Becoming Elisabeth Elliot

I picked up this book first because Ellen Vaughn is a colleague of sorts (we worked at the same organization, just at different times) and a good writer, and second, out of curiosity. To be perfectly honest, while I greatly respected the Elliots' accomplishments, I never got the appeal of their up-and-down-and-on-and-off courtship. "Passion and Purity" made me vaguely queasy. I wanted to read Ellen's analysis and try to figure out these lives and relationships. I still don't get the courtship. (And to her great credit, Ellen paints it less as "epic love story given to us directly by God" and more as "confused guy dithers for a long time over whether to marry his girlfriend," which I think is a good deal nearer the mark.) But I do admire Elisabeth more than I did -- I even like her! It's true that in her younger days Elisabeth was the sort of gushy Christian ("isn't the Lord wonderful!" tacked on to every other sentence) that I never quite know what to make of. But as she worked and suffered and matured, she displayed the kind of unrelenting faith and obedience, even in the worst circumstances, that wins genuine respect. She also became a little more realistic and down-to-earth and less gushy. And it was truly compelling to read about her struggles with strict personalities like her mother and Rachel Saint, and her attempts to push back against legalistic Christianity. I'm dying to know which of her books were banned from Christian bookstores, and why! And I'm now SUPER curious to find out how this Elisabeth became the Elisabeth who wrote "Passion and Purity" and started coming across to the world as fairly strict and unyielding herself. In short, Ellen has done a great job with a difficult task. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out.

“Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” Old Saxon Poem This poem was a favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often quoted. She took to heart the advice “do the next thing” and she did so throughout her adult life regardless of her feelings or circumstances. I was first introduced to the writings of Elisabeth Elliot in 1984. That opened the door for me to start my collection which now includes every book as well as every pamphlet Elisabeth Elliot wrote. I had the opportunity to meet Elisabeth Elliot in person, share a brief conversation with her and receive a personal note from her. I have listened to many hours of her Gateway to Joy Radio Program and received her Newsletter for many years. I also have heard Valerie Shepherd speak at my Church as she shared about writing DEVOTEDLY(The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot). Also, I have given numerous copies of EE’s books to friends through the years. I read Ellen Vaughn’s Authorized Biography with a very open mind. I believe her title BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT is an excellent description for everything she brings forth in her writing. She starts with Betty Howard’s (Elisabeth Elliot) life as a child and works her way slowly through her school years and time at a Boarding School in FL, Wheaton College, meeting Jim Elliot, their separate calls to the mission field, the separate training each went through prior to going overseas, serving in different areas, etc. Vaughn shows a young child developing into a teenager, college student, young adult, single adult missionary, young married, mother, widow, and single mother mIssionary in the jungle. All of this adds into the becoming of Elisabeth Elliot. To many who have followed the writing and speaking ministries of EE for many years, they know she was known as “Betty” to her family, close friends and those on the mission field. After her husband Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were savagely killed while attempting to make contact with the Waodani Indians in the jungle of Ecuador, it was Betty that was chosen to write their story to share with the world. When Through Gates of Splendor was published, the world was introduced to Elisabeth Elliot. Little did anyone know what an effect the publishing of that book would have on the rest of EE’s life! Vaughn has a monumental task in attempting to write the Biography of such a well known woman and one who is beloved by many. She has been allowed the use of EE’s personal diaries as well as Interviews with family members and friends. She also has spent untold hours researching through a vast number of existing articles, past interviews and even made a trip to visit the actual Waodani Indians and see the place that changed and shaped the rest of Elisabeth’s life and ministry. It is through this lens that Vaughn writes how she observes Betty Elliot becoming Elisabeth Elliot. Elliot was not a saint — as her own diaries will testify. She was a woman of great depth and feeling. She struggled mightily to follow God and to do His Will at — any cost. Even when EE recognized her spiritual gift of linguistics, she would not force them to be used in an effort to ensure a quicker written language for the Waodani. She always kept her mind sharp (not the easiest thing to do in a jungle setting), was available to treat illnesses, snakebites, be a midwife or deal with whatever other crises might arise. She struggled with what her ministry should be. She struggled with loneliness, a theme that she would write several books about. She struggled with her grief over Jim’s death. Yet she never lost faith in God. God used EE’s extraordinary communication skills of writing and public speaking to influence many generations to make professions of faith, decide they wanted to have a deeper walk with God, dedicate their lives to working on the mission field and just understanding what it means to answer God’s Call on their life. This book states that it is only Volume 1. It is easy to see why there would need to be a Volume 2. So much of Volume 1 is obviously about her time in Ecuador and her early writings. At the conclusion, it quickly touches on the rest of her life but more as a hit and run approach than the detailed approach of her life in Ecuador. Another favorite quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often shared explains what she learned from the death of her young husband and the other four missionaries: “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.” Elisabeth Elliot continually sought the path of obedience, no matter the cost. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by B&H Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I am a fast reader. Not so with "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot." I savored every word, underlined and highlighted so much, and wrote in the margins when something touched me personally and deeply. Needless to say, I have given several of these books as gifts, but I will not part with my copy. It is more like a personal journal. I had the privilege to work with Elisabeth on several programs and even had her to my home for dinner - but now I feel like I truly know her heart. Thank you, Ellen, for writing such a rich biography about a woman who has touched so many lives - including mine. If you knew Elisabeth, or just heard of her - if you read her books or heard her speak - you must read this book. It will change your life and help you to see life through His perspective - which is what Elisabeth's life was based on. I loved this book and did not expect to grow so deeply from it. Outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

In my youth and young adulthood, a family-owned Christian bookstore operated so near home that I could ride my bike there to spend my babysitting money. Amid the theologically diverse content of its shelves, God led me to Elisabeth Elliot as one of my first mentors in the Christian faith. Through her I found Amy Carmichael. I wanted to know God like those women knew God. I wanted to be greatly used by Him. They were my heroes. What naivete hid from me was the extraordinarily high, painful cost of their mature faith. In the half-dozen times I saw Elisabeth Elliot speak, in all her books I read, in her radio program Gateway to Joy, in her quarterly newsletter, she seemed so logical. Unemotional even. Her calm, collected, reserved demeanor as she talked of the loss of her first husband to martyrdom (at the hands of a remote tribe he sought to reach with the gospel) amazed me. When she wrote or spoke of the loss of her second husband to cancer, I mistook her poise in speaking for her poise in grief. Now I understand the softening effect of decades that enabled her to touch the scars without observably wincing. That never meant the wounds that caused them were without profound sorrow. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot corrects that misunderstanding and does so largely in Elisabeth’s own words, from copious journals and letters to which the family gave biographer Ellen Vaughn access. Vaughn shapes the source material in a way that brings the young Elisabeth to vibrant life. All the emotion I didn’t see from Elisabeth in her later speaking ministry pours forth on these pages. We glimpse the family of her youth, read the story of how she came to attend a prestigious Christian boarding school and what she found there, experience with her the agonizing wait for Jim to declare his affections and act on them. Vaughn lifts the curtain on Elisabeth’s grief when he died, how that led her to a writing career, what her jungle life as a single mother and missionary was like, and some of the interpersonal friction that grew so severe and unresolvable that Elisabeth left the jungle and returned to the United States. This is not a hagiography that only selects and shares what will keep Elisabeth on the pedestal where many of us have placed her. This is realism. Do not be deceived into thinking a missionary biography will be boring, either. This is a page-turner in a way I did not anticipate, even knowing and loving her work as I do. In short, this is one of my must-reads of 2020. If you love Elisabeth Elliot already, this will increase your affection. If you don’t know her work and story, this would be a fabulous introduction to the rest of her work. Along with Gentle and Lowly, it will find its way into a number of Christmas care packages in the month ahead. I look forward to the planned second volume, which picks up the story of her life after the jungle years.

I loved this book. It gives a side of Elisabeth Elliot that I hadn't heard of before. The author did an excellent job of delving into Elisabeth's life and we get to know more about her and all she experienced because of diaries and more in depth interviews with those who knew her and loved her. I am looking forward to her 2nd book telling more about Elisabeth Elliot's later years.

It is so wonderful to have a book about a hero that provides both positive and negative views of the lady.

I do not have a heart for missionary work...just being honest! Wanted to know why this lady has been held in such high esteem for yrs. Not sure I would have liked her in her youth. But by the end of the book I had tremendous admiration and respect for an amazing, Godly woman! Still don't think she and I could have been "kindreds" but the story of her life and love for the Lord was extraordinary and an eye opener. They don' t seem to make them like this gal anymore!!! Sad...if true.

This is an adventure book, both experiential and spiritual, and it will take you to lands you have not seen or imagined. Reading this story in quiet solitude will lead you deeper, both earthly and spiritual, in the dangers, trials, and victories Betty (Elisabeth Elliott) experienced. I promise, you are in for an exciting time ensconced in this book. Following are a few gems from Becoming Elisabeth Elliot... To Betty, the only measure of any human action came down to one thing: obedience. "If 'success' is defined not by obedience, but by measurable outcomes, then... the calculations would never end." "He leads us right on, right through, right up to the threshold of Heaven. He does not say to us, ever, 'Here it is.' He says only, 'Here am I. Fear not.'" "If a duty is clear, the dangers surrounding it are irrelevant." "It is not easy to hold things lightly. Once we have them, we want to keep them." "When one is stripped of all outward evidences of God's blessings, there is a deeper comfort. The soul who loves God only for Himself, apart from His gifts, knows indescribable peace." "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." "The Lord gives us a moment at a time, and trusts us to invest it for eternity." "Do the next thing." The author concludes her book with "The takeaway from their lives is a reckless abandon for God".

This is a Christian must read. If you are an E. Elliot fan, this is the real Elisabeth, her inner self, what made her tick, how she related to her God. I have always loved her works, but this really gave me more insight into her inner workings with God. If you aren’t especially an Elisabeth fan, or don’t know about her, this is the story of a real Christian, the highs the lows, the real deal on a daily basis, not just that everything is always roses and there are no struggles. This gives me a greater insight into my own journey as a Christian, that it’s not a straight line, sometime it can be two forward and one back, and that’s how God works sometimes in our lives. This was an eye opener and a welcome insight into one of the spiritual giants of our times!! A must read!

With craft and wit and wisdom and love, the author turns the reader into an unseen witness of Elisabeth Elliot's heart and spirit. Vaughn's skill turns the legendary icon into a living testimony of God's grace and power. "Not I, but Christ" is fleshed out in Elliott's surrendered life. And, one suspects, in the life of her biographer. God has used Elisabeth's words and works to mentor me for decades. It was sheer joy, salted with some tears, to be challenged and encouraged anew through Vaughn's masterful, microscopic mirroring of God's work in and through Elisabeth's early life. Read it.

I picked up this book first because Ellen Vaughn is a colleague of sorts (we worked at the same organization, just at different times) and a good writer, and second, out of curiosity. To be perfectly honest, while I greatly respected the Elliots' accomplishments, I never got the appeal of their up-and-down-and-on-and-off courtship. "Passion and Purity" made me vaguely queasy. I wanted to read Ellen's analysis and try to figure out these lives and relationships. I still don't get the courtship. (And to her great credit, Ellen paints it less as "epic love story given to us directly by God" and more as "confused guy dithers for a long time over whether to marry his girlfriend," which I think is a good deal nearer the mark.) But I do admire Elisabeth more than I did -- I even like her! It's true that in her younger days Elisabeth was the sort of gushy Christian ("isn't the Lord wonderful!" tacked on to every other sentence) that I never quite know what to make of. But as she worked and suffered and matured, she displayed the kind of unrelenting faith and obedience, even in the worst circumstances, that wins genuine respect. She also became a little more realistic and down-to-earth and less gushy. And it was truly compelling to read about her struggles with strict personalities like her mother and Rachel Saint, and her attempts to push back against legalistic Christianity. I'm dying to know which of her books were banned from Christian bookstores, and why! And I'm now SUPER curious to find out how this Elisabeth became the Elisabeth who wrote "Passion and Purity" and started coming across to the world as fairly strict and unyielding herself. In short, Ellen has done a great job with a difficult task. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out.

“Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” Old Saxon Poem This poem was a favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often quoted. She took to heart the advice “do the next thing” and she did so throughout her adult life regardless of her feelings or circumstances. I was first introduced to the writings of Elisabeth Elliot in 1984. That opened the door for me to start my collection which now includes every book as well as every pamphlet Elisabeth Elliot wrote. I had the opportunity to meet Elisabeth Elliot in person, share a brief conversation with her and receive a personal note from her. I have listened to many hours of her Gateway to Joy Radio Program and received her Newsletter for many years. I also have heard Valerie Shepherd speak at my Church as she shared about writing DEVOTEDLY(The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot). Also, I have given numerous copies of EE’s books to friends through the years. I read Ellen Vaughn’s Authorized Biography with a very open mind. I believe her title BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT is an excellent description for everything she brings forth in her writing. She starts with Betty Howard’s (Elisabeth Elliot) life as a child and works her way slowly through her school years and time at a Boarding School in FL, Wheaton College, meeting Jim Elliot, their separate calls to the mission field, the separate training each went through prior to going overseas, serving in different areas, etc. Vaughn shows a young child developing into a teenager, college student, young adult, single adult missionary, young married, mother, widow, and single mother mIssionary in the jungle. All of this adds into the becoming of Elisabeth Elliot. To many who have followed the writing and speaking ministries of EE for many years, they know she was known as “Betty” to her family, close friends and those on the mission field. After her husband Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were savagely killed while attempting to make contact with the Waodani Indians in the jungle of Ecuador, it was Betty that was chosen to write their story to share with the world. When Through Gates of Splendor was published, the world was introduced to Elisabeth Elliot. Little did anyone know what an effect the publishing of that book would have on the rest of EE’s life! Vaughn has a monumental task in attempting to write the Biography of such a well known woman and one who is beloved by many. She has been allowed the use of EE’s personal diaries as well as Interviews with family members and friends. She also has spent untold hours researching through a vast number of existing articles, past interviews and even made a trip to visit the actual Waodani Indians and see the place that changed and shaped the rest of Elisabeth’s life and ministry. It is through this lens that Vaughn writes how she observes Betty Elliot becoming Elisabeth Elliot. Elliot was not a saint — as her own diaries will testify. She was a woman of great depth and feeling. She struggled mightily to follow God and to do His Will at — any cost. Even when EE recognized her spiritual gift of linguistics, she would not force them to be used in an effort to ensure a quicker written language for the Waodani. She always kept her mind sharp (not the easiest thing to do in a jungle setting), was available to treat illnesses, snakebites, be a midwife or deal with whatever other crises might arise. She struggled with what her ministry should be. She struggled with loneliness, a theme that she would write several books about. She struggled with her grief over Jim’s death. Yet she never lost faith in God. God used EE’s extraordinary communication skills of writing and public speaking to influence many generations to make professions of faith, decide they wanted to have a deeper walk with God, dedicate their lives to working on the mission field and just understanding what it means to answer God’s Call on their life. This book states that it is only Volume 1. It is easy to see why there would need to be a Volume 2. So much of Volume 1 is obviously about her time in Ecuador and her early writings. At the conclusion, it quickly touches on the rest of her life but more as a hit and run approach than the detailed approach of her life in Ecuador. Another favorite quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often shared explains what she learned from the death of her young husband and the other four missionaries: “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.” Elisabeth Elliot continually sought the path of obedience, no matter the cost. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by B&H Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I am a fast reader. Not so with "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot." I savored every word, underlined and highlighted so much, and wrote in the margins when something touched me personally and deeply. Needless to say, I have given several of these books as gifts, but I will not part with my copy. It is more like a personal journal. I had the privilege to work with Elisabeth on several programs and even had her to my home for dinner - but now I feel like I truly know her heart. Thank you, Ellen, for writing such a rich biography about a woman who has touched so many lives - including mine. If you knew Elisabeth, or just heard of her - if you read her books or heard her speak - you must read this book. It will change your life and help you to see life through His perspective - which is what Elisabeth's life was based on. I loved this book and did not expect to grow so deeply from it. Outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

In my youth and young adulthood, a family-owned Christian bookstore operated so near home that I could ride my bike there to spend my babysitting money. Amid the theologically diverse content of its shelves, God led me to Elisabeth Elliot as one of my first mentors in the Christian faith. Through her I found Amy Carmichael. I wanted to know God like those women knew God. I wanted to be greatly used by Him. They were my heroes. What naivete hid from me was the extraordinarily high, painful cost of their mature faith. In the half-dozen times I saw Elisabeth Elliot speak, in all her books I read, in her radio program Gateway to Joy, in her quarterly newsletter, she seemed so logical. Unemotional even. Her calm, collected, reserved demeanor as she talked of the loss of her first husband to martyrdom (at the hands of a remote tribe he sought to reach with the gospel) amazed me. When she wrote or spoke of the loss of her second husband to cancer, I mistook her poise in speaking for her poise in grief. Now I understand the softening effect of decades that enabled her to touch the scars without observably wincing. That never meant the wounds that caused them were without profound sorrow. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot corrects that misunderstanding and does so largely in Elisabeth’s own words, from copious journals and letters to which the family gave biographer Ellen Vaughn access. Vaughn shapes the source material in a way that brings the young Elisabeth to vibrant life. All the emotion I didn’t see from Elisabeth in her later speaking ministry pours forth on these pages. We glimpse the family of her youth, read the story of how she came to attend a prestigious Christian boarding school and what she found there, experience with her the agonizing wait for Jim to declare his affections and act on them. Vaughn lifts the curtain on Elisabeth’s grief when he died, how that led her to a writing career, what her jungle life as a single mother and missionary was like, and some of the interpersonal friction that grew so severe and unresolvable that Elisabeth left the jungle and returned to the United States. This is not a hagiography that only selects and shares what will keep Elisabeth on the pedestal where many of us have placed her. This is realism. Do not be deceived into thinking a missionary biography will be boring, either. This is a page-turner in a way I did not anticipate, even knowing and loving her work as I do. In short, this is one of my must-reads of 2020. If you love Elisabeth Elliot already, this will increase your affection. If you don’t know her work and story, this would be a fabulous introduction to the rest of her work. Along with Gentle and Lowly, it will find its way into a number of Christmas care packages in the month ahead. I look forward to the planned second volume, which picks up the story of her life after the jungle years.

I loved this book. It gives a side of Elisabeth Elliot that I hadn't heard of before. The author did an excellent job of delving into Elisabeth's life and we get to know more about her and all she experienced because of diaries and more in depth interviews with those who knew her and loved her. I am looking forward to her 2nd book telling more about Elisabeth Elliot's later years.

It is so wonderful to have a book about a hero that provides both positive and negative views of the lady.

I do not have a heart for missionary work...just being honest! Wanted to know why this lady has been held in such high esteem for yrs. Not sure I would have liked her in her youth. But by the end of the book I had tremendous admiration and respect for an amazing, Godly woman! Still don't think she and I could have been "kindreds" but the story of her life and love for the Lord was extraordinary and an eye opener. They don' t seem to make them like this gal anymore!!! Sad...if true.

This is an adventure book, both experiential and spiritual, and it will take you to lands you have not seen or imagined. Reading this story in quiet solitude will lead you deeper, both earthly and spiritual, in the dangers, trials, and victories Betty (Elisabeth Elliott) experienced. I promise, you are in for an exciting time ensconced in this book. Following are a few gems from Becoming Elisabeth Elliot... To Betty, the only measure of any human action came down to one thing: obedience. "If 'success' is defined not by obedience, but by measurable outcomes, then... the calculations would never end." "He leads us right on, right through, right up to the threshold of Heaven. He does not say to us, ever, 'Here it is.' He says only, 'Here am I. Fear not.'" "If a duty is clear, the dangers surrounding it are irrelevant." "It is not easy to hold things lightly. Once we have them, we want to keep them." "When one is stripped of all outward evidences of God's blessings, there is a deeper comfort. The soul who loves God only for Himself, apart from His gifts, knows indescribable peace." "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." "The Lord gives us a moment at a time, and trusts us to invest it for eternity." "Do the next thing." The author concludes her book with "The takeaway from their lives is a reckless abandon for God".

This is a Christian must read. If you are an E. Elliot fan, this is the real Elisabeth, her inner self, what made her tick, how she related to her God. I have always loved her works, but this really gave me more insight into her inner workings with God. If you aren’t especially an Elisabeth fan, or don’t know about her, this is the story of a real Christian, the highs the lows, the real deal on a daily basis, not just that everything is always roses and there are no struggles. This gives me a greater insight into my own journey as a Christian, that it’s not a straight line, sometime it can be two forward and one back, and that’s how God works sometimes in our lives. This was an eye opener and a welcome insight into one of the spiritual giants of our times!! A must read!

