I had the great privilege to have an hour-long visit with Elisabeth Elliot as a young woman. I had read most of her books, with Passion and Purity and The Shadow of the Almighty being among the most influential books I had ever read at that point. I already held Elisabeth in high esteem as a modern-day spiritual giant from whom I had learned much. Ellen Vaughn's new biography of Elisabeth's early life was unputdownable. In reading it, I am even more amazed at the extraordinary Christian woman that she was. This book is one that I will read again and again. The best read of 2020, and I eagerly look forward to Ellen's continuation of Elisabeth's life story in 2021.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC for this, my honest review.

I own 90% of the books Elisabeth Elliot wrote, and I’m working on obtaining the rest. I wasn’t completely sure about adding a book about Elisabeth not written by her, but I’m glad I did! The author did a marvelous job telling Elisabeth’s story - her faith, her gains, and her losses. May this book be as big of a blessing to you as it was to me.

For anyone who has listen to Elisabeth Elliot, or read her books over the years, this is a must read. Unputdownable from beginning to end, it's left me hanging for the next book in this biographical series. Taking us from the day of her birth in Belgium, through her childhood and young adult years, all the way through her missionary experience and living with the Waorani, I felt I got to know some of the real Elisabeth who later became so much better known, shaped by her profound experiences. Using extracts from her and Jim's journals, we see a realness that has us identifying with them on a personal level, they were real, like us, with real emotions, feelings and desires, no different to us. Yet the bravery of their decisions and how they handled life and put Christ first in their all, before each other, holds to us a true example of what the Christian life is and should be, wherever we are. The book flowed well and did not linger too long on any part, and felt it related well to the modern reader. I have purchased this book in hardback and have passed it on to others, it's one too good to keep to ourself.

Biographies are so fun to read. EE has always been one of my favorite missionaries to read about. She was a wife, mother, missionary, author, speaker, bible translator, and so much more. This authorized biography is so well done and includes many of her personal notes and letters never before published. She leaves an amazing legacy and is a great role model to all women!

Elisabeth Elliot was such an influence in my life, especially when I listened to her on the radio as a young mother. I think I have read all her books, some more than once, so it was a joy to read this book. It was inspiring to see how she grew as a Christian after her missionary husband was killed by the tribe they were living with. No matter your age there is something to encourage women of all ages to live for God, not themselves. Such a wonderful book about a strong, inspiring woman.
Thank you to NetGalley and B&H publishing for my copy of this book.

The late missionary Elisabeth Elliot is one of my all-time favorite authors, and her writings, particularly about singleness and godliness, made quite an impression on me during my years as a young (and then not-so-young) single woman. I still quote her to this day, and here are just a few of her jewels:

• "Action that is clearly right needs no justification."

• “The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian makes me a different kind of woman.”

• “Remind me that not everything needs to be said, and that there are very few things that need to be said by me.” (One of her pleas to God)

Many people know Elisabeth's name simply because her husband, Jim Elliot, was one of the five missionaries speared to death by the Ecuadorian Indians they were trying to evangelize in 1956. I'm told the story made headlines around the world and inspired many others to go into the mission field. The part of that story that has always stuck with me most, however, is that after her husband was killed, Elisabeth went back and spent two years ministering to the very people who had killed her husband. I don't believe I could have done it! Could you?

She's one of the few authors whose every book I own, and I even had the privilege of hearing her speak on a couple of occasions, so when I learned an authorized biography of her was coming out, I was thrilled that NetGalley sent me a copy. But what I did not expect was to find quite a few tea references! Author Ellen Vaughn tells of researching the book: "I knew, standing in Elisabeth Elliot's home, with her favorite books, her piano, her teacups, and the wild ocean she loved just beyond the picture window, that those long-ago deaths were just part of her story."

In one part of the book, Vaughn writes of the time Elisabeth and a fellow missionary traveled a few hours away from their post in Ecuador and were invited to lunch by two Brits, and Elisabeth and her friend were served spinach soup, rice, fried eggs, and tea. "There was a proper pitcher of cooled boiled milk for the tea, covered with a scalloped doily weighted around the edges with glass beads. Civilization, in the jungle." Doesn't that image just make you smile?

Any of you who are also Elisabeth Elliot fans will no doubt want to read this book, too, and finding tea within its pages—while certainly not a focus at all—was nevertheless a delightful surprise!

