Wittenberg; his treatises attacking the papacy and the Roman Catholic Church; his powerful influence, even penetrating the cloistered walls of convents like the one in which Katharina lived.

The plot continues with the marriage of Martin and Katharina Luther -two people who previously vowed celibacy- the opposition they faced, the efforts to sabotage their credibility, their unrelenting support for each other, and the demonstration of their undying romance till death separated them.

Students of church history will love this additional insight on the life and times of Martin Luther.

Women will love the story of Katharina who, despite the view of the women as second-class citizens back then, lived up to her full potential as equal partner in love, in family and business.

Christian preachers and counselors will receive motivation for revisiting and promoting the Biblical foundation for marriage.

Readers who love a good story will find this one entertaining and compelling, as well as informative and inspiring.

I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley. the opinions expressed are my own.

All through this book, Michelle DeRusha describes us a mental picture into the lives of both Kartharina and Martin before and after marriage. We see through historical facts and human knowledge the development in their marital relationship, and how it grows and reflects upon the bond in marriage between a husband and wife still carried on today. We see the hardships Kartharina as a women deals with during a time where women were totally dependent on men and the whims of societal law, and how Luther's belief about women in general (I couldn't help but chuckle, when I read some of these beliefs about women.) differs in regards to his own marriage. I enjoyed reading this book from one page to another.

I have always viewed Martin Luther’s marriage as a mere political statement rather than a commitment to love. But Michelle DeRusha proved me wrong. Using the few available accounts on Katharine, Michelle DeRusha offers a compelling picture of Martin Luther’s love interest. But she does more, Katharine and Martin Luther illustrates how their theology formed and grew before they finally exchanged wedding vows.

Michelle DeRusha is a Christian author who writes with excellence; I first became acquainted with her writing through her blog and her contribution to a Lenten devotional booklet in 2016. She relates a factual account of Katharina and Martin Luther in a way that is so absorbing, it is hard to put down.

Rich with historical details, the author unfolds the Luther’s stories both before and after their marriage. The author had a huge task in determining which information to use out of several shelves of books by and about Martin Luther, and to find anything at all about Katharina. Growing up, I remember learning only that Katharina had been a nun, but we learned much more about Martin Luther. One thing I don’t remember learning about are Martin Luther’s writings on Christian marriage, even though he had no plans of marriage himself. What a change Katharina made in the bold monk’s life as each of them lived out the powerful testimony the Lord intended them for!

The 1500’s was not an easy time to be a woman, nor was it a time when any specific woman, especially their feelings or thoughts, could be found. The author sketched what Katharina’s life was probably like based on facts of what a girl and woman’s life was like, and includes facts of what she learned about the spunky former nun. Girls had few choices or opportunities; women were not even citizens unless married. Coming from a titled family, certain expectations were on the life of Katharina von Bora, including marriage to a man of similar social standing. You will need to read the book to see why Katharina was sent to a convent school at the tender age of six. Could any of us today imagine being taken there to live at a tender age? Her lessons there would include preparation for marriage to a nobleman. Some of those lessons, plus what she learned about the Lord as a nun, must have helped her as Luther’s bride.

After Luther prepared the now-famous 95 theses in 1517 resulting from his in-depth study of scriptures, his life changed completely. His primary premise is that salvation is by grace alone, and he demonstrated this very different tenet of faith from what he learned as a monk. He became a noted heretic, and his life was in danger. Katharina married him in spite of those concerns; after all, she was a runaway, too!

Did you know that Martin Luther’s father had prepared him to be an attorney? Another surprising little fact is that Katharina brewed their beer, and Martin Luther sorely missed her home brew when traveling. There is a story behind these little discussed facts and many more.

The author penned a very realistic picture of Katharina and Martin Luther, one demonstrating how they were a “Runaway Nun and a Renegade Monk” as the subtitle says. It is fascinating, enlightening, and a tremendous blessing to those who have followed in the Protestant faith. There is such a contrast from the lifestyles of 500 years ago to where we are today! This book, including the references and copies of interesting documents, weaves a colorful tapestry of a blessed man and the woman who relieved him of home and financial challenges so his ministry could flourish. It is not to be missed by those who celebrate our rich heritage of faith; I highly recommend it to adults of any age and older teens/ young adults.

From a grateful heart: I was given this book by the author and NetGalley and this is my honest review.

This book was especially fascinating to me, for several reasons. First, I am a German genealogist, and having done my own family research find connections to the Luther family through one of my lines. As a result, I too, did a lot of research on Martin Luther. I also had many ancestors from the province of Sachsen, where the book and the lives of this couple took place, who were pastors in the Lutheran church. Through my own research, I found that many of my Lutheran pastor ancestors knew Martin Luther, befriended him and experienced some of the trials of the Reformation, as did he.

So that being said, I was amazed at the amazing research that must have been required for this book. It was really so interesting to see what type of lives the monks and the nuns had and experienced. And what a remarkable and strong man Martin Luther was to so strongly work to bring about religious reform and freedoms.

A remarkable book and I feel so fortunate to have been able to read this.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review, which I have given.