With craft and wit and wisdom and love, the author turns the reader into an unseen witness of Elisabeth Elliot's heart and spirit. Vaughn's skill turns the legendary icon into a living testimony of God's grace and power. "Not I, but Christ" is fleshed out in Elliott's surrendered life. And, one suspects, in the life of her biographer. God has used Elisabeth's words and works to mentor me for decades. It was sheer joy, salted with some tears, to be challenged and encouraged anew through Vaughn's masterful, microscopic mirroring of God's work in and through Elisabeth's early life. Read it.

I picked up this book first because Ellen Vaughn is a colleague of sorts (we worked at the same organization, just at different times) and a good writer, and second, out of curiosity. To be perfectly honest, while I greatly respected the Elliots' accomplishments, I never got the appeal of their up-and-down-and-on-and-off courtship. "Passion and Purity" made me vaguely queasy. I wanted to read Ellen's analysis and try to figure out these lives and relationships. I still don't get the courtship. (And to her great credit, Ellen paints it less as "epic love story given to us directly by God" and more as "confused guy dithers for a long time over whether to marry his girlfriend," which I think is a good deal nearer the mark.) But I do admire Elisabeth more than I did -- I even like her! It's true that in her younger days Elisabeth was the sort of gushy Christian ("isn't the Lord wonderful!" tacked on to every other sentence) that I never quite know what to make of. But as she worked and suffered and matured, she displayed the kind of unrelenting faith and obedience, even in the worst circumstances, that wins genuine respect. She also became a little more realistic and down-to-earth and less gushy. And it was truly compelling to read about her struggles with strict personalities like her mother and Rachel Saint, and her attempts to push back against legalistic Christianity. I'm dying to know which of her books were banned from Christian bookstores, and why! And I'm now SUPER curious to find out how this Elisabeth became the Elisabeth who wrote "Passion and Purity" and started coming across to the world as fairly strict and unyielding herself. In short, Ellen has done a great job with a difficult task. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out.

“Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” Old Saxon Poem This poem was a favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often quoted. She took to heart the advice “do the next thing” and she did so throughout her adult life regardless of her feelings or circumstances. I was first introduced to the writings of Elisabeth Elliot in 1984. That opened the door for me to start my collection which now includes every book as well as every pamphlet Elisabeth Elliot wrote. I had the opportunity to meet Elisabeth Elliot in person, share a brief conversation with her and receive a personal note from her. I have listened to many hours of her Gateway to Joy Radio Program and received her Newsletter for many years. I also have heard Valerie Shepherd speak at my Church as she shared about writing DEVOTEDLY(The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot). Also, I have given numerous copies of EE’s books to friends through the years. I read Ellen Vaughn’s Authorized Biography with a very open mind. I believe her title BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT is an excellent description for everything she brings forth in her writing. She starts with Betty Howard’s (Elisabeth Elliot) life as a child and works her way slowly through her school years and time at a Boarding School in FL, Wheaton College, meeting Jim Elliot, their separate calls to the mission field, the separate training each went through prior to going overseas, serving in different areas, etc. Vaughn shows a young child developing into a teenager, college student, young adult, single adult missionary, young married, mother, widow, and single mother mIssionary in the jungle. All of this adds into the becoming of Elisabeth Elliot. To many who have followed the writing and speaking ministries of EE for many years, they know she was known as “Betty” to her family, close friends and those on the mission field. After her husband Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were savagely killed while attempting to make contact with the Waodani Indians in the jungle of Ecuador, it was Betty that was chosen to write their story to share with the world. When Through Gates of Splendor was published, the world was introduced to Elisabeth Elliot. Little did anyone know what an effect the publishing of that book would have on the rest of EE’s life! Vaughn has a monumental task in attempting to write the Biography of such a well known woman and one who is beloved by many. She has been allowed the use of EE’s personal diaries as well as Interviews with family members and friends. She also has spent untold hours researching through a vast number of existing articles, past interviews and even made a trip to visit the actual Waodani Indians and see the place that changed and shaped the rest of Elisabeth’s life and ministry. It is through this lens that Vaughn writes how she observes Betty Elliot becoming Elisabeth Elliot. Elliot was not a saint — as her own diaries will testify. She was a woman of great depth and feeling. She struggled mightily to follow God and to do His Will at — any cost. Even when EE recognized her spiritual gift of linguistics, she would not force them to be used in an effort to ensure a quicker written language for the Waodani. She always kept her mind sharp (not the easiest thing to do in a jungle setting), was available to treat illnesses, snakebites, be a midwife or deal with whatever other crises might arise. She struggled with what her ministry should be. She struggled with loneliness, a theme that she would write several books about. She struggled with her grief over Jim’s death. Yet she never lost faith in God. God used EE’s extraordinary communication skills of writing and public speaking to influence many generations to make professions of faith, decide they wanted to have a deeper walk with God, dedicate their lives to working on the mission field and just understanding what it means to answer God’s Call on their life. This book states that it is only Volume 1. It is easy to see why there would need to be a Volume 2. So much of Volume 1 is obviously about her time in Ecuador and her early writings. At the conclusion, it quickly touches on the rest of her life but more as a hit and run approach than the detailed approach of her life in Ecuador. Another favorite quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often shared explains what she learned from the death of her young husband and the other four missionaries: “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.” Elisabeth Elliot continually sought the path of obedience, no matter the cost. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by B&H Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I am a fast reader. Not so with "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot." I savored every word, underlined and highlighted so much, and wrote in the margins when something touched me personally and deeply. Needless to say, I have given several of these books as gifts, but I will not part with my copy. It is more like a personal journal. I had the privilege to work with Elisabeth on several programs and even had her to my home for dinner - but now I feel like I truly know her heart. Thank you, Ellen, for writing such a rich biography about a woman who has touched so many lives - including mine. If you knew Elisabeth, or just heard of her - if you read her books or heard her speak - you must read this book. It will change your life and help you to see life through His perspective - which is what Elisabeth's life was based on. I loved this book and did not expect to grow so deeply from it. Outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

In my youth and young adulthood, a family-owned Christian bookstore operated so near home that I could ride my bike there to spend my babysitting money. Amid the theologically diverse content of its shelves, God led me to Elisabeth Elliot as one of my first mentors in the Christian faith. Through her I found Amy Carmichael. I wanted to know God like those women knew God. I wanted to be greatly used by Him. They were my heroes. What naivete hid from me was the extraordinarily high, painful cost of their mature faith. In the half-dozen times I saw Elisabeth Elliot speak, in all her books I read, in her radio program Gateway to Joy, in her quarterly newsletter, she seemed so logical. Unemotional even. Her calm, collected, reserved demeanor as she talked of the loss of her first husband to martyrdom (at the hands of a remote tribe he sought to reach with the gospel) amazed me. When she wrote or spoke of the loss of her second husband to cancer, I mistook her poise in speaking for her poise in grief. Now I understand the softening effect of decades that enabled her to touch the scars without observably wincing. That never meant the wounds that caused them were without profound sorrow. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot corrects that misunderstanding and does so largely in Elisabeth’s own words, from copious journals and letters to which the family gave biographer Ellen Vaughn access. Vaughn shapes the source material in a way that brings the young Elisabeth to vibrant life. All the emotion I didn’t see from Elisabeth in her later speaking ministry pours forth on these pages. We glimpse the family of her youth, read the story of how she came to attend a prestigious Christian boarding school and what she found there, experience with her the agonizing wait for Jim to declare his affections and act on them. Vaughn lifts the curtain on Elisabeth’s grief when he died, how that led her to a writing career, what her jungle life as a single mother and missionary was like, and some of the interpersonal friction that grew so severe and unresolvable that Elisabeth left the jungle and returned to the United States. This is not a hagiography that only selects and shares what will keep Elisabeth on the pedestal where many of us have placed her. This is realism. Do not be deceived into thinking a missionary biography will be boring, either. This is a page-turner in a way I did not anticipate, even knowing and loving her work as I do. In short, this is one of my must-reads of 2020. If you love Elisabeth Elliot already, this will increase your affection. If you don’t know her work and story, this would be a fabulous introduction to the rest of her work. Along with Gentle and Lowly, it will find its way into a number of Christmas care packages in the month ahead. I look forward to the planned second volume, which picks up the story of her life after the jungle years.

I loved this book. It gives a side of Elisabeth Elliot that I hadn't heard of before. The author did an excellent job of delving into Elisabeth's life and we get to know more about her and all she experienced because of diaries and more in depth interviews with those who knew her and loved her. I am looking forward to her 2nd book telling more about Elisabeth Elliot's later years.

It is so wonderful to have a book about a hero that provides both positive and negative views of the lady.

I do not have a heart for missionary work...just being honest! Wanted to know why this lady has been held in such high esteem for yrs. Not sure I would have liked her in her youth. But by the end of the book I had tremendous admiration and respect for an amazing, Godly woman! Still don't think she and I could have been "kindreds" but the story of her life and love for the Lord was extraordinary and an eye opener. They don' t seem to make them like this gal anymore!!! Sad...if true.

This is an adventure book, both experiential and spiritual, and it will take you to lands you have not seen or imagined. Reading this story in quiet solitude will lead you deeper, both earthly and spiritual, in the dangers, trials, and victories Betty (Elisabeth Elliott) experienced. I promise, you are in for an exciting time ensconced in this book. Following are a few gems from Becoming Elisabeth Elliot... To Betty, the only measure of any human action came down to one thing: obedience. "If 'success' is defined not by obedience, but by measurable outcomes, then... the calculations would never end." "He leads us right on, right through, right up to the threshold of Heaven. He does not say to us, ever, 'Here it is.' He says only, 'Here am I. Fear not.'" "If a duty is clear, the dangers surrounding it are irrelevant." "It is not easy to hold things lightly. Once we have them, we want to keep them." "When one is stripped of all outward evidences of God's blessings, there is a deeper comfort. The soul who loves God only for Himself, apart from His gifts, knows indescribable peace." "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." "The Lord gives us a moment at a time, and trusts us to invest it for eternity." "Do the next thing." The author concludes her book with "The takeaway from their lives is a reckless abandon for God".

This is a Christian must read. If you are an E. Elliot fan, this is the real Elisabeth, her inner self, what made her tick, how she related to her God. I have always loved her works, but this really gave me more insight into her inner workings with God. If you aren’t especially an Elisabeth fan, or don’t know about her, this is the story of a real Christian, the highs the lows, the real deal on a daily basis, not just that everything is always roses and there are no struggles. This gives me a greater insight into my own journey as a Christian, that it’s not a straight line, sometime it can be two forward and one back, and that’s how God works sometimes in our lives. This was an eye opener and a welcome insight into one of the spiritual giants of our times!! A must read!

With craft and wit and wisdom and love, the author turns the reader into an unseen witness of Elisabeth Elliot's heart and spirit. Vaughn's skill turns the legendary icon into a living testimony of God's grace and power. "Not I, but Christ" is fleshed out in Elliott's surrendered life. And, one suspects, in the life of her biographer. God has used Elisabeth's words and works to mentor me for decades. It was sheer joy, salted with some tears, to be challenged and encouraged anew through Vaughn's masterful, microscopic mirroring of God's work in and through Elisabeth's early life. Read it.

I picked up this book first because Ellen Vaughn is a colleague of sorts (we worked at the same organization, just at different times) and a good writer, and second, out of curiosity. To be perfectly honest, while I greatly respected the Elliots' accomplishments, I never got the appeal of their up-and-down-and-on-and-off courtship. "Passion and Purity" made me vaguely queasy. I wanted to read Ellen's analysis and try to figure out these lives and relationships. I still don't get the courtship. (And to her great credit, Ellen paints it less as "epic love story given to us directly by God" and more as "confused guy dithers for a long time over whether to marry his girlfriend," which I think is a good deal nearer the mark.) But I do admire Elisabeth more than I did -- I even like her! It's true that in her younger days Elisabeth was the sort of gushy Christian ("isn't the Lord wonderful!" tacked on to every other sentence) that I never quite know what to make of. But as she worked and suffered and matured, she displayed the kind of unrelenting faith and obedience, even in the worst circumstances, that wins genuine respect. She also became a little more realistic and down-to-earth and less gushy. And it was truly compelling to read about her struggles with strict personalities like her mother and Rachel Saint, and her attempts to push back against legalistic Christianity. I'm dying to know which of her books were banned from Christian bookstores, and why! And I'm now SUPER curious to find out how this Elisabeth became the Elisabeth who wrote "Passion and Purity" and started coming across to the world as fairly strict and unyielding herself. In short, Ellen has done a great job with a difficult task. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out.

“Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” Old Saxon Poem This poem was a favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often quoted. She took to heart the advice “do the next thing” and she did so throughout her adult life regardless of her feelings or circumstances. I was first introduced to the writings of Elisabeth Elliot in 1984. That opened the door for me to start my collection which now includes every book as well as every pamphlet Elisabeth Elliot wrote. I had the opportunity to meet Elisabeth Elliot in person, share a brief conversation with her and receive a personal note from her. I have listened to many hours of her Gateway to Joy Radio Program and received her Newsletter for many years. I also have heard Valerie Shepherd speak at my Church as she shared about writing DEVOTEDLY(The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot). Also, I have given numerous copies of EE’s books to friends through the years. I read Ellen Vaughn’s Authorized Biography with a very open mind. I believe her title BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT is an excellent description for everything she brings forth in her writing. She starts with Betty Howard’s (Elisabeth Elliot) life as a child and works her way slowly through her school years and time at a Boarding School in FL, Wheaton College, meeting Jim Elliot, their separate calls to the mission field, the separate training each went through prior to going overseas, serving in different areas, etc. Vaughn shows a young child developing into a teenager, college student, young adult, single adult missionary, young married, mother, widow, and single mother mIssionary in the jungle. All of this adds into the becoming of Elisabeth Elliot. To many who have followed the writing and speaking ministries of EE for many years, they know she was known as “Betty” to her family, close friends and those on the mission field. After her husband Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were savagely killed while attempting to make contact with the Waodani Indians in the jungle of Ecuador, it was Betty that was chosen to write their story to share with the world. When Through Gates of Splendor was published, the world was introduced to Elisabeth Elliot. Little did anyone know what an effect the publishing of that book would have on the rest of EE’s life! Vaughn has a monumental task in attempting to write the Biography of such a well known woman and one who is beloved by many. She has been allowed the use of EE’s personal diaries as well as Interviews with family members and friends. She also has spent untold hours researching through a vast number of existing articles, past interviews and even made a trip to visit the actual Waodani Indians and see the place that changed and shaped the rest of Elisabeth’s life and ministry. It is through this lens that Vaughn writes how she observes Betty Elliot becoming Elisabeth Elliot. Elliot was not a saint — as her own diaries will testify. She was a woman of great depth and feeling. She struggled mightily to follow God and to do His Will at — any cost. Even when EE recognized her spiritual gift of linguistics, she would not force them to be used in an effort to ensure a quicker written language for the Waodani. She always kept her mind sharp (not the easiest thing to do in a jungle setting), was available to treat illnesses, snakebites, be a midwife or deal with whatever other crises might arise. She struggled with what her ministry should be. She struggled with loneliness, a theme that she would write several books about. She struggled with her grief over Jim’s death. Yet she never lost faith in God. God used EE’s extraordinary communication skills of writing and public speaking to influence many generations to make professions of faith, decide they wanted to have a deeper walk with God, dedicate their lives to working on the mission field and just understanding what it means to answer God’s Call on their life. This book states that it is only Volume 1. It is easy to see why there would need to be a Volume 2. So much of Volume 1 is obviously about her time in Ecuador and her early writings. At the conclusion, it quickly touches on the rest of her life but more as a hit and run approach than the detailed approach of her life in Ecuador. Another favorite quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often shared explains what she learned from the death of her young husband and the other four missionaries: “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.” Elisabeth Elliot continually sought the path of obedience, no matter the cost. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by B&H Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I am a fast reader. Not so with "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot." I savored every word, underlined and highlighted so much, and wrote in the margins when something touched me personally and deeply. Needless to say, I have given several of these books as gifts, but I will not part with my copy. It is more like a personal journal. I had the privilege to work with Elisabeth on several programs and even had her to my home for dinner - but now I feel like I truly know her heart. Thank you, Ellen, for writing such a rich biography about a woman who has touched so many lives - including mine. If you knew Elisabeth, or just heard of her - if you read her books or heard her speak - you must read this book. It will change your life and help you to see life through His perspective - which is what Elisabeth's life was based on. I loved this book and did not expect to grow so deeply from it. Outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

In my youth and young adulthood, a family-owned Christian bookstore operated so near home that I could ride my bike there to spend my babysitting money. Amid the theologically diverse content of its shelves, God led me to Elisabeth Elliot as one of my first mentors in the Christian faith. Through her I found Amy Carmichael. I wanted to know God like those women knew God. I wanted to be greatly used by Him. They were my heroes. What naivete hid from me was the extraordinarily high, painful cost of their mature faith. In the half-dozen times I saw Elisabeth Elliot speak, in all her books I read, in her radio program Gateway to Joy, in her quarterly newsletter, she seemed so logical. Unemotional even. Her calm, collected, reserved demeanor as she talked of the loss of her first husband to martyrdom (at the hands of a remote tribe he sought to reach with the gospel) amazed me. When she wrote or spoke of the loss of her second husband to cancer, I mistook her poise in speaking for her poise in grief. Now I understand the softening effect of decades that enabled her to touch the scars without observably wincing. That never meant the wounds that caused them were without profound sorrow. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot corrects that misunderstanding and does so largely in Elisabeth’s own words, from copious journals and letters to which the family gave biographer Ellen Vaughn access. Vaughn shapes the source material in a way that brings the young Elisabeth to vibrant life. All the emotion I didn’t see from Elisabeth in her later speaking ministry pours forth on these pages. We glimpse the family of her youth, read the story of how she came to attend a prestigious Christian boarding school and what she found there, experience with her the agonizing wait for Jim to declare his affections and act on them. Vaughn lifts the curtain on Elisabeth’s grief when he died, how that led her to a writing career, what her jungle life as a single mother and missionary was like, and some of the interpersonal friction that grew so severe and unresolvable that Elisabeth left the jungle and returned to the United States. This is not a hagiography that only selects and shares what will keep Elisabeth on the pedestal where many of us have placed her. This is realism. Do not be deceived into thinking a missionary biography will be boring, either. This is a page-turner in a way I did not anticipate, even knowing and loving her work as I do. In short, this is one of my must-reads of 2020. If you love Elisabeth Elliot already, this will increase your affection. If you don’t know her work and story, this would be a fabulous introduction to the rest of her work. Along with Gentle and Lowly, it will find its way into a number of Christmas care packages in the month ahead. I look forward to the planned second volume, which picks up the story of her life after the jungle years.

I loved this book. It gives a side of Elisabeth Elliot that I hadn't heard of before. The author did an excellent job of delving into Elisabeth's life and we get to know more about her and all she experienced because of diaries and more in depth interviews with those who knew her and loved her. I am looking forward to her 2nd book telling more about Elisabeth Elliot's later years.

It is so wonderful to have a book about a hero that provides both positive and negative views of the lady.

I do not have a heart for missionary work...just being honest! Wanted to know why this lady has been held in such high esteem for yrs. Not sure I would have liked her in her youth. But by the end of the book I had tremendous admiration and respect for an amazing, Godly woman! Still don't think she and I could have been "kindreds" but the story of her life and love for the Lord was extraordinary and an eye opener. They don' t seem to make them like this gal anymore!!! Sad...if true.

This is an adventure book, both experiential and spiritual, and it will take you to lands you have not seen or imagined. Reading this story in quiet solitude will lead you deeper, both earthly and spiritual, in the dangers, trials, and victories Betty (Elisabeth Elliott) experienced. I promise, you are in for an exciting time ensconced in this book. Following are a few gems from Becoming Elisabeth Elliot... To Betty, the only measure of any human action came down to one thing: obedience. "If 'success' is defined not by obedience, but by measurable outcomes, then... the calculations would never end." "He leads us right on, right through, right up to the threshold of Heaven. He does not say to us, ever, 'Here it is.' He says only, 'Here am I. Fear not.'" "If a duty is clear, the dangers surrounding it are irrelevant." "It is not easy to hold things lightly. Once we have them, we want to keep them." "When one is stripped of all outward evidences of God's blessings, there is a deeper comfort. The soul who loves God only for Himself, apart from His gifts, knows indescribable peace." "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." "The Lord gives us a moment at a time, and trusts us to invest it for eternity." "Do the next thing." The author concludes her book with "The takeaway from their lives is a reckless abandon for God".

This is a Christian must read. If you are an E. Elliot fan, this is the real Elisabeth, her inner self, what made her tick, how she related to her God. I have always loved her works, but this really gave me more insight into her inner workings with God. If you aren’t especially an Elisabeth fan, or don’t know about her, this is the story of a real Christian, the highs the lows, the real deal on a daily basis, not just that everything is always roses and there are no struggles. This gives me a greater insight into my own journey as a Christian, that it’s not a straight line, sometime it can be two forward and one back, and that’s how God works sometimes in our lives. This was an eye opener and a welcome insight into one of the spiritual giants of our times!! A must read!