A very in depth and inspiring look at the life of Elisabeth Elliot. I’ve always admired her faith, and soaked up her teaching, this book adds another layer to our knowledge of her story.

This has been a hard book to put down. It is concerning one of my favorite Bible teachers. I love having this opportunity to know E.E.'s story a bit more intimately. We get the opportunity to go behind the scenes, meet her, and continue to learn from her example of how it could look to live the Christian faith.

. . . Yes, pick up this book today!

So, here we are today, looking at Ellen Vaughn’s new book, “Becoming Elisabeth Elliot.” She introduces us to a young woman, who follows God’s call on her life to mission work, moves to South America, marries her sweetheart, then faces the grueling pain of tragically losing him, in a spearing from an indigenous tribe, the Waodani.

In the days that follow, she remains in Ecuador with their baby girl, grieving, while learning to handle all the logistics of missionary life alongside the other widows. Jim and Betty had been ready to go together to reach the Waodani and live among them. In spite of all that had happened, that call was deeply etched within her heart.

Over time, and through divinely orchestrated circumstances, some Waodani women came to the settlement and Betty began linguistical work to learn the language. Eventually, her and Rachel Saint would be invited by the tribe to live among them; a culmination of the Spirit’s work in the lives of both Betty and Rachel, the martyred men, and the lives of the Waodani.

Betty would live with the tribe, raising her daughter, continuing to learn the language, alongside Rachel. The disconnection between these two women was strikingly evident. Two women, called by God to reach the Waodani people with the gospel, having personalities that were further than poles apart. The conflict between them would reach a climax, with Betty deciding to leave the tribe, and continue work at the mission station.

Through her model of her life, I was reminded of many things.

Faith in Grief
The sudden, unexpected loss of her husband brought great suffering. Yet, "for Betty, the sad days weren't meant to be denied, suppressed, or avoided. Betty's medical training, and her theology, did not allow her to deny the existence of pain. It was a symptom. It showed God was at work. If she walked the path of obedience, He would in fact use her very pain for his good purposes." To keep moving forward in the face of pain requires much faith and deep courage, as "she made it through each arduous day, one at time, with a simple mantra: do the next thing."

Diversity in Gifting
A missionary, a gifted linguist, a mother, a writer, Elisabeth’s many God given talents she stewarded in service to God’s kingdom work. As the author describes the team in Ecuador, I saw the beautiful tapestry that God had woven together in these people, especially among the wives. Nate Saint’s wife Marjorie was amazingly hospitable, serving up delicious food for those making the perilous journey for days to come out of the jungle, and Marilou McCully’s compassionate love of the young, establishing a home for missionary children.

These women, diverse as they were in giftings and passions, had melded together in unity. It’s an encouragement for us as the church, to persevere in unity, and to think of each other highly, as we are each endowed with uniqueness to serve.

Intentional Parenting
These young missionaries were brought up by parents who were intentionally raising their children to go overseas with the gospel. What a convicting thought to watch these children grow into adulthood, following the Lord with total surrender, even unto death. I consider my own parenting and wonder if I am being half as purposeful with my kids. It’s humbling to understand the impact our parenting has on our children.

The Heart of Patience
There were many times in Elisabeth’s life we see her holding with open hands, her dreams and plans for the Lord to work them out in His timing. The author notes, “few of us would have had Betty Howard’s patience. Her own trust in God’s leading, no matter what, reinforced her endurance. She hung in there for a five-year courtship that was not for the faint of heart.”

Not only did she wait for marriage, but also for fruit to be born out of her ministry, for open doors among the Waodani, for reconciliation between her and Rachel, there was a lot of waiting, and sometimes without answers, yet “she was determined not to do what was easy, but to wait for God’s leading, whatever it was.”

I’m humbled how God acted and moved in Betty’s life, to place her in the right family, moved her toward the right schools, dropped mentors into her life, who would each play an important role later on. The things she learned, the skills she gained, were God’s hand over her, each step of the way. “Her most noble accomplishment was not weathering that excoriating loss. It was practicing – through both the high dramas and the low, dull days that constitute any human life – the daily self-death required for one’s soul to flourish.” She inspires me to take each day in stride, surrendering my plans and efforts for his purposes and his glory.