With craft and wit and wisdom and love, the author turns the reader into an unseen witness of Elisabeth Elliot's heart and spirit. Vaughn's skill turns the legendary icon into a living testimony of God's grace and power. "Not I, but Christ" is fleshed out in Elliott's surrendered life. And, one suspects, in the life of her biographer. God has used Elisabeth's words and works to mentor me for decades. It was sheer joy, salted with some tears, to be challenged and encouraged anew through Vaughn's masterful, microscopic mirroring of God's work in and through Elisabeth's early life. Read it.

I picked up this book first because Ellen Vaughn is a colleague of sorts (we worked at the same organization, just at different times) and a good writer, and second, out of curiosity. To be perfectly honest, while I greatly respected the Elliots' accomplishments, I never got the appeal of their up-and-down-and-on-and-off courtship. "Passion and Purity" made me vaguely queasy. I wanted to read Ellen's analysis and try to figure out these lives and relationships. I still don't get the courtship. (And to her great credit, Ellen paints it less as "epic love story given to us directly by God" and more as "confused guy dithers for a long time over whether to marry his girlfriend," which I think is a good deal nearer the mark.) But I do admire Elisabeth more than I did -- I even like her! It's true that in her younger days Elisabeth was the sort of gushy Christian ("isn't the Lord wonderful!" tacked on to every other sentence) that I never quite know what to make of. But as she worked and suffered and matured, she displayed the kind of unrelenting faith and obedience, even in the worst circumstances, that wins genuine respect. She also became a little more realistic and down-to-earth and less gushy. And it was truly compelling to read about her struggles with strict personalities like her mother and Rachel Saint, and her attempts to push back against legalistic Christianity. I'm dying to know which of her books were banned from Christian bookstores, and why! And I'm now SUPER curious to find out how this Elisabeth became the Elisabeth who wrote "Passion and Purity" and started coming across to the world as fairly strict and unyielding herself. In short, Ellen has done a great job with a difficult task. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out.

“Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” Old Saxon Poem This poem was a favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often quoted. She took to heart the advice “do the next thing” and she did so throughout her adult life regardless of her feelings or circumstances. I was first introduced to the writings of Elisabeth Elliot in 1984. That opened the door for me to start my collection which now includes every book as well as every pamphlet Elisabeth Elliot wrote. I had the opportunity to meet Elisabeth Elliot in person, share a brief conversation with her and receive a personal note from her. I have listened to many hours of her Gateway to Joy Radio Program and received her Newsletter for many years. I also have heard Valerie Shepherd speak at my Church as she shared about writing DEVOTEDLY(The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot). Also, I have given numerous copies of EE’s books to friends through the years. I read Ellen Vaughn’s Authorized Biography with a very open mind. I believe her title BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT is an excellent description for everything she brings forth in her writing. She starts with Betty Howard’s (Elisabeth Elliot) life as a child and works her way slowly through her school years and time at a Boarding School in FL, Wheaton College, meeting Jim Elliot, their separate calls to the mission field, the separate training each went through prior to going overseas, serving in different areas, etc. Vaughn shows a young child developing into a teenager, college student, young adult, single adult missionary, young married, mother, widow, and single mother mIssionary in the jungle. All of this adds into the becoming of Elisabeth Elliot. To many who have followed the writing and speaking ministries of EE for many years, they know she was known as “Betty” to her family, close friends and those on the mission field. After her husband Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were savagely killed while attempting to make contact with the Waodani Indians in the jungle of Ecuador, it was Betty that was chosen to write their story to share with the world. When Through Gates of Splendor was published, the world was introduced to Elisabeth Elliot. Little did anyone know what an effect the publishing of that book would have on the rest of EE’s life! Vaughn has a monumental task in attempting to write the Biography of such a well known woman and one who is beloved by many. She has been allowed the use of EE’s personal diaries as well as Interviews with family members and friends. She also has spent untold hours researching through a vast number of existing articles, past interviews and even made a trip to visit the actual Waodani Indians and see the place that changed and shaped the rest of Elisabeth’s life and ministry. It is through this lens that Vaughn writes how she observes Betty Elliot becoming Elisabeth Elliot. Elliot was not a saint — as her own diaries will testify. She was a woman of great depth and feeling. She struggled mightily to follow God and to do His Will at — any cost. Even when EE recognized her spiritual gift of linguistics, she would not force them to be used in an effort to ensure a quicker written language for the Waodani. She always kept her mind sharp (not the easiest thing to do in a jungle setting), was available to treat illnesses, snakebites, be a midwife or deal with whatever other crises might arise. She struggled with what her ministry should be. She struggled with loneliness, a theme that she would write several books about. She struggled with her grief over Jim’s death. Yet she never lost faith in God. God used EE’s extraordinary communication skills of writing and public speaking to influence many generations to make professions of faith, decide they wanted to have a deeper walk with God, dedicate their lives to working on the mission field and just understanding what it means to answer God’s Call on their life. This book states that it is only Volume 1. It is easy to see why there would need to be a Volume 2. So much of Volume 1 is obviously about her time in Ecuador and her early writings. At the conclusion, it quickly touches on the rest of her life but more as a hit and run approach than the detailed approach of her life in Ecuador. Another favorite quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often shared explains what she learned from the death of her young husband and the other four missionaries: “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.” Elisabeth Elliot continually sought the path of obedience, no matter the cost. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by B&H Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I am a fast reader. Not so with "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot." I savored every word, underlined and highlighted so much, and wrote in the margins when something touched me personally and deeply. Needless to say, I have given several of these books as gifts, but I will not part with my copy. It is more like a personal journal. I had the privilege to work with Elisabeth on several programs and even had her to my home for dinner - but now I feel like I truly know her heart. Thank you, Ellen, for writing such a rich biography about a woman who has touched so many lives - including mine. If you knew Elisabeth, or just heard of her - if you read her books or heard her speak - you must read this book. It will change your life and help you to see life through His perspective - which is what Elisabeth's life was based on. I loved this book and did not expect to grow so deeply from it. Outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

In my youth and young adulthood, a family-owned Christian bookstore operated so near home that I could ride my bike there to spend my babysitting money. Amid the theologically diverse content of its shelves, God led me to Elisabeth Elliot as one of my first mentors in the Christian faith. Through her I found Amy Carmichael. I wanted to know God like those women knew God. I wanted to be greatly used by Him. They were my heroes. What naivete hid from me was the extraordinarily high, painful cost of their mature faith. In the half-dozen times I saw Elisabeth Elliot speak, in all her books I read, in her radio program Gateway to Joy, in her quarterly newsletter, she seemed so logical. Unemotional even. Her calm, collected, reserved demeanor as she talked of the loss of her first husband to martyrdom (at the hands of a remote tribe he sought to reach with the gospel) amazed me. When she wrote or spoke of the loss of her second husband to cancer, I mistook her poise in speaking for her poise in grief. Now I understand the softening effect of decades that enabled her to touch the scars without observably wincing. That never meant the wounds that caused them were without profound sorrow. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot corrects that misunderstanding and does so largely in Elisabeth’s own words, from copious journals and letters to which the family gave biographer Ellen Vaughn access. Vaughn shapes the source material in a way that brings the young Elisabeth to vibrant life. All the emotion I didn’t see from Elisabeth in her later speaking ministry pours forth on these pages. We glimpse the family of her youth, read the story of how she came to attend a prestigious Christian boarding school and what she found there, experience with her the agonizing wait for Jim to declare his affections and act on them. Vaughn lifts the curtain on Elisabeth’s grief when he died, how that led her to a writing career, what her jungle life as a single mother and missionary was like, and some of the interpersonal friction that grew so severe and unresolvable that Elisabeth left the jungle and returned to the United States. This is not a hagiography that only selects and shares what will keep Elisabeth on the pedestal where many of us have placed her. This is realism. Do not be deceived into thinking a missionary biography will be boring, either. This is a page-turner in a way I did not anticipate, even knowing and loving her work as I do. In short, this is one of my must-reads of 2020. If you love Elisabeth Elliot already, this will increase your affection. If you don’t know her work and story, this would be a fabulous introduction to the rest of her work. Along with Gentle and Lowly, it will find its way into a number of Christmas care packages in the month ahead. I look forward to the planned second volume, which picks up the story of her life after the jungle years.

I loved this book. It gives a side of Elisabeth Elliot that I hadn't heard of before. The author did an excellent job of delving into Elisabeth's life and we get to know more about her and all she experienced because of diaries and more in depth interviews with those who knew her and loved her. I am looking forward to her 2nd book telling more about Elisabeth Elliot's later years.

It is so wonderful to have a book about a hero that provides both positive and negative views of the lady.

I do not have a heart for missionary work...just being honest! Wanted to know why this lady has been held in such high esteem for yrs. Not sure I would have liked her in her youth. But by the end of the book I had tremendous admiration and respect for an amazing, Godly woman! Still don't think she and I could have been "kindreds" but the story of her life and love for the Lord was extraordinary and an eye opener. They don' t seem to make them like this gal anymore!!! Sad...if true.

This is an adventure book, both experiential and spiritual, and it will take you to lands you have not seen or imagined. Reading this story in quiet solitude will lead you deeper, both earthly and spiritual, in the dangers, trials, and victories Betty (Elisabeth Elliott) experienced. I promise, you are in for an exciting time ensconced in this book. Following are a few gems from Becoming Elisabeth Elliot... To Betty, the only measure of any human action came down to one thing: obedience. "If 'success' is defined not by obedience, but by measurable outcomes, then... the calculations would never end." "He leads us right on, right through, right up to the threshold of Heaven. He does not say to us, ever, 'Here it is.' He says only, 'Here am I. Fear not.'" "If a duty is clear, the dangers surrounding it are irrelevant." "It is not easy to hold things lightly. Once we have them, we want to keep them." "When one is stripped of all outward evidences of God's blessings, there is a deeper comfort. The soul who loves God only for Himself, apart from His gifts, knows indescribable peace." "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." "The Lord gives us a moment at a time, and trusts us to invest it for eternity." "Do the next thing." The author concludes her book with "The takeaway from their lives is a reckless abandon for God".

This is a Christian must read. If you are an E. Elliot fan, this is the real Elisabeth, her inner self, what made her tick, how she related to her God. I have always loved her works, but this really gave me more insight into her inner workings with God. If you aren’t especially an Elisabeth fan, or don’t know about her, this is the story of a real Christian, the highs the lows, the real deal on a daily basis, not just that everything is always roses and there are no struggles. This gives me a greater insight into my own journey as a Christian, that it’s not a straight line, sometime it can be two forward and one back, and that’s how God works sometimes in our lives. This was an eye opener and a welcome insight into one of the spiritual giants of our times!! A must read!

With craft and wit and wisdom and love, the author turns the reader into an unseen witness of Elisabeth Elliot's heart and spirit. Vaughn's skill turns the legendary icon into a living testimony of God's grace and power. "Not I, but Christ" is fleshed out in Elliott's surrendered life. And, one suspects, in the life of her biographer. God has used Elisabeth's words and works to mentor me for decades. It was sheer joy, salted with some tears, to be challenged and encouraged anew through Vaughn's masterful, microscopic mirroring of God's work in and through Elisabeth's early life. Read it.

This first volume is with nuances and pulsing fullness; not a plodding chronological tale, but parts of Elisabeth's future or past are referenced alongside her footsteps. Sometimes over philosophising, but I would rather that than bland report. Written about a Christ follower from a Christian perspective, looking candidly at Elisabeth's raw faith of obedience to her God.

I have devoured everything Elisabeth Elliot has written and had the blessed experience to sit under her teaching in person many years ago. This book has given me much insight into her upbringing as well as her private life. She was a true hero of the faith, and we could all learn something from her intensely personal walk with Christ.

I love the different perspective on Elisabeth Elliot. I liked seeing her more human less perfect. She was real and struggled with life just as much as we do. Yet she lived a more devoted life to God than I realized. A great read!

I cannot recommend this book enough. It has a depth of how Elisabeth navigated such suffering, was transformed in it and through it, always landed on the Person of Jesus vs the religion of Christianity, especially not the cultural evangelicalism of the time. I just finished it and feel fed, sated, slowed down, more contemplative than I already was, which was a lot and more I can’t even express. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in 3 sittings over the weekend. The author truly seemed to have been “steeped” in Elisabeth’s journals, writings and life and if I’m ever asked the question who is someone living or dead you would like to have an hour with, I will answer Elisabeth Elliot. I imagine us sitting drinking tea from her china, looking out her window at the sea. There would be some lovely in depth conversation, but mostly drinking in the wonder of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I’m so glad my sister in Christ is in heaven with her Jim, Addison and parents.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Having heard of Elisabeth Elliot my entire life, she seemed to be a person bigger than life. This book made her “real.” I appreciated seeing all sides of her personality. This book encouraged and challenged me at the same time. I’m looking forward to the second volume!

I don't even know where to begin to describe what a fascinating, inspirational, and encouraging story this is. It took me by surprise how much God used this story to speak insight into my own struggles. Beautifully written. It would make a great discussion group book, as well.

Deep insights into the heart of Betty Elliot. Ellen Vaughn gives behind the scene emotions from my “perfect” Elizabeth Elliot as she shares her struggles, passions and trust in God. A must read for anyone who questions God’s purpose in suffering.

This book will guide you in your spiritual growth. Elisabeth Elliot's life is a strong example for each of us. You'll love this book...and reading an in-depth description of this special woman will bless you.

Well written, insightful, and sensitive biography! I am grateful for Ellen Vaughn's distillation of the journals and events of Elizabeth Elliot's life and how a faithful and sovereign God works in the lives of His children through pain, suffering, and division as well as through peace, contentment, and joy.

The story of Elisabeth Elliot is beautiful. Ellen Vaughn did a wonderful job writing her biography. It was an unexpected surprise to see a handful of photos scattered throughout the book. Very well written!

I picked up this book first because Ellen Vaughn is a colleague of sorts (we worked at the same organization, just at different times) and a good writer, and second, out of curiosity. To be perfectly honest, while I greatly respected the Elliots' accomplishments, I never got the appeal of their up-and-down-and-on-and-off courtship. "Passion and Purity" made me vaguely queasy. I wanted to read Ellen's analysis and try to figure out these lives and relationships. I still don't get the courtship. (And to her great credit, Ellen paints it less as "epic love story given to us directly by God" and more as "confused guy dithers for a long time over whether to marry his girlfriend," which I think is a good deal nearer the mark.) But I do admire Elisabeth more than I did -- I even like her! It's true that in her younger days Elisabeth was the sort of gushy Christian ("isn't the Lord wonderful!" tacked on to every other sentence) that I never quite know what to make of. But as she worked and suffered and matured, she displayed the kind of unrelenting faith and obedience, even in the worst circumstances, that wins genuine respect. She also became a little more realistic and down-to-earth and less gushy. And it was truly compelling to read about her struggles with strict personalities like her mother and Rachel Saint, and her attempts to push back against legalistic Christianity. I'm dying to know which of her books were banned from Christian bookstores, and why! And I'm now SUPER curious to find out how this Elisabeth became the Elisabeth who wrote "Passion and Purity" and started coming across to the world as fairly strict and unyielding herself. In short, Ellen has done a great job with a difficult task. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out.

“Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” Old Saxon Poem This poem was a favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often quoted. She took to heart the advice “do the next thing” and she did so throughout her adult life regardless of her feelings or circumstances. I was first introduced to the writings of Elisabeth Elliot in 1984. That opened the door for me to start my collection which now includes every book as well as every pamphlet Elisabeth Elliot wrote. I had the opportunity to meet Elisabeth Elliot in person, share a brief conversation with her and receive a personal note from her. I have listened to many hours of her Gateway to Joy Radio Program and received her Newsletter for many years. I also have heard Valerie Shepherd speak at my Church as she shared about writing DEVOTEDLY(The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot). Also, I have given numerous copies of EE’s books to friends through the years. I read Ellen Vaughn’s Authorized Biography with a very open mind. I believe her title BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT is an excellent description for everything she brings forth in her writing. She starts with Betty Howard’s (Elisabeth Elliot) life as a child and works her way slowly through her school years and time at a Boarding School in FL, Wheaton College, meeting Jim Elliot, their separate calls to the mission field, the separate training each went through prior to going overseas, serving in different areas, etc. Vaughn shows a young child developing into a teenager, college student, young adult, single adult missionary, young married, mother, widow, and single mother mIssionary in the jungle. All of this adds into the becoming of Elisabeth Elliot. To many who have followed the writing and speaking ministries of EE for many years, they know she was known as “Betty” to her family, close friends and those on the mission field. After her husband Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were savagely killed while attempting to make contact with the Waodani Indians in the jungle of Ecuador, it was Betty that was chosen to write their story to share with the world. When Through Gates of Splendor was published, the world was introduced to Elisabeth Elliot. Little did anyone know what an effect the publishing of that book would have on the rest of EE’s life! Vaughn has a monumental task in attempting to write the Biography of such a well known woman and one who is beloved by many. She has been allowed the use of EE’s personal diaries as well as Interviews with family members and friends. She also has spent untold hours researching through a vast number of existing articles, past interviews and even made a trip to visit the actual Waodani Indians and see the place that changed and shaped the rest of Elisabeth’s life and ministry. It is through this lens that Vaughn writes how she observes Betty Elliot becoming Elisabeth Elliot. Elliot was not a saint — as her own diaries will testify. She was a woman of great depth and feeling. She struggled mightily to follow God and to do His Will at — any cost. Even when EE recognized her spiritual gift of linguistics, she would not force them to be used in an effort to ensure a quicker written language for the Waodani. She always kept her mind sharp (not the easiest thing to do in a jungle setting), was available to treat illnesses, snakebites, be a midwife or deal with whatever other crises might arise. She struggled with what her ministry should be. She struggled with loneliness, a theme that she would write several books about. She struggled with her grief over Jim’s death. Yet she never lost faith in God. God used EE’s extraordinary communication skills of writing and public speaking to influence many generations to make professions of faith, decide they wanted to have a deeper walk with God, dedicate their lives to working on the mission field and just understanding what it means to answer God’s Call on their life. This book states that it is only Volume 1. It is easy to see why there would need to be a Volume 2. So much of Volume 1 is obviously about her time in Ecuador and her early writings. At the conclusion, it quickly touches on the rest of her life but more as a hit and run approach than the detailed approach of her life in Ecuador. Another favorite quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often shared explains what she learned from the death of her young husband and the other four missionaries: “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.” Elisabeth Elliot continually sought the path of obedience, no matter the cost. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by B&H Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I am a fast reader. Not so with "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot." I savored every word, underlined and highlighted so much, and wrote in the margins when something touched me personally and deeply. Needless to say, I have given several of these books as gifts, but I will not part with my copy. It is more like a personal journal. I had the privilege to work with Elisabeth on several programs and even had her to my home for dinner - but now I feel like I truly know her heart. Thank you, Ellen, for writing such a rich biography about a woman who has touched so many lives - including mine. If you knew Elisabeth, or just heard of her - if you read her books or heard her speak - you must read this book. It will change your life and help you to see life through His perspective - which is what Elisabeth's life was based on. I loved this book and did not expect to grow so deeply from it. Outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

In my youth and young adulthood, a family-owned Christian bookstore operated so near home that I could ride my bike there to spend my babysitting money. Amid the theologically diverse content of its shelves, God led me to Elisabeth Elliot as one of my first mentors in the Christian faith. Through her I found Amy Carmichael. I wanted to know God like those women knew God. I wanted to be greatly used by Him. They were my heroes. What naivete hid from me was the extraordinarily high, painful cost of their mature faith. In the half-dozen times I saw Elisabeth Elliot speak, in all her books I read, in her radio program Gateway to Joy, in her quarterly newsletter, she seemed so logical. Unemotional even. Her calm, collected, reserved demeanor as she talked of the loss of her first husband to martyrdom (at the hands of a remote tribe he sought to reach with the gospel) amazed me. When she wrote or spoke of the loss of her second husband to cancer, I mistook her poise in speaking for her poise in grief. Now I understand the softening effect of decades that enabled her to touch the scars without observably wincing. That never meant the wounds that caused them were without profound sorrow. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot corrects that misunderstanding and does so largely in Elisabeth’s own words, from copious journals and letters to which the family gave biographer Ellen Vaughn access. Vaughn shapes the source material in a way that brings the young Elisabeth to vibrant life. All the emotion I didn’t see from Elisabeth in her later speaking ministry pours forth on these pages. We glimpse the family of her youth, read the story of how she came to attend a prestigious Christian boarding school and what she found there, experience with her the agonizing wait for Jim to declare his affections and act on them. Vaughn lifts the curtain on Elisabeth’s grief when he died, how that led her to a writing career, what her jungle life as a single mother and missionary was like, and some of the interpersonal friction that grew so severe and unresolvable that Elisabeth left the jungle and returned to the United States. This is not a hagiography that only selects and shares what will keep Elisabeth on the pedestal where many of us have placed her. This is realism. Do not be deceived into thinking a missionary biography will be boring, either. This is a page-turner in a way I did not anticipate, even knowing and loving her work as I do. In short, this is one of my must-reads of 2020. If you love Elisabeth Elliot already, this will increase your affection. If you don’t know her work and story, this would be a fabulous introduction to the rest of her work. Along with Gentle and Lowly, it will find its way into a number of Christmas care packages in the month ahead. I look forward to the planned second volume, which picks up the story of her life after the jungle years.

I loved this book. It gives a side of Elisabeth Elliot that I hadn't heard of before. The author did an excellent job of delving into Elisabeth's life and we get to know more about her and all she experienced because of diaries and more in depth interviews with those who knew her and loved her. I am looking forward to her 2nd book telling more about Elisabeth Elliot's later years.

It is so wonderful to have a book about a hero that provides both positive and negative views of the lady.

I do not have a heart for missionary work...just being honest! Wanted to know why this lady has been held in such high esteem for yrs. Not sure I would have liked her in her youth. But by the end of the book I had tremendous admiration and respect for an amazing, Godly woman! Still don't think she and I could have been "kindreds" but the story of her life and love for the Lord was extraordinary and an eye opener. They don' t seem to make them like this gal anymore!!! Sad...if true.

This is an adventure book, both experiential and spiritual, and it will take you to lands you have not seen or imagined. Reading this story in quiet solitude will lead you deeper, both earthly and spiritual, in the dangers, trials, and victories Betty (Elisabeth Elliott) experienced. I promise, you are in for an exciting time ensconced in this book. Following are a few gems from Becoming Elisabeth Elliot... To Betty, the only measure of any human action came down to one thing: obedience. "If 'success' is defined not by obedience, but by measurable outcomes, then... the calculations would never end." "He leads us right on, right through, right up to the threshold of Heaven. He does not say to us, ever, 'Here it is.' He says only, 'Here am I. Fear not.'" "If a duty is clear, the dangers surrounding it are irrelevant." "It is not easy to hold things lightly. Once we have them, we want to keep them." "When one is stripped of all outward evidences of God's blessings, there is a deeper comfort. The soul who loves God only for Himself, apart from His gifts, knows indescribable peace." "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." "The Lord gives us a moment at a time, and trusts us to invest it for eternity." "Do the next thing." The author concludes her book with "The takeaway from their lives is a reckless abandon for God".

This is a Christian must read. If you are an E. Elliot fan, this is the real Elisabeth, her inner self, what made her tick, how she related to her God. I have always loved her works, but this really gave me more insight into her inner workings with God. If you aren’t especially an Elisabeth fan, or don’t know about her, this is the story of a real Christian, the highs the lows, the real deal on a daily basis, not just that everything is always roses and there are no struggles. This gives me a greater insight into my own journey as a Christian, that it’s not a straight line, sometime it can be two forward and one back, and that’s how God works sometimes in our lives. This was an eye opener and a welcome insight into one of the spiritual giants of our times!! A must read!

With craft and wit and wisdom and love, the author turns the reader into an unseen witness of Elisabeth Elliot's heart and spirit. Vaughn's skill turns the legendary icon into a living testimony of God's grace and power. "Not I, but Christ" is fleshed out in Elliott's surrendered life. And, one suspects, in the life of her biographer. God has used Elisabeth's words and works to mentor me for decades. It was sheer joy, salted with some tears, to be challenged and encouraged anew through Vaughn's masterful, microscopic mirroring of God's work in and through Elisabeth's early life. Read it.

I haven’t read the book yet, but have heard lots of good reviews from friends! I can’t wait to read it! On another note, this is the second one I got after returning the first one that arrived with a torn cover. This one came with a cut on its edge (not worth returning). I just wish they were more careful cutting the boxes open so to not cut into the books themselves. I’m usually not this picky, but paying full price for a hardcover book, I’d expect it to be intact.

the author knows her subject and surprises you with how the story is told. It is a " I can't put it down" book about an AMAZING WOMAN ....

This story is so raw and transparent. It gives such a beautiful and practical model of how our attitude ought to be as we are living on this earth as Christ’s followers. The author is incredible at communicating the true Elizabeth Elliot.

The book reads very easily. I am reading about a chapter per day (as I am reading about 2-3 books at a time). The author introduces you to the person of Betty Elliott (child, woman, student, wife, mother, etc). One can connect with Betty and it has set a fire in me to step out and live more for Christ than myself. Great read!

I really enjoyed reading about Elisabeth Elliots life. I have always admired and looked up to her.

I so enjoyed this book it was a great read and just seeing how she trusted God in everything .

Wow what a great book on the inside of what it’s like to follow the path God gives us

This book was a fresh look at the life of EE. So well written! I found it inspiring and bought two other copies to give to friends.

Any book about Elisabeth Elliot is always excellent. Hers was was a remarkable life.

Ellen Vaughn did a masterful job of making this amazing woman real and relatable.

I picked up this book first because Ellen Vaughn is a colleague of sorts (we worked at the same organization, just at different times) and a good writer, and second, out of curiosity. To be perfectly honest, while I greatly respected the Elliots' accomplishments, I never got the appeal of their up-and-down-and-on-and-off courtship. "Passion and Purity" made me vaguely queasy. I wanted to read Ellen's analysis and try to figure out these lives and relationships. I still don't get the courtship. (And to her great credit, Ellen paints it less as "epic love story given to us directly by God" and more as "confused guy dithers for a long time over whether to marry his girlfriend," which I think is a good deal nearer the mark.) But I do admire Elisabeth more than I did -- I even like her! It's true that in her younger days Elisabeth was the sort of gushy Christian ("isn't the Lord wonderful!" tacked on to every other sentence) that I never quite know what to make of. But as she worked and suffered and matured, she displayed the kind of unrelenting faith and obedience, even in the worst circumstances, that wins genuine respect. She also became a little more realistic and down-to-earth and less gushy. And it was truly compelling to read about her struggles with strict personalities like her mother and Rachel Saint, and her attempts to push back against legalistic Christianity. I'm dying to know which of her books were banned from Christian bookstores, and why! And I'm now SUPER curious to find out how this Elisabeth became the Elisabeth who wrote "Passion and Purity" and started coming across to the world as fairly strict and unyielding herself. In short, Ellen has done a great job with a difficult task. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out.

“Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” Old Saxon Poem This poem was a favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often quoted. She took to heart the advice “do the next thing” and she did so throughout her adult life regardless of her feelings or circumstances. I was first introduced to the writings of Elisabeth Elliot in 1984. That opened the door for me to start my collection which now includes every book as well as every pamphlet Elisabeth Elliot wrote. I had the opportunity to meet Elisabeth Elliot in person, share a brief conversation with her and receive a personal note from her. I have listened to many hours of her Gateway to Joy Radio Program and received her Newsletter for many years. I also have heard Valerie Shepherd speak at my Church as she shared about writing DEVOTEDLY(The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot). Also, I have given numerous copies of EE’s books to friends through the years. I read Ellen Vaughn’s Authorized Biography with a very open mind. I believe her title BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT is an excellent description for everything she brings forth in her writing. She starts with Betty Howard’s (Elisabeth Elliot) life as a child and works her way slowly through her school years and time at a Boarding School in FL, Wheaton College, meeting Jim Elliot, their separate calls to the mission field, the separate training each went through prior to going overseas, serving in different areas, etc. Vaughn shows a young child developing into a teenager, college student, young adult, single adult missionary, young married, mother, widow, and single mother mIssionary in the jungle. All of this adds into the becoming of Elisabeth Elliot. To many who have followed the writing and speaking ministries of EE for many years, they know she was known as “Betty” to her family, close friends and those on the mission field. After her husband Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were savagely killed while attempting to make contact with the Waodani Indians in the jungle of Ecuador, it was Betty that was chosen to write their story to share with the world. When Through Gates of Splendor was published, the world was introduced to Elisabeth Elliot. Little did anyone know what an effect the publishing of that book would have on the rest of EE’s life! Vaughn has a monumental task in attempting to write the Biography of such a well known woman and one who is beloved by many. She has been allowed the use of EE’s personal diaries as well as Interviews with family members and friends. She also has spent untold hours researching through a vast number of existing articles, past interviews and even made a trip to visit the actual Waodani Indians and see the place that changed and shaped the rest of Elisabeth’s life and ministry. It is through this lens that Vaughn writes how she observes Betty Elliot becoming Elisabeth Elliot. Elliot was not a saint — as her own diaries will testify. She was a woman of great depth and feeling. She struggled mightily to follow God and to do His Will at — any cost. Even when EE recognized her spiritual gift of linguistics, she would not force them to be used in an effort to ensure a quicker written language for the Waodani. She always kept her mind sharp (not the easiest thing to do in a jungle setting), was available to treat illnesses, snakebites, be a midwife or deal with whatever other crises might arise. She struggled with what her ministry should be. She struggled with loneliness, a theme that she would write several books about. She struggled with her grief over Jim’s death. Yet she never lost faith in God. God used EE’s extraordinary communication skills of writing and public speaking to influence many generations to make professions of faith, decide they wanted to have a deeper walk with God, dedicate their lives to working on the mission field and just understanding what it means to answer God’s Call on their life. This book states that it is only Volume 1. It is easy to see why there would need to be a Volume 2. So much of Volume 1 is obviously about her time in Ecuador and her early writings. At the conclusion, it quickly touches on the rest of her life but more as a hit and run approach than the detailed approach of her life in Ecuador. Another favorite quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often shared explains what she learned from the death of her young husband and the other four missionaries: “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.” Elisabeth Elliot continually sought the path of obedience, no matter the cost. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by B&H Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I am a fast reader. Not so with "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot." I savored every word, underlined and highlighted so much, and wrote in the margins when something touched me personally and deeply. Needless to say, I have given several of these books as gifts, but I will not part with my copy. It is more like a personal journal. I had the privilege to work with Elisabeth on several programs and even had her to my home for dinner - but now I feel like I truly know her heart. Thank you, Ellen, for writing such a rich biography about a woman who has touched so many lives - including mine. If you knew Elisabeth, or just heard of her - if you read her books or heard her speak - you must read this book. It will change your life and help you to see life through His perspective - which is what Elisabeth's life was based on. I loved this book and did not expect to grow so deeply from it. Outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

In my youth and young adulthood, a family-owned Christian bookstore operated so near home that I could ride my bike there to spend my babysitting money. Amid the theologically diverse content of its shelves, God led me to Elisabeth Elliot as one of my first mentors in the Christian faith. Through her I found Amy Carmichael. I wanted to know God like those women knew God. I wanted to be greatly used by Him. They were my heroes. What naivete hid from me was the extraordinarily high, painful cost of their mature faith. In the half-dozen times I saw Elisabeth Elliot speak, in all her books I read, in her radio program Gateway to Joy, in her quarterly newsletter, she seemed so logical. Unemotional even. Her calm, collected, reserved demeanor as she talked of the loss of her first husband to martyrdom (at the hands of a remote tribe he sought to reach with the gospel) amazed me. When she wrote or spoke of the loss of her second husband to cancer, I mistook her poise in speaking for her poise in grief. Now I understand the softening effect of decades that enabled her to touch the scars without observably wincing. That never meant the wounds that caused them were without profound sorrow. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot corrects that misunderstanding and does so largely in Elisabeth’s own words, from copious journals and letters to which the family gave biographer Ellen Vaughn access. Vaughn shapes the source material in a way that brings the young Elisabeth to vibrant life. All the emotion I didn’t see from Elisabeth in her later speaking ministry pours forth on these pages. We glimpse the family of her youth, read the story of how she came to attend a prestigious Christian boarding school and what she found there, experience with her the agonizing wait for Jim to declare his affections and act on them. Vaughn lifts the curtain on Elisabeth’s grief when he died, how that led her to a writing career, what her jungle life as a single mother and missionary was like, and some of the interpersonal friction that grew so severe and unresolvable that Elisabeth left the jungle and returned to the United States. This is not a hagiography that only selects and shares what will keep Elisabeth on the pedestal where many of us have placed her. This is realism. Do not be deceived into thinking a missionary biography will be boring, either. This is a page-turner in a way I did not anticipate, even knowing and loving her work as I do. In short, this is one of my must-reads of 2020. If you love Elisabeth Elliot already, this will increase your affection. If you don’t know her work and story, this would be a fabulous introduction to the rest of her work. Along with Gentle and Lowly, it will find its way into a number of Christmas care packages in the month ahead. I look forward to the planned second volume, which picks up the story of her life after the jungle years.

I loved this book. It gives a side of Elisabeth Elliot that I hadn't heard of before. The author did an excellent job of delving into Elisabeth's life and we get to know more about her and all she experienced because of diaries and more in depth interviews with those who knew her and loved her. I am looking forward to her 2nd book telling more about Elisabeth Elliot's later years.

It is so wonderful to have a book about a hero that provides both positive and negative views of the lady.

I do not have a heart for missionary work...just being honest! Wanted to know why this lady has been held in such high esteem for yrs. Not sure I would have liked her in her youth. But by the end of the book I had tremendous admiration and respect for an amazing, Godly woman! Still don't think she and I could have been "kindreds" but the story of her life and love for the Lord was extraordinary and an eye opener. They don' t seem to make them like this gal anymore!!! Sad...if true.

This is an adventure book, both experiential and spiritual, and it will take you to lands you have not seen or imagined. Reading this story in quiet solitude will lead you deeper, both earthly and spiritual, in the dangers, trials, and victories Betty (Elisabeth Elliott) experienced. I promise, you are in for an exciting time ensconced in this book. Following are a few gems from Becoming Elisabeth Elliot... To Betty, the only measure of any human action came down to one thing: obedience. "If 'success' is defined not by obedience, but by measurable outcomes, then... the calculations would never end." "He leads us right on, right through, right up to the threshold of Heaven. He does not say to us, ever, 'Here it is.' He says only, 'Here am I. Fear not.'" "If a duty is clear, the dangers surrounding it are irrelevant." "It is not easy to hold things lightly. Once we have them, we want to keep them." "When one is stripped of all outward evidences of God's blessings, there is a deeper comfort. The soul who loves God only for Himself, apart from His gifts, knows indescribable peace." "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." "The Lord gives us a moment at a time, and trusts us to invest it for eternity." "Do the next thing." The author concludes her book with "The takeaway from their lives is a reckless abandon for God".

This is a Christian must read. If you are an E. Elliot fan, this is the real Elisabeth, her inner self, what made her tick, how she related to her God. I have always loved her works, but this really gave me more insight into her inner workings with God. If you aren’t especially an Elisabeth fan, or don’t know about her, this is the story of a real Christian, the highs the lows, the real deal on a daily basis, not just that everything is always roses and there are no struggles. This gives me a greater insight into my own journey as a Christian, that it’s not a straight line, sometime it can be two forward and one back, and that’s how God works sometimes in our lives. This was an eye opener and a welcome insight into one of the spiritual giants of our times!! A must read!

With craft and wit and wisdom and love, the author turns the reader into an unseen witness of Elisabeth Elliot's heart and spirit. Vaughn's skill turns the legendary icon into a living testimony of God's grace and power. "Not I, but Christ" is fleshed out in Elliott's surrendered life. And, one suspects, in the life of her biographer. God has used Elisabeth's words and works to mentor me for decades. It was sheer joy, salted with some tears, to be challenged and encouraged anew through Vaughn's masterful, microscopic mirroring of God's work in and through Elisabeth's early life. Read it.

Thank you for writing this book about the incredible life of Elisabeth Elliot. The themes of obedience and following Jesus persisted throughout. The window into young Elisabeth’s grief and understanding of her anchor, Christ is incredibly powerful and encouraging.

The author presented a truthful, heart warming and wrenching biography of a very intelligent woman who truly loved and was called by God. I have learned so much from EE’s life. Thank you Ellen Vaughn.

I have heard Elizabeth Elliot many times on the radio and podcast and I have many of her books but I now really know her after reading this book. I was amazed at the personal relationship issues she had to handle and how, with the Lords Help she dealt with them.

Looking forward to reading this book.

I learned a lot that I hadn’t known about E Elliott’s life. Written very well, a page-turner for me!

GOOD PRODUCT GOOD PRICE

Love this book!

Highly recommend this autobiography. Bought it for my daughter for her birthday and she read it as soon as possible during her vacation flight. Amazing life story and testament to what is possible thru the power of God to those who are obedient & believe. Jeanette

I love the story and the details of her life are very encouraging.

Ellen is a wonderful writer! An inspiring biography.

I picked up this book first because Ellen Vaughn is a colleague of sorts (we worked at the same organization, just at different times) and a good writer, and second, out of curiosity. To be perfectly honest, while I greatly respected the Elliots' accomplishments, I never got the appeal of their up-and-down-and-on-and-off courtship. "Passion and Purity" made me vaguely queasy. I wanted to read Ellen's analysis and try to figure out these lives and relationships. I still don't get the courtship. (And to her great credit, Ellen paints it less as "epic love story given to us directly by God" and more as "confused guy dithers for a long time over whether to marry his girlfriend," which I think is a good deal nearer the mark.) But I do admire Elisabeth more than I did -- I even like her! It's true that in her younger days Elisabeth was the sort of gushy Christian ("isn't the Lord wonderful!" tacked on to every other sentence) that I never quite know what to make of. But as she worked and suffered and matured, she displayed the kind of unrelenting faith and obedience, even in the worst circumstances, that wins genuine respect. She also became a little more realistic and down-to-earth and less gushy. And it was truly compelling to read about her struggles with strict personalities like her mother and Rachel Saint, and her attempts to push back against legalistic Christianity. I'm dying to know which of her books were banned from Christian bookstores, and why! And I'm now SUPER curious to find out how this Elisabeth became the Elisabeth who wrote "Passion and Purity" and started coming across to the world as fairly strict and unyielding herself. In short, Ellen has done a great job with a difficult task. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out.

“Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” Old Saxon Poem This poem was a favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often quoted. She took to heart the advice “do the next thing” and she did so throughout her adult life regardless of her feelings or circumstances. I was first introduced to the writings of Elisabeth Elliot in 1984. That opened the door for me to start my collection which now includes every book as well as every pamphlet Elisabeth Elliot wrote. I had the opportunity to meet Elisabeth Elliot in person, share a brief conversation with her and receive a personal note from her. I have listened to many hours of her Gateway to Joy Radio Program and received her Newsletter for many years. I also have heard Valerie Shepherd speak at my Church as she shared about writing DEVOTEDLY(The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot). Also, I have given numerous copies of EE’s books to friends through the years. I read Ellen Vaughn’s Authorized Biography with a very open mind. I believe her title BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT is an excellent description for everything she brings forth in her writing. She starts with Betty Howard’s (Elisabeth Elliot) life as a child and works her way slowly through her school years and time at a Boarding School in FL, Wheaton College, meeting Jim Elliot, their separate calls to the mission field, the separate training each went through prior to going overseas, serving in different areas, etc. Vaughn shows a young child developing into a teenager, college student, young adult, single adult missionary, young married, mother, widow, and single mother mIssionary in the jungle. All of this adds into the becoming of Elisabeth Elliot. To many who have followed the writing and speaking ministries of EE for many years, they know she was known as “Betty” to her family, close friends and those on the mission field. After her husband Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were savagely killed while attempting to make contact with the Waodani Indians in the jungle of Ecuador, it was Betty that was chosen to write their story to share with the world. When Through Gates of Splendor was published, the world was introduced to Elisabeth Elliot. Little did anyone know what an effect the publishing of that book would have on the rest of EE’s life! Vaughn has a monumental task in attempting to write the Biography of such a well known woman and one who is beloved by many. She has been allowed the use of EE’s personal diaries as well as Interviews with family members and friends. She also has spent untold hours researching through a vast number of existing articles, past interviews and even made a trip to visit the actual Waodani Indians and see the place that changed and shaped the rest of Elisabeth’s life and ministry. It is through this lens that Vaughn writes how she observes Betty Elliot becoming Elisabeth Elliot. Elliot was not a saint — as her own diaries will testify. She was a woman of great depth and feeling. She struggled mightily to follow God and to do His Will at — any cost. Even when EE recognized her spiritual gift of linguistics, she would not force them to be used in an effort to ensure a quicker written language for the Waodani. She always kept her mind sharp (not the easiest thing to do in a jungle setting), was available to treat illnesses, snakebites, be a midwife or deal with whatever other crises might arise. She struggled with what her ministry should be. She struggled with loneliness, a theme that she would write several books about. She struggled with her grief over Jim’s death. Yet she never lost faith in God. God used EE’s extraordinary communication skills of writing and public speaking to influence many generations to make professions of faith, decide they wanted to have a deeper walk with God, dedicate their lives to working on the mission field and just understanding what it means to answer God’s Call on their life. This book states that it is only Volume 1. It is easy to see why there would need to be a Volume 2. So much of Volume 1 is obviously about her time in Ecuador and her early writings. At the conclusion, it quickly touches on the rest of her life but more as a hit and run approach than the detailed approach of her life in Ecuador. Another favorite quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often shared explains what she learned from the death of her young husband and the other four missionaries: “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.” Elisabeth Elliot continually sought the path of obedience, no matter the cost. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by B&H Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I am a fast reader. Not so with "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot." I savored every word, underlined and highlighted so much, and wrote in the margins when something touched me personally and deeply. Needless to say, I have given several of these books as gifts, but I will not part with my copy. It is more like a personal journal. I had the privilege to work with Elisabeth on several programs and even had her to my home for dinner - but now I feel like I truly know her heart. Thank you, Ellen, for writing such a rich biography about a woman who has touched so many lives - including mine. If you knew Elisabeth, or just heard of her - if you read her books or heard her speak - you must read this book. It will change your life and help you to see life through His perspective - which is what Elisabeth's life was based on. I loved this book and did not expect to grow so deeply from it. Outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

In my youth and young adulthood, a family-owned Christian bookstore operated so near home that I could ride my bike there to spend my babysitting money. Amid the theologically diverse content of its shelves, God led me to Elisabeth Elliot as one of my first mentors in the Christian faith. Through her I found Amy Carmichael. I wanted to know God like those women knew God. I wanted to be greatly used by Him. They were my heroes. What naivete hid from me was the extraordinarily high, painful cost of their mature faith. In the half-dozen times I saw Elisabeth Elliot speak, in all her books I read, in her radio program Gateway to Joy, in her quarterly newsletter, she seemed so logical. Unemotional even. Her calm, collected, reserved demeanor as she talked of the loss of her first husband to martyrdom (at the hands of a remote tribe he sought to reach with the gospel) amazed me. When she wrote or spoke of the loss of her second husband to cancer, I mistook her poise in speaking for her poise in grief. Now I understand the softening effect of decades that enabled her to touch the scars without observably wincing. That never meant the wounds that caused them were without profound sorrow. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot corrects that misunderstanding and does so largely in Elisabeth’s own words, from copious journals and letters to which the family gave biographer Ellen Vaughn access. Vaughn shapes the source material in a way that brings the young Elisabeth to vibrant life. All the emotion I didn’t see from Elisabeth in her later speaking ministry pours forth on these pages. We glimpse the family of her youth, read the story of how she came to attend a prestigious Christian boarding school and what she found there, experience with her the agonizing wait for Jim to declare his affections and act on them. Vaughn lifts the curtain on Elisabeth’s grief when he died, how that led her to a writing career, what her jungle life as a single mother and missionary was like, and some of the interpersonal friction that grew so severe and unresolvable that Elisabeth left the jungle and returned to the United States. This is not a hagiography that only selects and shares what will keep Elisabeth on the pedestal where many of us have placed her. This is realism. Do not be deceived into thinking a missionary biography will be boring, either. This is a page-turner in a way I did not anticipate, even knowing and loving her work as I do. In short, this is one of my must-reads of 2020. If you love Elisabeth Elliot already, this will increase your affection. If you don’t know her work and story, this would be a fabulous introduction to the rest of her work. Along with Gentle and Lowly, it will find its way into a number of Christmas care packages in the month ahead. I look forward to the planned second volume, which picks up the story of her life after the jungle years.

I loved this book. It gives a side of Elisabeth Elliot that I hadn't heard of before. The author did an excellent job of delving into Elisabeth's life and we get to know more about her and all she experienced because of diaries and more in depth interviews with those who knew her and loved her. I am looking forward to her 2nd book telling more about Elisabeth Elliot's later years.

It is so wonderful to have a book about a hero that provides both positive and negative views of the lady.

I do not have a heart for missionary work...just being honest! Wanted to know why this lady has been held in such high esteem for yrs. Not sure I would have liked her in her youth. But by the end of the book I had tremendous admiration and respect for an amazing, Godly woman! Still don't think she and I could have been "kindreds" but the story of her life and love for the Lord was extraordinary and an eye opener. They don' t seem to make them like this gal anymore!!! Sad...if true.

This is an adventure book, both experiential and spiritual, and it will take you to lands you have not seen or imagined. Reading this story in quiet solitude will lead you deeper, both earthly and spiritual, in the dangers, trials, and victories Betty (Elisabeth Elliott) experienced. I promise, you are in for an exciting time ensconced in this book. Following are a few gems from Becoming Elisabeth Elliot... To Betty, the only measure of any human action came down to one thing: obedience. "If 'success' is defined not by obedience, but by measurable outcomes, then... the calculations would never end." "He leads us right on, right through, right up to the threshold of Heaven. He does not say to us, ever, 'Here it is.' He says only, 'Here am I. Fear not.'" "If a duty is clear, the dangers surrounding it are irrelevant." "It is not easy to hold things lightly. Once we have them, we want to keep them." "When one is stripped of all outward evidences of God's blessings, there is a deeper comfort. The soul who loves God only for Himself, apart from His gifts, knows indescribable peace." "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." "The Lord gives us a moment at a time, and trusts us to invest it for eternity." "Do the next thing." The author concludes her book with "The takeaway from their lives is a reckless abandon for God".

This is a Christian must read. If you are an E. Elliot fan, this is the real Elisabeth, her inner self, what made her tick, how she related to her God. I have always loved her works, but this really gave me more insight into her inner workings with God. If you aren’t especially an Elisabeth fan, or don’t know about her, this is the story of a real Christian, the highs the lows, the real deal on a daily basis, not just that everything is always roses and there are no struggles. This gives me a greater insight into my own journey as a Christian, that it’s not a straight line, sometime it can be two forward and one back, and that’s how God works sometimes in our lives. This was an eye opener and a welcome insight into one of the spiritual giants of our times!! A must read!

With craft and wit and wisdom and love, the author turns the reader into an unseen witness of Elisabeth Elliot's heart and spirit. Vaughn's skill turns the legendary icon into a living testimony of God's grace and power. "Not I, but Christ" is fleshed out in Elliott's surrendered life. And, one suspects, in the life of her biographer. God has used Elisabeth's words and works to mentor me for decades. It was sheer joy, salted with some tears, to be challenged and encouraged anew through Vaughn's masterful, microscopic mirroring of God's work in and through Elisabeth's early life. Read it.

Could not put this book down. Elisabeth Elliot is even more amazing & real having read this treasure. The author has a gifted lens as she uncovers & reveals an imperfect life well lived for the glory of God. Buy this book!

I had read a few of Elisabeth Elliott books and have much respect for her but this book revealed so much more of her life and story. I believe I have a better understanding now of what "dying to self" looks like.

So inspiring and well written. Highly recommend.

Not disappointed. Excellent challenge for spiritual growth as always from EE. This book more than any other I've read, (which is a lot) also shows the humanity and challenges Jim and Elisabeth Elliot faced.

Very well written and captivating book. Looked into the heart and soul of Elisabeth Elliot. It made you feel as if you truly knew her.

Good biography

This is a marvelous biography of one of this century's greatest women. It's full of courage, honor, respect and wisdom. Highly recommend

A great read! Tons of new details and perspectives on one of the key players in the timeless story of the Waorani people of Ecuador.

Beautifully written... Honest and real yet still honors the incredible woman she was.

I liked the way this book was written, very personal.

I picked up this book first because Ellen Vaughn is a colleague of sorts (we worked at the same organization, just at different times) and a good writer, and second, out of curiosity. To be perfectly honest, while I greatly respected the Elliots' accomplishments, I never got the appeal of their up-and-down-and-on-and-off courtship. "Passion and Purity" made me vaguely queasy. I wanted to read Ellen's analysis and try to figure out these lives and relationships. I still don't get the courtship. (And to her great credit, Ellen paints it less as "epic love story given to us directly by God" and more as "confused guy dithers for a long time over whether to marry his girlfriend," which I think is a good deal nearer the mark.) But I do admire Elisabeth more than I did -- I even like her! It's true that in her younger days Elisabeth was the sort of gushy Christian ("isn't the Lord wonderful!" tacked on to every other sentence) that I never quite know what to make of. But as she worked and suffered and matured, she displayed the kind of unrelenting faith and obedience, even in the worst circumstances, that wins genuine respect. She also became a little more realistic and down-to-earth and less gushy. And it was truly compelling to read about her struggles with strict personalities like her mother and Rachel Saint, and her attempts to push back against legalistic Christianity. I'm dying to know which of her books were banned from Christian bookstores, and why! And I'm now SUPER curious to find out how this Elisabeth became the Elisabeth who wrote "Passion and Purity" and started coming across to the world as fairly strict and unyielding herself. In short, Ellen has done a great job with a difficult task. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out.

“Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” Old Saxon Poem This poem was a favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often quoted. She took to heart the advice “do the next thing” and she did so throughout her adult life regardless of her feelings or circumstances. I was first introduced to the writings of Elisabeth Elliot in 1984. That opened the door for me to start my collection which now includes every book as well as every pamphlet Elisabeth Elliot wrote. I had the opportunity to meet Elisabeth Elliot in person, share a brief conversation with her and receive a personal note from her. I have listened to many hours of her Gateway to Joy Radio Program and received her Newsletter for many years. I also have heard Valerie Shepherd speak at my Church as she shared about writing DEVOTEDLY(The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot). Also, I have given numerous copies of EE’s books to friends through the years. I read Ellen Vaughn’s Authorized Biography with a very open mind. I believe her title BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT is an excellent description for everything she brings forth in her writing. She starts with Betty Howard’s (Elisabeth Elliot) life as a child and works her way slowly through her school years and time at a Boarding School in FL, Wheaton College, meeting Jim Elliot, their separate calls to the mission field, the separate training each went through prior to going overseas, serving in different areas, etc. Vaughn shows a young child developing into a teenager, college student, young adult, single adult missionary, young married, mother, widow, and single mother mIssionary in the jungle. All of this adds into the becoming of Elisabeth Elliot. To many who have followed the writing and speaking ministries of EE for many years, they know she was known as “Betty” to her family, close friends and those on the mission field. After her husband Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were savagely killed while attempting to make contact with the Waodani Indians in the jungle of Ecuador, it was Betty that was chosen to write their story to share with the world. When Through Gates of Splendor was published, the world was introduced to Elisabeth Elliot. Little did anyone know what an effect the publishing of that book would have on the rest of EE’s life! Vaughn has a monumental task in attempting to write the Biography of such a well known woman and one who is beloved by many. She has been allowed the use of EE’s personal diaries as well as Interviews with family members and friends. She also has spent untold hours researching through a vast number of existing articles, past interviews and even made a trip to visit the actual Waodani Indians and see the place that changed and shaped the rest of Elisabeth’s life and ministry. It is through this lens that Vaughn writes how she observes Betty Elliot becoming Elisabeth Elliot. Elliot was not a saint — as her own diaries will testify. She was a woman of great depth and feeling. She struggled mightily to follow God and to do His Will at — any cost. Even when EE recognized her spiritual gift of linguistics, she would not force them to be used in an effort to ensure a quicker written language for the Waodani. She always kept her mind sharp (not the easiest thing to do in a jungle setting), was available to treat illnesses, snakebites, be a midwife or deal with whatever other crises might arise. She struggled with what her ministry should be. She struggled with loneliness, a theme that she would write several books about. She struggled with her grief over Jim’s death. Yet she never lost faith in God. God used EE’s extraordinary communication skills of writing and public speaking to influence many generations to make professions of faith, decide they wanted to have a deeper walk with God, dedicate their lives to working on the mission field and just understanding what it means to answer God’s Call on their life. This book states that it is only Volume 1. It is easy to see why there would need to be a Volume 2. So much of Volume 1 is obviously about her time in Ecuador and her early writings. At the conclusion, it quickly touches on the rest of her life but more as a hit and run approach than the detailed approach of her life in Ecuador. Another favorite quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often shared explains what she learned from the death of her young husband and the other four missionaries: “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.” Elisabeth Elliot continually sought the path of obedience, no matter the cost. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by B&H Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I am a fast reader. Not so with "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot." I savored every word, underlined and highlighted so much, and wrote in the margins when something touched me personally and deeply. Needless to say, I have given several of these books as gifts, but I will not part with my copy. It is more like a personal journal. I had the privilege to work with Elisabeth on several programs and even had her to my home for dinner - but now I feel like I truly know her heart. Thank you, Ellen, for writing such a rich biography about a woman who has touched so many lives - including mine. If you knew Elisabeth, or just heard of her - if you read her books or heard her speak - you must read this book. It will change your life and help you to see life through His perspective - which is what Elisabeth's life was based on. I loved this book and did not expect to grow so deeply from it. Outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

In my youth and young adulthood, a family-owned Christian bookstore operated so near home that I could ride my bike there to spend my babysitting money. Amid the theologically diverse content of its shelves, God led me to Elisabeth Elliot as one of my first mentors in the Christian faith. Through her I found Amy Carmichael. I wanted to know God like those women knew God. I wanted to be greatly used by Him. They were my heroes. What naivete hid from me was the extraordinarily high, painful cost of their mature faith. In the half-dozen times I saw Elisabeth Elliot speak, in all her books I read, in her radio program Gateway to Joy, in her quarterly newsletter, she seemed so logical. Unemotional even. Her calm, collected, reserved demeanor as she talked of the loss of her first husband to martyrdom (at the hands of a remote tribe he sought to reach with the gospel) amazed me. When she wrote or spoke of the loss of her second husband to cancer, I mistook her poise in speaking for her poise in grief. Now I understand the softening effect of decades that enabled her to touch the scars without observably wincing. That never meant the wounds that caused them were without profound sorrow. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot corrects that misunderstanding and does so largely in Elisabeth’s own words, from copious journals and letters to which the family gave biographer Ellen Vaughn access. Vaughn shapes the source material in a way that brings the young Elisabeth to vibrant life. All the emotion I didn’t see from Elisabeth in her later speaking ministry pours forth on these pages. We glimpse the family of her youth, read the story of how she came to attend a prestigious Christian boarding school and what she found there, experience with her the agonizing wait for Jim to declare his affections and act on them. Vaughn lifts the curtain on Elisabeth’s grief when he died, how that led her to a writing career, what her jungle life as a single mother and missionary was like, and some of the interpersonal friction that grew so severe and unresolvable that Elisabeth left the jungle and returned to the United States. This is not a hagiography that only selects and shares what will keep Elisabeth on the pedestal where many of us have placed her. This is realism. Do not be deceived into thinking a missionary biography will be boring, either. This is a page-turner in a way I did not anticipate, even knowing and loving her work as I do. In short, this is one of my must-reads of 2020. If you love Elisabeth Elliot already, this will increase your affection. If you don’t know her work and story, this would be a fabulous introduction to the rest of her work. Along with Gentle and Lowly, it will find its way into a number of Christmas care packages in the month ahead. I look forward to the planned second volume, which picks up the story of her life after the jungle years.

I loved this book. It gives a side of Elisabeth Elliot that I hadn't heard of before. The author did an excellent job of delving into Elisabeth's life and we get to know more about her and all she experienced because of diaries and more in depth interviews with those who knew her and loved her. I am looking forward to her 2nd book telling more about Elisabeth Elliot's later years.

It is so wonderful to have a book about a hero that provides both positive and negative views of the lady.

I do not have a heart for missionary work...just being honest! Wanted to know why this lady has been held in such high esteem for yrs. Not sure I would have liked her in her youth. But by the end of the book I had tremendous admiration and respect for an amazing, Godly woman! Still don't think she and I could have been "kindreds" but the story of her life and love for the Lord was extraordinary and an eye opener. They don' t seem to make them like this gal anymore!!! Sad...if true.

This is an adventure book, both experiential and spiritual, and it will take you to lands you have not seen or imagined. Reading this story in quiet solitude will lead you deeper, both earthly and spiritual, in the dangers, trials, and victories Betty (Elisabeth Elliott) experienced. I promise, you are in for an exciting time ensconced in this book. Following are a few gems from Becoming Elisabeth Elliot... To Betty, the only measure of any human action came down to one thing: obedience. "If 'success' is defined not by obedience, but by measurable outcomes, then... the calculations would never end." "He leads us right on, right through, right up to the threshold of Heaven. He does not say to us, ever, 'Here it is.' He says only, 'Here am I. Fear not.'" "If a duty is clear, the dangers surrounding it are irrelevant." "It is not easy to hold things lightly. Once we have them, we want to keep them." "When one is stripped of all outward evidences of God's blessings, there is a deeper comfort. The soul who loves God only for Himself, apart from His gifts, knows indescribable peace." "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." "The Lord gives us a moment at a time, and trusts us to invest it for eternity." "Do the next thing." The author concludes her book with "The takeaway from their lives is a reckless abandon for God".

This is a Christian must read. If you are an E. Elliot fan, this is the real Elisabeth, her inner self, what made her tick, how she related to her God. I have always loved her works, but this really gave me more insight into her inner workings with God. If you aren’t especially an Elisabeth fan, or don’t know about her, this is the story of a real Christian, the highs the lows, the real deal on a daily basis, not just that everything is always roses and there are no struggles. This gives me a greater insight into my own journey as a Christian, that it’s not a straight line, sometime it can be two forward and one back, and that’s how God works sometimes in our lives. This was an eye opener and a welcome insight into one of the spiritual giants of our times!! A must read!

With craft and wit and wisdom and love, the author turns the reader into an unseen witness of Elisabeth Elliot's heart and spirit. Vaughn's skill turns the legendary icon into a living testimony of God's grace and power. "Not I, but Christ" is fleshed out in Elliott's surrendered life. And, one suspects, in the life of her biographer. God has used Elisabeth's words and works to mentor me for decades. It was sheer joy, salted with some tears, to be challenged and encouraged anew through Vaughn's masterful, microscopic mirroring of God's work in and through Elisabeth's early life. Read it.

One of the most encouraging books I’ve ever read.

A wonderful perspective of a missionary life

Delivery was prompt, but the dust jacket came torn. I wonder if this can be replaced?

Great book, I loved it!

A beautiful story beautifully written!

What makes a true hero, an icon, a saint? I once thought such a tribute was reserved only for those who were impossibly perfect, completely holy, and utterly fearless. I now believe that women and men who deserve our respect, our honor, and our gratitude, are those ordinary humans who allow God to so indwell them that Jesus overflows through their hard and obedient life-giving choices. Elisabeth Elliot was such a person to me during the final 38 years of her life, and now, through the amazing biography “Becoming Elisabeth Elliot,” by New York Times bestselling author Ellen Vaughn, you too can discover the untangled weavings of her unique life story. Covering early childhood through young adulthood, this first volume will have readers absolutely enthralled at the combination of spiritual, literary, relational, intellectual, and cross-cultural adventure. But it is through understanding the very humanity of the person at the center of this remarkable life that you and I might also be changed forever. If you only heard her radio programs and conference talks; if you only read her books or felt intimidated by her seemingly rigid and formal presence; if you only saw the brave widow of the martyred missionary; you have yet to discover the best part about Elisabeth Howard Elliot. And that is the jewel that Ellen Vaughn so brilliantly presents to us in this biography – Elisabeth’s truest self with all the emotions, sufferings, strength, choices, passion, talent, and commitment. I am utterly grateful to Vaughn for pulling back the curtain so that we might view the authenticity of one so utterly sold out to God and His kingdom. This, then, is the greatest takeaway of “Becoming Elisabeth Elliot” – not that we seek to become her, but that we recognize that God has also given us gifts, experiences, struggles, opportunities, choices, losses, callings, courage and graces to live what often seems to be an impossible life. I am nothing like her, but I am who I am in part because of her. Elisabeth’s core motivation -- “that we are to die to self, and it is only in dying that we actually find real life” -- made her radical back in the mid-twentieth century and makes her relevant to us today. Let me be clear – Elisabeth Elliot was a remarkable person, and I believe she is still saying to all of us, “You can be too!” (“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1.27) Please read and share widely this very real story of one woman’s “chance to die.”