“And there was less time to ponder the possible will of God in one’s journal. When His work is right in front of you, you do it”

If you are looking for a biography to challenge and inspire you, this is it. I've rated it 5 stars! The author plans for a second volume to tell about her life after Ecuador, which will be an exciting addition to reveal the rest of Elisabeth’s life, as she continued to travel, write and serve the Lord.

How have biographies shaped your life? Which are your favourites?

I recently received a new biography of Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn. Oh, how I have been soaking up the words. Still, pricked in the heart by the commitment of a young college girl, but knowing it is never too late to become a godly woman. Indeed, ” being crucified with Christ, as the scriptures say, was not morbid but in fact the very gateway to life itself.”
Ellen Vaughn has helped me know Elisabeth better by introducing me to the women who impacted Elisabeth’s life. This book is not just a biography of Elisabeth but also a glimpse into the lives of many other amazing men and women.

Elisabeth Elliot is a familiar name to me, but I confess that I didn't know much about her as a person. In "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot," Ellen Vaughn gives a comprehensive overview of the life of "Betty" and her devotion to God and His will. I was impressed by the fervor which Betty showed to do only those things that pleased her Savior. As a young child, she was known for her seriousness and her devotion to the Word, and that carried her throughout her life. I can't imagine all that she went through when serving the natives in Ecuador, and the loss of her husband must have been heartbreaking. I have great respect for the way she carried on his mission.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The woman who went to a far-off land to spread the word of Jesus and is confronted by a people who didn't want anything to do with her or her colleagues, so much so that they attacked and killed four of them, including her husband, somehow musters up the courage to return to that same small village with small child in tow, to spread the word of Jesus. Does a person's story start out more heartfelt than that?
Read it. Read how Jesus worked through the broken people and in the midst of sadness, heartache and trials. Understand that even though life, and seemingly God, allow agony and suffering into your life, you can still thrive, love, spread the gospel, be filled with joy, mercy, forgiveness and grace.

As a young mother, I listened to Elisabeth Elliot's radio program and was uplifted by her calm resolve and unshakable faith. "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot" has given me a much better understanding of her life journey and the experiences that led her to become this icon of faith. Good read.

I would not have wanted the job of Ellen Vaughn, or should I say, I would never have been able to sift through all the resources she used to construct the life of Elisabeth Elliot so beautifully. Ellen Vaughn did a superb job of researching and putting it all together into the perfect story.

I had read some of Elisabeth Elliot’s books when I was younger. I have heard her missionary story. So, I didn’t think there was much to learn about Elisabeth I haven’t already heard. WRONG! Becoming Elisabeth Elliot is about the first half of Elisabeth’s life, from birth to right after she leaves the Waodani to head back to the US.

At the beginning, learning about Elisabeth, she seemed hard and almost robotic. But by the end of the book, Elisabeth is a loving, thoughtful, and compassionate person FULL of all the emotions. Elisabeth Elliot was a person who loved God above all, but was not perfect, made mistakes, wrestled with problems, but she always turned her focus back to God’s will.

As I was reading this book, I would get to the end of a chapter and think, “okay, time to put the book down and do something else,” and I would end up reading at least another chapter. The story sucked me right in, to the point I wanted to sit and read the entire story all at once.

I also would ask questions about Elisabeth as I was reading and drawing conclusions about her, only to have those questions answered later in the book. Like the thought that she wanted to go back to the Waodani to die, or how she carried on even when she was in the middle of hard grief that would have ended me, etc.
Oh, and this book also made me laugh. Don’t get me wrong, there isn’t a laugh on every page, but there is some humor in the book…Elisabeth was funny. And if you like to save quotes from people…this book is FULL of some amazing quotable thoughts on the Christian life.

Whether you are familiar with Elisabeth Elliot or not, I don’t think this book will disappoint. I am waiting anxiously for Ellen Vaughn’s second book on the later part of Elisabeth’s life. I am betting she will surprise me once again.

From the moment I saw Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth posting about this authorized biography of Elisabeth Elliot, I started looking for a summary of the book! In Becoming Elisabeth Elliot, bestselling author Ellen Vaughn “paints the adventures and misadventures God used to shape one of the most influential women in modern church history. It’s the story of a hilarious, sensual, brilliant, witty, self-deprecating, sensitive, radical, and surprisingly relatable person utterly submitted to doing God’s will, no matter how high the cost.” This book does an incredible job portraying the life of one of my personal heroes. I will be wrapping up copies of this book for all of my friends this Christmas!