Having long admired Elisabeth Elliot, I was very interested in learning about the earlier years of Elliot's life. Author Ellen Vaughn did a marvelous job filling in details on the early influences, feelings and thoughts brought so vividly to life through Elliot's own journals. Seeing her growing up years as the normal time of exploration and curiosity of where God might lead her was quite refreshing to read. We know how mightily God used her in her adult years; I found particular comfort in seeing some of the struggles she grappled with before she became a public figure. There are personal glimpses of her budding relationship with Jim and the ways that God uniquely wove them together to be a team. I think this book would provide young people a wonderful example of being wholly dedicated to the Lord and placing one's own desires at the altar of God's will. Becoming Elisabeth Elliot is a beautiful glimpse at the formation of a truly remarkable woman sold out completely to her Savior. I cannot think of a better role model for any young woman who seeks to follow the Lord. I highly recommend this first installment offering a fresh glimpse at Elisabeth Elliot and will eagerly await Vaughn's planned sequel to it.

Having read (and in some cases reread) at least 15 of Elisabeth Elliot’s books, I requested a review copy of Becoming Elisabeth Elliot as soon as I learned of its existence – and I’m so glad I did! Though I’m no stranger to Elisabeth’s story, Ellen Vaughn’s brand-new biography fit the pieces together and filled in gaps in the story in a way that was satisfying and informative. This book doesn’t attempt to be warm and fuzzy, nor is it about hero-worship – but neither is it a “witch hunt,” trying to discredit a woman whom many respect. In creating this biography, Vaughn had the weighty privilege of access to Elisabeth’s own journals. I did not get the sense that she was being voyeuristic, but rather that she was fleshing out Elisabeth and especially the secondary characters in her story as real and at times flawed people, while still treating them with respect and dignity. Experiencing Elisabeth’s story this way affected me personally. As I read, I thought, “I’m not alone” and “It’s okay for me to be so idealistic!” Ellen’s work also underscored the life-changing message I had learned from Elisabeth in the past: This life of discipleship is a chance to die to self. We can approach these deaths matter-of-factly, avoiding the sink-hole of self-pity, while still acknowledging their cost. We encounter a lot of mystery about why God called us and what the results have been, but as long as we’re obedient, we can count our efforts successful. In addition, Joni Eareckson Tada’s introduction reminded me, as well, that it’s the sweetness and beauty of Jesus that makes this life much more than worthwhile. This book is for Elisabeth Elliot fans, certainly, but also for anyone who has suffered and is asking “Why?” It’s also for anyone who would like to try out a life of obeying Jesus, but isn’t sure it’s for ordinary people. (It is! For ordinary, passionate, humorous, incisive, idealistic restless, finite people like Elisabeth Elliot – and for other ordinary people like you and me.) I’m looking forward to reading the second volume of this biography when it comes out in the future. Thanks to Netgalley for the digital ARC.

This authorized biography is full of details from Elisabeth Elliot’s journals and diaries. I learned a lot of new information about her life, personality, relationships, and missions work, and have a whole new appreciation of her. Even though this is only the first part of her story, and concludes after her return to the United States, it provides a satisfying character arc and comes to a meaningful conclusion. I am excited to read the sequel when it releases next year, and enjoyed this so much that it will be hard to wait. I greatly admire how well the author shaped her narrative, picking out details from a wealth of material to give modern readers a sense of who Elisabeth Elliot was. Complex and Nuanced Vaughn writes the story in chronological order, and even though she sometimes foreshadows things or refers back to earlier events, she never does so in a way that muddies the timeline. This book is clear and easy to follow, and gives readers insight into Elliot’s formative years and spiritual development. One thing that I found especially interesting about this book is how Vaughn moved beyond a reductionist image of Elliot as the ideal Christian woman, engaging with her alternately reserved and passionate personality, her frustrations with colleagues, her grief over Jim’s murder, her difficult questions about God, and the tensions that she felt between her lived reality and the triumphal messages of a shallow, consumerist Christian culture that packaged her story in inauthentic terms. The same Christian PR mechanisms that frustrated Elliot in her day often still sell her story as a triumphal and inspiring missionary adventure. This book pushes back against that narrative, taking into account the wearying and disappointing aspects of Elliot’s service, all the things that went wrong, and the tensions and uncertainties that she felt. Vaughn also includes political information about Ecuador, gives a sense of 1950s American culture, and shows how Elliot and her closest ministry partners diverged from contemporary missionary norms by meeting indigenous people on their own terms, supporting them as leaders, and not trying to import Western civilization into their environment. One of the best things about this book is that it grounds Elliot’s story within its cultural, historical, and political context, and this, coupled with the clear chronological progression of the story, can overcome common misunderstandings and confusion that people have. For Both Fans and Critics Elisabeth Elliot fans will enjoy this, and it is also worthwhile for people who are unfamiliar with her, or who would criticize aspects of her ministry. This book reveals new, complex sides to her, showing the challenges that she faced internally, her struggles with Christian culture, and the continual uncertainty that she felt about God’s will as she tried to take each next step. Vaughn explores Elliot’s life in all of its complexity, and even though she glosses over some challenging topics, such as Elliot’s choice to bring her young daughter into unsafe and threatening situations, she addresses other issues with great nuance. This book isn’t perfect, because no biography could be, but Vaughn does an admirable job of balancing narrative, journal entries, correspondence, historical context, and the probable questions and reactions that modern reader would have. The final, reflective section of the book underscores Elliot’s emphasis on obeying God no matter the cost, taking up her cross, and accepting the suffering inherent in both existence and the Christian life. These final chapters seem somewhat tacked on, like extra notes that the author couldn’t fit into the conclusion of her narrative, but they summarize the lessons that Elliot learned during that stage of her life and foreshadow her continuing life and legacy. I enjoyed this book very much, and have a whole new appreciation for Elliot’s endurance, consistent obedience to God, and willingness to face circumstantial challenges, misunderstandings, and personal defeat to do what God had called her to do. This is a very encouraging book, and will delight long-term fans of Elliot while giving others a new sense of her historical significance and the lessons that her life can teach us today. Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.

I did not have high expectations when I started this book. However, it was much better than I expected. The author was given access to "Betty" Elliot's journals, which can lead to a form of voyeurism. However, the introspective look at Elliot's life was instrumental in the portrait of a real person with desires and aspirations who devotes herself to following the will of God. Elisabeth Elliot could easily be portrayed as a saintly hero who was barely human. Rather, in this book we meet Betty Elliot who longs to marry and suffers through a 5 year, on and off engagement. She is a woman who suffers greatly after the death of her husband, yet has the drive and courage to return to the forest to bring the gospel to the tribe which was responsible for his death. The book was enlightening about the real work of a missionary. Elliot delayed going the the tribe until they met some women who helped them learn the language. Much of her work as a missionary was translating a language which had no relationship to any modern languages. A humorous passage describes the patience that she had to endure to just get the meaning of one word. The book also portrays the humanity of missionaries who are susceptible to pride and turf wars. Elliot eventually left the tribe because she could not work with Rachael Saint, the sister of one of the murdered missionaries, who became impossible to work with. I enjoyed the book much more than I expected to. It is uplifting without being preachy. It demonstrated what it really means to die to self in order to serve Christ. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up this book first because Ellen Vaughn is a colleague of sorts (we worked at the same organization, just at different times) and a good writer, and second, out of curiosity. To be perfectly honest, while I greatly respected the Elliots' accomplishments, I never got the appeal of their up-and-down-and-on-and-off courtship. "Passion and Purity" made me vaguely queasy. I wanted to read Ellen's analysis and try to figure out these lives and relationships. I still don't get the courtship. (And to her great credit, Ellen paints it less as "epic love story given to us directly by God" and more as "confused guy dithers for a long time over whether to marry his girlfriend," which I think is a good deal nearer the mark.) But I do admire Elisabeth more than I did -- I even like her! It's true that in her younger days Elisabeth was the sort of gushy Christian ("isn't the Lord wonderful!" tacked on to every other sentence) that I never quite know what to make of. But as she worked and suffered and matured, she displayed the kind of unrelenting faith and obedience, even in the worst circumstances, that wins genuine respect. She also became a little more realistic and down-to-earth and less gushy. And it was truly compelling to read about her struggles with strict personalities like her mother and Rachel Saint, and her attempts to push back against legalistic Christianity. I'm dying to know which of her books were banned from Christian bookstores, and why! And I'm now SUPER curious to find out how this Elisabeth became the Elisabeth who wrote "Passion and Purity" and started coming across to the world as fairly strict and unyielding herself. In short, Ellen has done a great job with a difficult task. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out.

“Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” Old Saxon Poem This poem was a favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often quoted. She took to heart the advice “do the next thing” and she did so throughout her adult life regardless of her feelings or circumstances. I was first introduced to the writings of Elisabeth Elliot in 1984. That opened the door for me to start my collection which now includes every book as well as every pamphlet Elisabeth Elliot wrote. I had the opportunity to meet Elisabeth Elliot in person, share a brief conversation with her and receive a personal note from her. I have listened to many hours of her Gateway to Joy Radio Program and received her Newsletter for many years. I also have heard Valerie Shepherd speak at my Church as she shared about writing DEVOTEDLY(The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot). Also, I have given numerous copies of EE’s books to friends through the years. I read Ellen Vaughn’s Authorized Biography with a very open mind. I believe her title BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT is an excellent description for everything she brings forth in her writing. She starts with Betty Howard’s (Elisabeth Elliot) life as a child and works her way slowly through her school years and time at a Boarding School in FL, Wheaton College, meeting Jim Elliot, their separate calls to the mission field, the separate training each went through prior to going overseas, serving in different areas, etc. Vaughn shows a young child developing into a teenager, college student, young adult, single adult missionary, young married, mother, widow, and single mother mIssionary in the jungle. All of this adds into the becoming of Elisabeth Elliot. To many who have followed the writing and speaking ministries of EE for many years, they know she was known as “Betty” to her family, close friends and those on the mission field. After her husband Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were savagely killed while attempting to make contact with the Waodani Indians in the jungle of Ecuador, it was Betty that was chosen to write their story to share with the world. When Through Gates of Splendor was published, the world was introduced to Elisabeth Elliot. Little did anyone know what an effect the publishing of that book would have on the rest of EE’s life! Vaughn has a monumental task in attempting to write the Biography of such a well known woman and one who is beloved by many. She has been allowed the use of EE’s personal diaries as well as Interviews with family members and friends. She also has spent untold hours researching through a vast number of existing articles, past interviews and even made a trip to visit the actual Waodani Indians and see the place that changed and shaped the rest of Elisabeth’s life and ministry. It is through this lens that Vaughn writes how she observes Betty Elliot becoming Elisabeth Elliot. Elliot was not a saint — as her own diaries will testify. She was a woman of great depth and feeling. She struggled mightily to follow God and to do His Will at — any cost. Even when EE recognized her spiritual gift of linguistics, she would not force them to be used in an effort to ensure a quicker written language for the Waodani. She always kept her mind sharp (not the easiest thing to do in a jungle setting), was available to treat illnesses, snakebites, be a midwife or deal with whatever other crises might arise. She struggled with what her ministry should be. She struggled with loneliness, a theme that she would write several books about. She struggled with her grief over Jim’s death. Yet she never lost faith in God. God used EE’s extraordinary communication skills of writing and public speaking to influence many generations to make professions of faith, decide they wanted to have a deeper walk with God, dedicate their lives to working on the mission field and just understanding what it means to answer God’s Call on their life. This book states that it is only Volume 1. It is easy to see why there would need to be a Volume 2. So much of Volume 1 is obviously about her time in Ecuador and her early writings. At the conclusion, it quickly touches on the rest of her life but more as a hit and run approach than the detailed approach of her life in Ecuador. Another favorite quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often shared explains what she learned from the death of her young husband and the other four missionaries: “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.” Elisabeth Elliot continually sought the path of obedience, no matter the cost. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by B&H Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I am a fast reader. Not so with "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot." I savored every word, underlined and highlighted so much, and wrote in the margins when something touched me personally and deeply. Needless to say, I have given several of these books as gifts, but I will not part with my copy. It is more like a personal journal. I had the privilege to work with Elisabeth on several programs and even had her to my home for dinner - but now I feel like I truly know her heart. Thank you, Ellen, for writing such a rich biography about a woman who has touched so many lives - including mine. If you knew Elisabeth, or just heard of her - if you read her books or heard her speak - you must read this book. It will change your life and help you to see life through His perspective - which is what Elisabeth's life was based on. I loved this book and did not expect to grow so deeply from it. Outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

In my youth and young adulthood, a family-owned Christian bookstore operated so near home that I could ride my bike there to spend my babysitting money. Amid the theologically diverse content of its shelves, God led me to Elisabeth Elliot as one of my first mentors in the Christian faith. Through her I found Amy Carmichael. I wanted to know God like those women knew God. I wanted to be greatly used by Him. They were my heroes. What naivete hid from me was the extraordinarily high, painful cost of their mature faith. In the half-dozen times I saw Elisabeth Elliot speak, in all her books I read, in her radio program Gateway to Joy, in her quarterly newsletter, she seemed so logical. Unemotional even. Her calm, collected, reserved demeanor as she talked of the loss of her first husband to martyrdom (at the hands of a remote tribe he sought to reach with the gospel) amazed me. When she wrote or spoke of the loss of her second husband to cancer, I mistook her poise in speaking for her poise in grief. Now I understand the softening effect of decades that enabled her to touch the scars without observably wincing. That never meant the wounds that caused them were without profound sorrow. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot corrects that misunderstanding and does so largely in Elisabeth’s own words, from copious journals and letters to which the family gave biographer Ellen Vaughn access. Vaughn shapes the source material in a way that brings the young Elisabeth to vibrant life. All the emotion I didn’t see from Elisabeth in her later speaking ministry pours forth on these pages. We glimpse the family of her youth, read the story of how she came to attend a prestigious Christian boarding school and what she found there, experience with her the agonizing wait for Jim to declare his affections and act on them. Vaughn lifts the curtain on Elisabeth’s grief when he died, how that led her to a writing career, what her jungle life as a single mother and missionary was like, and some of the interpersonal friction that grew so severe and unresolvable that Elisabeth left the jungle and returned to the United States. This is not a hagiography that only selects and shares what will keep Elisabeth on the pedestal where many of us have placed her. This is realism. Do not be deceived into thinking a missionary biography will be boring, either. This is a page-turner in a way I did not anticipate, even knowing and loving her work as I do. In short, this is one of my must-reads of 2020. If you love Elisabeth Elliot already, this will increase your affection. If you don’t know her work and story, this would be a fabulous introduction to the rest of her work. Along with Gentle and Lowly, it will find its way into a number of Christmas care packages in the month ahead. I look forward to the planned second volume, which picks up the story of her life after the jungle years.

I loved this book. It gives a side of Elisabeth Elliot that I hadn't heard of before. The author did an excellent job of delving into Elisabeth's life and we get to know more about her and all she experienced because of diaries and more in depth interviews with those who knew her and loved her. I am looking forward to her 2nd book telling more about Elisabeth Elliot's later years.

It is so wonderful to have a book about a hero that provides both positive and negative views of the lady.

I do not have a heart for missionary work...just being honest! Wanted to know why this lady has been held in such high esteem for yrs. Not sure I would have liked her in her youth. But by the end of the book I had tremendous admiration and respect for an amazing, Godly woman! Still don't think she and I could have been "kindreds" but the story of her life and love for the Lord was extraordinary and an eye opener. They don' t seem to make them like this gal anymore!!! Sad...if true.

This is an adventure book, both experiential and spiritual, and it will take you to lands you have not seen or imagined. Reading this story in quiet solitude will lead you deeper, both earthly and spiritual, in the dangers, trials, and victories Betty (Elisabeth Elliott) experienced. I promise, you are in for an exciting time ensconced in this book. Following are a few gems from Becoming Elisabeth Elliot... To Betty, the only measure of any human action came down to one thing: obedience. "If 'success' is defined not by obedience, but by measurable outcomes, then... the calculations would never end." "He leads us right on, right through, right up to the threshold of Heaven. He does not say to us, ever, 'Here it is.' He says only, 'Here am I. Fear not.'" "If a duty is clear, the dangers surrounding it are irrelevant." "It is not easy to hold things lightly. Once we have them, we want to keep them." "When one is stripped of all outward evidences of God's blessings, there is a deeper comfort. The soul who loves God only for Himself, apart from His gifts, knows indescribable peace." "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." "The Lord gives us a moment at a time, and trusts us to invest it for eternity." "Do the next thing." The author concludes her book with "The takeaway from their lives is a reckless abandon for God".

This is a Christian must read. If you are an E. Elliot fan, this is the real Elisabeth, her inner self, what made her tick, how she related to her God. I have always loved her works, but this really gave me more insight into her inner workings with God. If you aren’t especially an Elisabeth fan, or don’t know about her, this is the story of a real Christian, the highs the lows, the real deal on a daily basis, not just that everything is always roses and there are no struggles. This gives me a greater insight into my own journey as a Christian, that it’s not a straight line, sometime it can be two forward and one back, and that’s how God works sometimes in our lives. This was an eye opener and a welcome insight into one of the spiritual giants of our times!! A must read!

With craft and wit and wisdom and love, the author turns the reader into an unseen witness of Elisabeth Elliot's heart and spirit. Vaughn's skill turns the legendary icon into a living testimony of God's grace and power. "Not I, but Christ" is fleshed out in Elliott's surrendered life. And, one suspects, in the life of her biographer. God has used Elisabeth's words and works to mentor me for decades. It was sheer joy, salted with some tears, to be challenged and encouraged anew through Vaughn's masterful, microscopic mirroring of God's work in and through Elisabeth's early life. Read it.

Wow. I don't even know where to start 😂. Well, I had no idea what I was signing for when I started this book. To be honest the thing that intrigued me was the fact that this story is about the wife of the missionary who was killed by the violent natives in Ecuador. I remember the movie from some years ago and I sincerely never thought much of the wife, Elisabeth Elliot. I always imagined missionaries as these supernatural beings..selfless to the core with little to none spiritual struggles. I always sort of felt bad because I thought their struggles were just so ''insignificant'' compared to ours the ''big'' sinners. Wellllllll😂 Nope. This book is so interesting because it is not an autobiography or even a recollection of missionary stories, it is a book based on the JOURNAL of Elisabeth Elliot. You can't get more personal than that. And yeah, we see her childhood years, her teen years, her love life, the author did a great job inserting many interesting journal entries, and to be honest, it opened up a whole new perspective for me. Elisabeth Elliot has her struggles as a teen and young adult. She had a VERY complicated temper and there are still somethings she did I have no idea why she did 😂. But yeah, this book makes missionaries much more relatable. It has beautiful quotes by many great Christians scattered throughout and it inspires you to build that beautiful relationship with God more and more. I know Elisabeth wrote many books and even her own biography, but I believe journals serve better than a memory 😆. There was a part where the author told how Elisabeth practically didn't remember her bizarre teenage years! She once read her journals and didn't remember the girl she wrote about. Later in life, Elisabeth was diagnosed with dementia, so these journals are the more reliable source of information, in my opinion. This book does a wonderful job illustrating how we are all broken people, yet made whole in Him. God uses our imperfections, just like Elisabeth's, for His glory. It was a truly interesting book.

While many people are familiar with the name Elisabeth Elliot, her story is not as familiar among a younger generation of Christians. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn intends to change that. Becoming Elisabeth Elliot is the first of a two volume biography. This work stands out as Vaughn has made extensive use of Elliot's own journals which she began keeping as a teenager and her husband Jim Elliot's journals. Vaughn also uses interviews with numerous others who worked with Elisabeth or are related to those who did and photographs. These journals had not been published before and offer a new, personal, unfiltered look at Elliot and her life. Vaughn deftly uses excerpts from the journals, interviews, and other materials to create an immensely readable and enjoyable glimpse into the human behind the legend that Elisabeth Elliot became. Starting as a child, Elliot focused fully on obeying God's word. Going into all the world to preach the Gospel was not a suggestion but God's command. Although Elliot is often seen as a spiritual giant, Vaughn's use of her journals indicates that Elliot struggled with many normal young adult issues and provides an unique look at her experiences dating and her courtship with husband Jim as well as other relationships. A particularly intriguing aspect of Becoming Elisabeth Elliot is the up close and personal look at the interaction between various missionaries and mission agencies as they worked to carry out their desire to carry the Gospel to unreached people groups. While working towards the same goal, readers are reminded that the missionaries and mission agencies mentioned are indeed humans who wrestled with a variety of human traits and foibles. Becoming Elisabeth Elliot is highly recommended to anyone who is interested in world missions or missionaries. Reading this will inspire many to follow God more closely. I look forward to reading the second volume and learning more about this missionary giant. I received a complementary copy from Broadman & Holman via NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I am not required to provide a positive review.

Ellen Vaughn painstakingly culls through a myriad of resources, journals, personal letters and interviews to reveal the persona of ELISABETH ELLIOT. Ms. Vaughn, through beautiful and honest writing, captures the essence of Elisabeth Elliot in this captivating biography. Well researched and well documented, including extensive references, Ms. Vaughn should be lauded for the magnitude - and resounding success- of this endeavor. My only disappointment: having to wait for the next installment in Volume II ! I have read a number of EE books and listened to her podcasts; I have always been humbled and amazed at her relentless faith and obedience to God. However, Ms. Vaughn has allowed me to grasp more insights into this amazing woman. This book is a remarkable biography of a remarkable woman. Regardless of what you may know of the Auca mission and the dramatic deaths of the five missionaries in the 1950’s, you will glean so much more spiritual insight by reading this biography. While I have always respected EE’s life and speeches, I have come away enriched beyond what I would have imagined. Indeed, Ms. Vaughn has captured the essence of EE, the proverbial ‘good, bad, and ugly’ - and that honest portrayal of Elisabeth Elliot endears her to us all the more. She is not depicted as godly saint on a pedestal; instead she is portrayed as a mere mortal (like the rest of us) who suffered failures, anguish, inward disappointments, outward ridicule and disrespect.... yet remained faithful to God and His love for her. This is one of THE BEST biographies I have ever read! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy

In Becoming Elisabeth Elliot, Ellen Vaughn wades into the complicated backstory of a woman described by Joni Erickson Tada as “a captain–not a private–in the army of God.” (73) Newcomers to Elliot’s life will receive a crash course in the content from her first five or six books. Those already familiar with the stories about an agonizing and prolonged courtship, fiery young visionaries contacting a dangerous and unreached tribe, five missionaries speared to death, and a widow with a toddler learning the language of her husband’s killers will have the delightful experience of hearing those stories in a different voice. It’s clear from the outset that Elisabeth Howard Elliot was born into a family designed to prepare her for a rigorous obedience to God. Trained in discipleship and clear thinking, “the Howard family didn’t talk about emotions; they exhorted one another for the glory of God.” (720) However, Vaughn’s access to Elisabeth’s journals and correspondence offer readers the gift of insight into some of Elisabeth’s wrestling, the continual recalibration of her will to God’s will. In order to say with integrity, “Suffering is never for nothing,” to write books describing discipline as a “glad surrender” and God’s guidance as “a slow and certain light,” one has to subscribe to the path of daily self-death. In a life marked by huge upheavals and opportunities for both glory and sorrow, it was evident that Elisabeth Elliot became her awe-inspiring self, not in the dramatic chapters of her life documented by Life Magazine, but rather in her commitment to daily faithfulness in the unseen places. A faith both brutally practical and unmistakably mystical carried her into a life of bold truth-telling, forged in a crucible of loneliness and puzzlement over the ways of God. Leaning hard into her questions, she found God to be faithful and embraced him as “both journey and destination.” (3946) In her thoroughly researched and compelling presentation of Elisabeth Elliot’s life, author Ellen Vaughn concluded that Elisabeth’s story served to strengthen her own story, and that has been my own experience as well. The truth that sustained Elisabeth through the roaring storms and the dismal silences is the same truth that will sustain me. The bracing lessons that emerged from her missionary career resonate today for all of us who embrace a faithful following: “God will not fail to do His part, which is ultimately the only part that matters.” Living this reality, Elisabeth Elliot gained what she could not lose. Many thanks to NetGalley and to B&H Publishing for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which, of course, is offered freely and with honesty.

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.

A humbling look into the life of Betty Howard Elliot. It follows the letters and journals of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot. From her humble beginnings to their first meeting and the wait of five years til they marry. Amazing people. You may have read and heard their stories, but this one goes deeper. It's their thoughts and deep convictions. Talk about sacrifice! Sacrifice upon sacrifice. They were truly called of God and ANSWERED! With their whole hearts and lives. While many may scoff at their devotion, we look at their lives and see Jim and Elisabeth's deep desire to put God first. There is just some thing about a person who cares so much about the lost, to take the message of God's redeeming love to savages. Ellen Vaughn writes about the turmoil and anxiousness of waiting on God's timing. About learning a language so foreign that it takes years to translate. About finding hope and direction after the bruising reality of grief. Ellen translates the words of two flawed mortal people, not to grant them sainthood, but to see them as they really were. Flesh and blood humans, with hopes and dreams, hurts and disappointments, joys and sorrows, isolation and loneliness. Elisabeth was a prolific writer She wrote about her time with the Waodani Indians, the very ones who killed her husband. She wrote over 20 books and was a speaker well into her seventies. When she walked into the jungle with her 3 year old daughter, she didn't know what was ahead. Would the Stone Age people kill her too? She was ready to lay down her life because she believed she should obey the call of God, whatever the price. A quote from Joni Eareckson Tata~ "Courage is rare. Good character, rarer. Moral purity feels arcane. Suffering should be mitigated at all costs. And if it cannot be avoided, it must be drugged, divorced, escaped from, or prayed away." The wisdom Elisabeth Elliot left for Joni. "Suffering is never for nothing." I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Elizabeth Eliott was a friend of mine....I heard her FIRST at an INTER VARSITY seminar when I was in college......entranced by her STAUNCH....almost frightening strength....I was REALLY intrigued...so, after that first introduction...I would get anything I could get my hands on....that she wrote...or said....or where she might be speaking......then....time crawled on and she dissipated...then poof...almost out of the blue she appeared again.....and we kicked up our friendship thru letters and occassional very long.....deep phone conversations and when schedules were aligned...we would meet for lunch or dinner. What I treasure...now....most....are the stacks of her letters that I have...sitting in a beautiful glass box in my living room. We...certainly....were...kindred spirits.....as my perspective and much of the development of my inner soul and being a REAL WOMEN....was fashioned by her wisdom and her involvement in my life......as her guidance and knowledge....was...in itself......a jewel to be able to ENJOY and SOAK IN. So.....with ALL that being said.....this book is a newbie to me.....I've yet to see this one......but based on the wisdom and the SHEER beauty of her life story....and her work....I will order this tonight.....I mean.....come on....I HAVE TOO.....she was my FRIEND...!!!!! For those of you who...unfortunately....will never meet her....might I suggest you buy this book...,,ANY ANY ANY of her books.....if you want a grande and very SOUND interpretation of what it really means to be a Godly woman....she pulled NO PUNCHES.....and was VERY unique and headstrong about the differences of men and women......and the separate ROLES and how each gender are to act and to respond .....under the authority of Gods word and HIS definite order in the world. To call her my friend.....she was extremely instrumental.....in sculpting the inner foundation of my heart and soul....she was a GIFT to me.......and WILL BE TO YOU........... as well......BUY THIS BOOK...!!!!!!!!!

Becoming Elisabeth Elliot describes in expansive detail the life of Elisabeth “Betty” Elliot. The author, though still an author in all regards, frequently functions as an editor as Becoming makes extensive use of the journals of Jim Elliot, Elisabeth Elliot, and others whew knew them. The reader encounters nothing close to a hagiography. Instead, we see an honest Elisabeth Elliot as a follower of Christ and all the challenges that come with it in this life. With Elisabeth, the reader will experience sadness, joy, heartache, longing, grief, and peace. Elisabeth Elliot was not perfect, but many comfortable Christians, myself included, would do well reflect on the radical self-denial depicted in this book. I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review purposes. My comments are independent and my own.

Becoming Elisabeth Elliot is a biography by author Ellen Vaughn. The author grew up in a Christian family like Elisabeth Elliot’s. Her family hosted missionaries so the author became familiar with them. Author Ellen Vaughn read Elisabeth’s books and heard her speak at Prison Fellowship. I believe this helps anchor and inform the reader. I thought it was fascinating to learn about the spark that developed between Elisabeth and Jim Elliot. I am grateful to have been able to attend one of Elisabeth’s conferences as she spoke about her love for Jesus and Jim’s missionary life. This book is organized into three parts. The first part is the death of Jim Elliot which drew Elisabeth into a missionary life with a stone-age group. Because of her work, many were saved. Part two is how Elisabeth became who she was and her belief in being totally sold-out to Christ. Even willing to die for Him. Part three is what happened next and a note from the author. I recommend this book to fans of biographies. Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

“Yes, Lord”; the words Elisabeth framed her life around. What an amazing, resilient, strong woman! Ellen Vaughn’s poignant biography of Elisabeth Elliot is an intimate look into the life of a woman who only wanted to live for Christ. Her mentors, such as missionary Betty Scott Stam, Mrs. Dubose, Amy Carmichael all helped shape her into the woman she became. Not all is a rosy picture, she tells of her life with husband Jim and the struggles of their relationship, his horrific death, and her desire to continue his work. I found myself highlighting passage after passage in this book as it is extraordinarily inspiring. I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and was under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I picked up this book first because Ellen Vaughn is a colleague of sorts (we worked at the same organization, just at different times) and a good writer, and second, out of curiosity. To be perfectly honest, while I greatly respected the Elliots' accomplishments, I never got the appeal of their up-and-down-and-on-and-off courtship. "Passion and Purity" made me vaguely queasy. I wanted to read Ellen's analysis and try to figure out these lives and relationships. I still don't get the courtship. (And to her great credit, Ellen paints it less as "epic love story given to us directly by God" and more as "confused guy dithers for a long time over whether to marry his girlfriend," which I think is a good deal nearer the mark.) But I do admire Elisabeth more than I did -- I even like her! It's true that in her younger days Elisabeth was the sort of gushy Christian ("isn't the Lord wonderful!" tacked on to every other sentence) that I never quite know what to make of. But as she worked and suffered and matured, she displayed the kind of unrelenting faith and obedience, even in the worst circumstances, that wins genuine respect. She also became a little more realistic and down-to-earth and less gushy. And it was truly compelling to read about her struggles with strict personalities like her mother and Rachel Saint, and her attempts to push back against legalistic Christianity. I'm dying to know which of her books were banned from Christian bookstores, and why! And I'm now SUPER curious to find out how this Elisabeth became the Elisabeth who wrote "Passion and Purity" and started coming across to the world as fairly strict and unyielding herself. In short, Ellen has done a great job with a difficult task. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out.

“Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” Old Saxon Poem This poem was a favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often quoted. She took to heart the advice “do the next thing” and she did so throughout her adult life regardless of her feelings or circumstances. I was first introduced to the writings of Elisabeth Elliot in 1984. That opened the door for me to start my collection which now includes every book as well as every pamphlet Elisabeth Elliot wrote. I had the opportunity to meet Elisabeth Elliot in person, share a brief conversation with her and receive a personal note from her. I have listened to many hours of her Gateway to Joy Radio Program and received her Newsletter for many years. I also have heard Valerie Shepherd speak at my Church as she shared about writing DEVOTEDLY(The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot). Also, I have given numerous copies of EE’s books to friends through the years. I read Ellen Vaughn’s Authorized Biography with a very open mind. I believe her title BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT is an excellent description for everything she brings forth in her writing. She starts with Betty Howard’s (Elisabeth Elliot) life as a child and works her way slowly through her school years and time at a Boarding School in FL, Wheaton College, meeting Jim Elliot, their separate calls to the mission field, the separate training each went through prior to going overseas, serving in different areas, etc. Vaughn shows a young child developing into a teenager, college student, young adult, single adult missionary, young married, mother, widow, and single mother mIssionary in the jungle. All of this adds into the becoming of Elisabeth Elliot. To many who have followed the writing and speaking ministries of EE for many years, they know she was known as “Betty” to her family, close friends and those on the mission field. After her husband Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were savagely killed while attempting to make contact with the Waodani Indians in the jungle of Ecuador, it was Betty that was chosen to write their story to share with the world. When Through Gates of Splendor was published, the world was introduced to Elisabeth Elliot. Little did anyone know what an effect the publishing of that book would have on the rest of EE’s life! Vaughn has a monumental task in attempting to write the Biography of such a well known woman and one who is beloved by many. She has been allowed the use of EE’s personal diaries as well as Interviews with family members and friends. She also has spent untold hours researching through a vast number of existing articles, past interviews and even made a trip to visit the actual Waodani Indians and see the place that changed and shaped the rest of Elisabeth’s life and ministry. It is through this lens that Vaughn writes how she observes Betty Elliot becoming Elisabeth Elliot. Elliot was not a saint — as her own diaries will testify. She was a woman of great depth and feeling. She struggled mightily to follow God and to do His Will at — any cost. Even when EE recognized her spiritual gift of linguistics, she would not force them to be used in an effort to ensure a quicker written language for the Waodani. She always kept her mind sharp (not the easiest thing to do in a jungle setting), was available to treat illnesses, snakebites, be a midwife or deal with whatever other crises might arise. She struggled with what her ministry should be. She struggled with loneliness, a theme that she would write several books about. She struggled with her grief over Jim’s death. Yet she never lost faith in God. God used EE’s extraordinary communication skills of writing and public speaking to influence many generations to make professions of faith, decide they wanted to have a deeper walk with God, dedicate their lives to working on the mission field and just understanding what it means to answer God’s Call on their life. This book states that it is only Volume 1. It is easy to see why there would need to be a Volume 2. So much of Volume 1 is obviously about her time in Ecuador and her early writings. At the conclusion, it quickly touches on the rest of her life but more as a hit and run approach than the detailed approach of her life in Ecuador. Another favorite quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often shared explains what she learned from the death of her young husband and the other four missionaries: “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.” Elisabeth Elliot continually sought the path of obedience, no matter the cost. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by B&H Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I am a fast reader. Not so with "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot." I savored every word, underlined and highlighted so much, and wrote in the margins when something touched me personally and deeply. Needless to say, I have given several of these books as gifts, but I will not part with my copy. It is more like a personal journal. I had the privilege to work with Elisabeth on several programs and even had her to my home for dinner - but now I feel like I truly know her heart. Thank you, Ellen, for writing such a rich biography about a woman who has touched so many lives - including mine. If you knew Elisabeth, or just heard of her - if you read her books or heard her speak - you must read this book. It will change your life and help you to see life through His perspective - which is what Elisabeth's life was based on. I loved this book and did not expect to grow so deeply from it. Outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

In my youth and young adulthood, a family-owned Christian bookstore operated so near home that I could ride my bike there to spend my babysitting money. Amid the theologically diverse content of its shelves, God led me to Elisabeth Elliot as one of my first mentors in the Christian faith. Through her I found Amy Carmichael. I wanted to know God like those women knew God. I wanted to be greatly used by Him. They were my heroes. What naivete hid from me was the extraordinarily high, painful cost of their mature faith. In the half-dozen times I saw Elisabeth Elliot speak, in all her books I read, in her radio program Gateway to Joy, in her quarterly newsletter, she seemed so logical. Unemotional even. Her calm, collected, reserved demeanor as she talked of the loss of her first husband to martyrdom (at the hands of a remote tribe he sought to reach with the gospel) amazed me. When she wrote or spoke of the loss of her second husband to cancer, I mistook her poise in speaking for her poise in grief. Now I understand the softening effect of decades that enabled her to touch the scars without observably wincing. That never meant the wounds that caused them were without profound sorrow. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot corrects that misunderstanding and does so largely in Elisabeth’s own words, from copious journals and letters to which the family gave biographer Ellen Vaughn access. Vaughn shapes the source material in a way that brings the young Elisabeth to vibrant life. All the emotion I didn’t see from Elisabeth in her later speaking ministry pours forth on these pages. We glimpse the family of her youth, read the story of how she came to attend a prestigious Christian boarding school and what she found there, experience with her the agonizing wait for Jim to declare his affections and act on them. Vaughn lifts the curtain on Elisabeth’s grief when he died, how that led her to a writing career, what her jungle life as a single mother and missionary was like, and some of the interpersonal friction that grew so severe and unresolvable that Elisabeth left the jungle and returned to the United States. This is not a hagiography that only selects and shares what will keep Elisabeth on the pedestal where many of us have placed her. This is realism. Do not be deceived into thinking a missionary biography will be boring, either. This is a page-turner in a way I did not anticipate, even knowing and loving her work as I do. In short, this is one of my must-reads of 2020. If you love Elisabeth Elliot already, this will increase your affection. If you don’t know her work and story, this would be a fabulous introduction to the rest of her work. Along with Gentle and Lowly, it will find its way into a number of Christmas care packages in the month ahead. I look forward to the planned second volume, which picks up the story of her life after the jungle years.

I loved this book. It gives a side of Elisabeth Elliot that I hadn't heard of before. The author did an excellent job of delving into Elisabeth's life and we get to know more about her and all she experienced because of diaries and more in depth interviews with those who knew her and loved her. I am looking forward to her 2nd book telling more about Elisabeth Elliot's later years.

It is so wonderful to have a book about a hero that provides both positive and negative views of the lady.

I do not have a heart for missionary work...just being honest! Wanted to know why this lady has been held in such high esteem for yrs. Not sure I would have liked her in her youth. But by the end of the book I had tremendous admiration and respect for an amazing, Godly woman! Still don't think she and I could have been "kindreds" but the story of her life and love for the Lord was extraordinary and an eye opener. They don' t seem to make them like this gal anymore!!! Sad...if true.

This is an adventure book, both experiential and spiritual, and it will take you to lands you have not seen or imagined. Reading this story in quiet solitude will lead you deeper, both earthly and spiritual, in the dangers, trials, and victories Betty (Elisabeth Elliott) experienced. I promise, you are in for an exciting time ensconced in this book. Following are a few gems from Becoming Elisabeth Elliot... To Betty, the only measure of any human action came down to one thing: obedience. "If 'success' is defined not by obedience, but by measurable outcomes, then... the calculations would never end." "He leads us right on, right through, right up to the threshold of Heaven. He does not say to us, ever, 'Here it is.' He says only, 'Here am I. Fear not.'" "If a duty is clear, the dangers surrounding it are irrelevant." "It is not easy to hold things lightly. Once we have them, we want to keep them." "When one is stripped of all outward evidences of God's blessings, there is a deeper comfort. The soul who loves God only for Himself, apart from His gifts, knows indescribable peace." "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." "The Lord gives us a moment at a time, and trusts us to invest it for eternity." "Do the next thing." The author concludes her book with "The takeaway from their lives is a reckless abandon for God".

This is a Christian must read. If you are an E. Elliot fan, this is the real Elisabeth, her inner self, what made her tick, how she related to her God. I have always loved her works, but this really gave me more insight into her inner workings with God. If you aren’t especially an Elisabeth fan, or don’t know about her, this is the story of a real Christian, the highs the lows, the real deal on a daily basis, not just that everything is always roses and there are no struggles. This gives me a greater insight into my own journey as a Christian, that it’s not a straight line, sometime it can be two forward and one back, and that’s how God works sometimes in our lives. This was an eye opener and a welcome insight into one of the spiritual giants of our times!! A must read!

With craft and wit and wisdom and love, the author turns the reader into an unseen witness of Elisabeth Elliot's heart and spirit. Vaughn's skill turns the legendary icon into a living testimony of God's grace and power. "Not I, but Christ" is fleshed out in Elliott's surrendered life. And, one suspects, in the life of her biographer. God has used Elisabeth's words and works to mentor me for decades. It was sheer joy, salted with some tears, to be challenged and encouraged anew through Vaughn's masterful, microscopic mirroring of God's work in and through Elisabeth's early life. Read it.

#Becoming Elizabeth Elliot# by Ellen Vaughn is a Christian biography. Ellen Vaughn is a former vice president of executive communications at Prison Fellowship. She speaks at conferences and interviews people in the most hostile parts of the world. She is currently on the board of directors for ICM, the global church developer. She is respected in the Christian world. Elizabeth Elliot has written lots of well known books. She was a missionary. She went to Wheaton College. She looked up to Amy Carmichael. Her daily focus was to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. She was raised learning about missionaries. She and her husband sacrificed their lives working with the unreached people group the Waodani people in Ecuador. They translated the Bible in their language. This people group is known for not wanting outsiders in their area and killing intruders. This book is personable and very inspiring. The author has included segments from Elizabeth Elliot's books. I highly recommend this book. Any Christian can learn from her life example. Thank you to the author, netgalley, the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. The opinions about this book are my own.

I have always loved reading biographies—and been able to write a number of biographies. BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT was inviting to me because many years ago I had the brief opportunity to meet Elisabeth and hear her speak. Also I spent 17 years working with Wycliffe Bible Translators—during which time I met Rachel Saint, Cameron Townsend, Ken Pike and a number of other people mentioned in this book. Ellen Vaughn gets an insider look at this well-known and loved Christian leader. What were the critical turning points in her life story? You will find the answer in these pages from Ellen Vaughn. I was swept up in the story and found the book filled with insights for every reader. In the opening pages, Vaughn says, “So this book, tells the colorful tale of how Elisabeth Elliot came to be, through her adventures in the jungles of Ecuador.” (page 14). I enjoyed reading BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT and highly recommend it. W. Terry Whalin is an editor and the author of more than 60 books including his latest

Becoming Elisabeth Elliot tells the life story of Elisabeth Elliot from birth to her decision to leave Ecuador as a missionary. Ellen Vaughn shares portions of Elisabeth’s journals and letters and this gives the reader into glimpse of Elisabeth’s life that we have not seen before now. Elisabeth seems more human than ever when we read of her struggles of doubts of her role as missionary, her loneliness and her unresolved conflicts with fellow missionary Rachel Saint. Her many devastating disappointments from losing a year of translation work to her husband’s murder show her faithfulness when she wonders why God would allow the situation to happen. A glimpse of her living life with the very people who killed her husband teaches there is no forgiveness too hard. I plan on purchasing this book for others, especially younger women, so Elisabeth’s life is not forgotten. I received a complimentary copy of this book through Net Galley, but all opinions are my own.