“Becoming Elisabeth Elliot” is Ellen Vaughn’s well-researched, carefully documented, authorized biography, culled from Elisabeth’s previously unpublished, private journals. An interesting personality with a unique, crystal-clear mind, Elisabeth Elliot had a rare gift of expression, and a sharp eye for the undiluted Truth, meticulously recording her observations, exactly as she perceived them. There was no falsehood about her. She was uncompromisingly honest and truthful.

This book documents the early years of Elisabeth’s life, in the first of a two-volume biography, deemed necessary because her life demanded it. Ellen Vaughn reveals how God painstakingly shaped an idealistic, follow every rule to the letter, performance-oriented young lady into a person who relentlessly pursued Christ alone, never swayed by the world’s opinion. She was in the process of becoming all that God intended her to be, all through her life’s journey, from earth to heaven.

Elisabeth Elliot first caught the world’s attention as a young missionary in Ecuador, when members of the Aucas, an Amazonian Stone Age tribe cruelly speared her husband Jim Elliot and his four colleagues to death. The whole world was stunned when Elisabeth and her little daughter, Valerie went to live in the jungle for two years with her husband’s killers. Compelled by her fervent Christian witness and instant forgiveness, many of the Aucas accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour.

Elisabeth was a towering, yet utterly humble pillar of strength, fortitude and committed faith; a true example of how a child of God should behave, in the face of terrible, mind-boggling adversity. Ellen Vaughn reveals how God shaped one of the most courageous women in the Christian missionary world into the image of His mind. It is the story of a brilliant, sensitive, utterly surrendered child of God, who was deeply committed to doing God’s will, at any cost.

This book, with fresh perspective and revealing insights, is dedicated to the memory of Mincaye, one of Jim Elliott’s killers, whose life represents Christ’s transforming power, and shows how God’s unconditional love and merciful forgiveness will flow to every unreached tribe on earth.

Elisabeth’s deeply committed way of living by daily dying for Christ is what every Christian should aspire for. Through Elisabeth’s perception of the true Christian life and walk, we learn the unvarnished truth about God and the crucible of suffering. Elisabeth selflessly plumbed the depths of His joy by tasting His afflictions, which cut deeply furrowed wounds in her heart, through which God’s grace poured in, filling her soul with the joy of the Lord.

This is Ellen’s eloquent story of Elisabeth’s early years, giving us a fresh sense of God’s grace in a weary and distracted world. I highly recommend this book to all believers who want to lead a deeper, day-to-day walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.

I think Ellen Vaughn did a beautiful and complex work choosing wisely what and how to present us the story from Elisabeth's diary. As a missionary i read a lot about Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, Through the Becoming Elisabeth Elliot book i have the opportunity to see a different side of Elizabeth Elliot that really encouraged me even more.

Just a few years ago, as a young college student I was introduced to the works of Elisabeth Elliot. At first I struggled to connect with them but as a matured in my relationship with God, I began to crave the depth and devotion of her works over the surface level fluff I often found in Christian women’s resources. I fell in love with her and saw Elliot as a long-range mentor. Even now, with her passing I still am encouraged and strengthened by her dozens of timeless books.
When I heard this book was coming out, I was so excited to get a further taste of her life. It did not disappoint and just continued to make me thank the Lord for this woman of faith and the continuing legacy she has today.

Both a out Elizabeth Elliott every disappoints me. So thankful to have been able to read an advanced copy of this book. I would recommend it to others. She was such an inspiring lady.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

When I saw that there was a new biography about missionary, Elizabeth Elliot, I was thrilled, having read several of her books over the decades including, “Through Gates of Splendor,” which chronicles her time in Ecuador as her husband and four other missionary men are martyred by the natives that they were trying to reach with the gospel. Thankfully, I was not disappointed as author Ellen Vaughn did a fabulous job telling Elizabeth Elliot’s story. Again, having read so much of the Elliots’ past, it was wonderful to have so much history filled in that I had never heard before. She truly captured Elizabeth’s spirit, her strengths and her own realized weaknesses. This was a real person, a true missionary that believed all and gave all, but knew of her human frailty, and was aware that she had a true woman’s heart that ached for the man that she had waited so long for.

*Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of this book! A positive review was not required, and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.