I have read many of Elisabeth’s books, listened to her radio programs, and been highly motivated and encouraged by her insights. This biography, written from months and years of research, reading journals and conducting interviews of family, friends and coworkers, brilliantly offers the rest of the story. I knew EE had a life full of challenges and heart breaks, but this book reveals so much more of her early life, up to her move to the US after working with the Waodani tribe. You will see this humble yet capable missionary in another light, and be grateful she did not give up in the storm. What a mentor she was to me - and with this bio, continues to be. Can't wait for the “sequel” revealing the second half of Elisabeth’s life. It's un-put-downable!

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.

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!

I recently received a new biography of Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn for review. 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.

What a joy to read this book! Ellen Vaughn did a wonderful job, not only giving an overview of Elisabeth Elliot’s personal life, but also drawing out major themes of what EE learned as the years went on. I have read other books by and about both Elisabeth and Jim Elliot but this book really added to those previous ones. Since this biography starts with Elisabeth’s home life growing up and moves forward, it really filled in the gaps about what I previously knew about Elisabeth Elliot. I really hope that Ellen Vaughn is going to write another biography and teach me about the later time of Elliot’s life!

Becoming Elisabeth Elliot is an eye opening and refreshing look at the sometimes elusive and picture perfect hero of the faith. Reading many of Elliot’s books everything was centered around God and doing his will. This book gives the reader insight into how Elisabeth Elliot matured and developed into a woman who abandoned her thoughts, emotions and will to pursuing the call the Lord had on her life. I love how Ellen Vaughn not only gives history about Elliot but also about the different people she comes in contact with throughout the book. The people she interacts with and her journal entries help bring to life a real young woman struggling with figuring out what life she is called to lead to bring glory to God. Her life beautifully illustrates that in all things the Lord has a plan and purpose and they are not thwarted as a person seeks to do his ultimate will. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this engaging biography.

Ellen Vaughn does a masterful job of distilling the details of Elisabeth Elliot's early life and presenting both a realistic and compelling picture of a woman of faith. She does not sugar coat her humanness and yet we see her walk with the Lord and His truth shine into every corner of her life. No one has had a greater impact on my spiritually than Elisabeth Elliot's writing and this long awaited biography was worth the wait. ( 5 years seemed like a long time!). I have read numerous books by Elisabeth Elliot and will now reread some of them while I wait for part 2 of Ellen Vaughn's biography of the rest of her life.

I picked up this book first because Ellen Vaughn is a colleague of sorts (we worked at the same organization, just at different times) and a good writer, and second, out of curiosity. To be perfectly honest, while I greatly respected the Elliots' accomplishments, I never got the appeal of their up-and-down-and-on-and-off courtship. "Passion and Purity" made me vaguely queasy. I wanted to read Ellen's analysis and try to figure out these lives and relationships. I still don't get the courtship. (And to her great credit, Ellen paints it less as "epic love story given to us directly by God" and more as "confused guy dithers for a long time over whether to marry his girlfriend," which I think is a good deal nearer the mark.) But I do admire Elisabeth more than I did -- I even like her! It's true that in her younger days Elisabeth was the sort of gushy Christian ("isn't the Lord wonderful!" tacked on to every other sentence) that I never quite know what to make of. But as she worked and suffered and matured, she displayed the kind of unrelenting faith and obedience, even in the worst circumstances, that wins genuine respect. She also became a little more realistic and down-to-earth and less gushy. And it was truly compelling to read about her struggles with strict personalities like her mother and Rachel Saint, and her attempts to push back against legalistic Christianity. I'm dying to know which of her books were banned from Christian bookstores, and why! And I'm now SUPER curious to find out how this Elisabeth became the Elisabeth who wrote "Passion and Purity" and started coming across to the world as fairly strict and unyielding herself. In short, Ellen has done a great job with a difficult task. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out.

“Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” Old Saxon Poem This poem was a favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often quoted. She took to heart the advice “do the next thing” and she did so throughout her adult life regardless of her feelings or circumstances. I was first introduced to the writings of Elisabeth Elliot in 1984. That opened the door for me to start my collection which now includes every book as well as every pamphlet Elisabeth Elliot wrote. I had the opportunity to meet Elisabeth Elliot in person, share a brief conversation with her and receive a personal note from her. I have listened to many hours of her Gateway to Joy Radio Program and received her Newsletter for many years. I also have heard Valerie Shepherd speak at my Church as she shared about writing DEVOTEDLY(The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot). Also, I have given numerous copies of EE’s books to friends through the years. I read Ellen Vaughn’s Authorized Biography with a very open mind. I believe her title BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT is an excellent description for everything she brings forth in her writing. She starts with Betty Howard’s (Elisabeth Elliot) life as a child and works her way slowly through her school years and time at a Boarding School in FL, Wheaton College, meeting Jim Elliot, their separate calls to the mission field, the separate training each went through prior to going overseas, serving in different areas, etc. Vaughn shows a young child developing into a teenager, college student, young adult, single adult missionary, young married, mother, widow, and single mother mIssionary in the jungle. All of this adds into the becoming of Elisabeth Elliot. To many who have followed the writing and speaking ministries of EE for many years, they know she was known as “Betty” to her family, close friends and those on the mission field. After her husband Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were savagely killed while attempting to make contact with the Waodani Indians in the jungle of Ecuador, it was Betty that was chosen to write their story to share with the world. When Through Gates of Splendor was published, the world was introduced to Elisabeth Elliot. Little did anyone know what an effect the publishing of that book would have on the rest of EE’s life! Vaughn has a monumental task in attempting to write the Biography of such a well known woman and one who is beloved by many. She has been allowed the use of EE’s personal diaries as well as Interviews with family members and friends. She also has spent untold hours researching through a vast number of existing articles, past interviews and even made a trip to visit the actual Waodani Indians and see the place that changed and shaped the rest of Elisabeth’s life and ministry. It is through this lens that Vaughn writes how she observes Betty Elliot becoming Elisabeth Elliot. Elliot was not a saint — as her own diaries will testify. She was a woman of great depth and feeling. She struggled mightily to follow God and to do His Will at — any cost. Even when EE recognized her spiritual gift of linguistics, she would not force them to be used in an effort to ensure a quicker written language for the Waodani. She always kept her mind sharp (not the easiest thing to do in a jungle setting), was available to treat illnesses, snakebites, be a midwife or deal with whatever other crises might arise. She struggled with what her ministry should be. She struggled with loneliness, a theme that she would write several books about. She struggled with her grief over Jim’s death. Yet she never lost faith in God. God used EE’s extraordinary communication skills of writing and public speaking to influence many generations to make professions of faith, decide they wanted to have a deeper walk with God, dedicate their lives to working on the mission field and just understanding what it means to answer God’s Call on their life. This book states that it is only Volume 1. It is easy to see why there would need to be a Volume 2. So much of Volume 1 is obviously about her time in Ecuador and her early writings. At the conclusion, it quickly touches on the rest of her life but more as a hit and run approach than the detailed approach of her life in Ecuador. Another favorite quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often shared explains what she learned from the death of her young husband and the other four missionaries: “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.” Elisabeth Elliot continually sought the path of obedience, no matter the cost. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by B&H Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I am a fast reader. Not so with "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot." I savored every word, underlined and highlighted so much, and wrote in the margins when something touched me personally and deeply. Needless to say, I have given several of these books as gifts, but I will not part with my copy. It is more like a personal journal. I had the privilege to work with Elisabeth on several programs and even had her to my home for dinner - but now I feel like I truly know her heart. Thank you, Ellen, for writing such a rich biography about a woman who has touched so many lives - including mine. If you knew Elisabeth, or just heard of her - if you read her books or heard her speak - you must read this book. It will change your life and help you to see life through His perspective - which is what Elisabeth's life was based on. I loved this book and did not expect to grow so deeply from it. Outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

In my youth and young adulthood, a family-owned Christian bookstore operated so near home that I could ride my bike there to spend my babysitting money. Amid the theologically diverse content of its shelves, God led me to Elisabeth Elliot as one of my first mentors in the Christian faith. Through her I found Amy Carmichael. I wanted to know God like those women knew God. I wanted to be greatly used by Him. They were my heroes. What naivete hid from me was the extraordinarily high, painful cost of their mature faith. In the half-dozen times I saw Elisabeth Elliot speak, in all her books I read, in her radio program Gateway to Joy, in her quarterly newsletter, she seemed so logical. Unemotional even. Her calm, collected, reserved demeanor as she talked of the loss of her first husband to martyrdom (at the hands of a remote tribe he sought to reach with the gospel) amazed me. When she wrote or spoke of the loss of her second husband to cancer, I mistook her poise in speaking for her poise in grief. Now I understand the softening effect of decades that enabled her to touch the scars without observably wincing. That never meant the wounds that caused them were without profound sorrow. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot corrects that misunderstanding and does so largely in Elisabeth’s own words, from copious journals and letters to which the family gave biographer Ellen Vaughn access. Vaughn shapes the source material in a way that brings the young Elisabeth to vibrant life. All the emotion I didn’t see from Elisabeth in her later speaking ministry pours forth on these pages. We glimpse the family of her youth, read the story of how she came to attend a prestigious Christian boarding school and what she found there, experience with her the agonizing wait for Jim to declare his affections and act on them. Vaughn lifts the curtain on Elisabeth’s grief when he died, how that led her to a writing career, what her jungle life as a single mother and missionary was like, and some of the interpersonal friction that grew so severe and unresolvable that Elisabeth left the jungle and returned to the United States. This is not a hagiography that only selects and shares what will keep Elisabeth on the pedestal where many of us have placed her. This is realism. Do not be deceived into thinking a missionary biography will be boring, either. This is a page-turner in a way I did not anticipate, even knowing and loving her work as I do. In short, this is one of my must-reads of 2020. If you love Elisabeth Elliot already, this will increase your affection. If you don’t know her work and story, this would be a fabulous introduction to the rest of her work. Along with Gentle and Lowly, it will find its way into a number of Christmas care packages in the month ahead. I look forward to the planned second volume, which picks up the story of her life after the jungle years.

I loved this book. It gives a side of Elisabeth Elliot that I hadn't heard of before. The author did an excellent job of delving into Elisabeth's life and we get to know more about her and all she experienced because of diaries and more in depth interviews with those who knew her and loved her. I am looking forward to her 2nd book telling more about Elisabeth Elliot's later years.

It is so wonderful to have a book about a hero that provides both positive and negative views of the lady.

I do not have a heart for missionary work...just being honest! Wanted to know why this lady has been held in such high esteem for yrs. Not sure I would have liked her in her youth. But by the end of the book I had tremendous admiration and respect for an amazing, Godly woman! Still don't think she and I could have been "kindreds" but the story of her life and love for the Lord was extraordinary and an eye opener. They don' t seem to make them like this gal anymore!!! Sad...if true.

This is an adventure book, both experiential and spiritual, and it will take you to lands you have not seen or imagined. Reading this story in quiet solitude will lead you deeper, both earthly and spiritual, in the dangers, trials, and victories Betty (Elisabeth Elliott) experienced. I promise, you are in for an exciting time ensconced in this book. Following are a few gems from Becoming Elisabeth Elliot... To Betty, the only measure of any human action came down to one thing: obedience. "If 'success' is defined not by obedience, but by measurable outcomes, then... the calculations would never end." "He leads us right on, right through, right up to the threshold of Heaven. He does not say to us, ever, 'Here it is.' He says only, 'Here am I. Fear not.'" "If a duty is clear, the dangers surrounding it are irrelevant." "It is not easy to hold things lightly. Once we have them, we want to keep them." "When one is stripped of all outward evidences of God's blessings, there is a deeper comfort. The soul who loves God only for Himself, apart from His gifts, knows indescribable peace." "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." "The Lord gives us a moment at a time, and trusts us to invest it for eternity." "Do the next thing." The author concludes her book with "The takeaway from their lives is a reckless abandon for God".

This is a Christian must read. If you are an E. Elliot fan, this is the real Elisabeth, her inner self, what made her tick, how she related to her God. I have always loved her works, but this really gave me more insight into her inner workings with God. If you aren’t especially an Elisabeth fan, or don’t know about her, this is the story of a real Christian, the highs the lows, the real deal on a daily basis, not just that everything is always roses and there are no struggles. This gives me a greater insight into my own journey as a Christian, that it’s not a straight line, sometime it can be two forward and one back, and that’s how God works sometimes in our lives. This was an eye opener and a welcome insight into one of the spiritual giants of our times!! A must read!

With craft and wit and wisdom and love, the author turns the reader into an unseen witness of Elisabeth Elliot's heart and spirit. Vaughn's skill turns the legendary icon into a living testimony of God's grace and power. "Not I, but Christ" is fleshed out in Elliott's surrendered life. And, one suspects, in the life of her biographer. God has used Elisabeth's words and works to mentor me for decades. It was sheer joy, salted with some tears, to be challenged and encouraged anew through Vaughn's masterful, microscopic mirroring of God's work in and through Elisabeth's early life. Read it.

I discovered Elisabeth Elliot when I was in middle school. My Bible teacher at my Christian school put on the documentary, Beyond the Gates of Splendor, and I was captivated by the story of the five missionaries who gave everything to try and reach the Waodani tribe. I began to get as many of Elisabeth Elliot’s books as I could and I poured over them. She became a spiritual mentor and friend to me. Honestly, in many ways, the story of Elisabeth and Jim Elliot is what pushed me to examine my own faith and relationship with Jesus. I realized I didn’t follow Jesus the way they did, and I wanted to! My sweet friend passed this book along to me a few weeks ago and it has been such a blessing. What I love most about it is how different of a perspective it gives on Elisabeth Elliot’s life than sometimes what people perceive about her from how she spoke or wrote. You are able to hear her thoughts throughout the early stages of her life and see behind the scenes in some of her most pivotal moments. And while I’m sure she would remind us that we don’t really need to know exactly who she is (and she would also probably say God forbid any of us find out exactly who she is), there was something so beautiful to me about seeing all of the messy and real parts of her life and how Jesus was always her source. While the world would love to put Elisabeth Elliot on a pedestal for her amazing accomplishments in missionary work and bravery in the face of suffering, this book reveals how she really didn’t feel like those things were true. And in a lot of ways, things were a lot more complicated in her life than how they are presented for the pedestal she’s put on- and it’s so much more beautiful that way! Because her life points to Christ all the more! His power is made perfect in our weakness! I just loved this book and found myself pausing a lot as I read to reflect on how valuable it was to glean insights from Elisabeth Elliot’s life and what she learned walking with the Lord. What a blessing! Ellen Vaughn has just done an incredible job and you will be immensely blessed by reading this biography. I can hardly wait for the second volume.

A powerful life story of a believer who was surrendered to the Lord and desired to be faithfully obedient to Him above all else. This book encouraged and challenged me with the great example of how Elisabeth Elliot lived her life directed by the will of God. I appreciated the inside look into her life in this well thought out and superbly written biography. Ellen Vaughn shared not only the amazing example of Elisabeth's strong faith in the Lord, but also the doubts and struggles she had that we all face and how she overcame them to serve the Lord as He called her to do. I highly recommend this book! Thanks to NetGalley and B&H books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Vaughn did an amazing job of organizing so much material and presenting it in a balanced inspiring biography. And by inspiring, I do not mean Elisabeth Elliot was presented as an unattainable role model. What inspired me most was how honest Vaughn was in revealing Elisabeth's "humaness", her doubts, mental struggles etc. Because I could definitely relate to these. And yet this biography was so comforting and encouraging to remind me that God is sovereign, has always worked through imperfect people, and will hold on to us as we walk this walk of faith.

I was thoroughly pleased with the contents of this audio. The person who was speaking it did a great job I’m delivering a heartfelt story. I would encourage anyone to purchase this audio. You will not be disappointed!

The life of Elisabeth Elliot has had a significant influence on my life and faith for the past 25 years. I wish I could have read Ellen Vaughn’s biography on Elliot’s life 25 years ago in conjunction with Elisabeth Elliot’s books. Vaughn’s biography beautifully paints the complex biographical portrait, and it has left me with both a greater understanding of who Elizabeth Elliot was and the decisions she made in life, and more importantly, who God is. This is a must-read biography.

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.

What a realistic and excellently written book about Elisabeth Elliott! The author did a remarkable job.

Before this book, I thought i knew everything there was to know about Elisabeth Elliott. I've read all of her books and watched the movie. Not so! I learned so much more about her early years, her courtship with Jim, and her call to the mission field. The writing is easy to follow and entertaining. You will not be disappointed if you choose to read this book.

An amazing book on someone who has had a significant impact on my faith.

This was a very detailed account of the early life of Elisabeth Elliot. All I ever knew about her was she was a missionary and her husband was one of the men that was killed by the Waodani tribe in Ecuador. That was it. Wow, there’s SO much more! The details of Elisabeth’s early years was interesting, and sometimes boring, like any of our lives would be if detailed in a book. The author did a great job of putting all the information together and made it interesting and sometimes painful to read. Some of her thoughts were very private and reading them almost made me feel like I shouldn’t know these things. But, it completed the picture of who she was and made her much more human. The life of a missionary is much harder than I ever dreamed it would be. Her calling to serve Jesus however, wherever, whenever was a testament to her strong faith and made my life a bit shallow. This quote says it all: “I suppose the general opinion of missionary work says that it is intended to bring [people] to Christ. Only God knows if anything in my ‘missionary career’ has ever contributed anything at all to this end. But much in that ‘career’ has brought me to Christ.” Elisabeth Elliot

I picked up this book first because Ellen Vaughn is a colleague of sorts (we worked at the same organization, just at different times) and a good writer, and second, out of curiosity. To be perfectly honest, while I greatly respected the Elliots' accomplishments, I never got the appeal of their up-and-down-and-on-and-off courtship. "Passion and Purity" made me vaguely queasy. I wanted to read Ellen's analysis and try to figure out these lives and relationships. I still don't get the courtship. (And to her great credit, Ellen paints it less as "epic love story given to us directly by God" and more as "confused guy dithers for a long time over whether to marry his girlfriend," which I think is a good deal nearer the mark.) But I do admire Elisabeth more than I did -- I even like her! It's true that in her younger days Elisabeth was the sort of gushy Christian ("isn't the Lord wonderful!" tacked on to every other sentence) that I never quite know what to make of. But as she worked and suffered and matured, she displayed the kind of unrelenting faith and obedience, even in the worst circumstances, that wins genuine respect. She also became a little more realistic and down-to-earth and less gushy. And it was truly compelling to read about her struggles with strict personalities like her mother and Rachel Saint, and her attempts to push back against legalistic Christianity. I'm dying to know which of her books were banned from Christian bookstores, and why! And I'm now SUPER curious to find out how this Elisabeth became the Elisabeth who wrote "Passion and Purity" and started coming across to the world as fairly strict and unyielding herself. In short, Ellen has done a great job with a difficult task. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out.

“Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” Old Saxon Poem This poem was a favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often quoted. She took to heart the advice “do the next thing” and she did so throughout her adult life regardless of her feelings or circumstances. I was first introduced to the writings of Elisabeth Elliot in 1984. That opened the door for me to start my collection which now includes every book as well as every pamphlet Elisabeth Elliot wrote. I had the opportunity to meet Elisabeth Elliot in person, share a brief conversation with her and receive a personal note from her. I have listened to many hours of her Gateway to Joy Radio Program and received her Newsletter for many years. I also have heard Valerie Shepherd speak at my Church as she shared about writing DEVOTEDLY(The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot). Also, I have given numerous copies of EE’s books to friends through the years. I read Ellen Vaughn’s Authorized Biography with a very open mind. I believe her title BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT is an excellent description for everything she brings forth in her writing. She starts with Betty Howard’s (Elisabeth Elliot) life as a child and works her way slowly through her school years and time at a Boarding School in FL, Wheaton College, meeting Jim Elliot, their separate calls to the mission field, the separate training each went through prior to going overseas, serving in different areas, etc. Vaughn shows a young child developing into a teenager, college student, young adult, single adult missionary, young married, mother, widow, and single mother mIssionary in the jungle. All of this adds into the becoming of Elisabeth Elliot. To many who have followed the writing and speaking ministries of EE for many years, they know she was known as “Betty” to her family, close friends and those on the mission field. After her husband Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were savagely killed while attempting to make contact with the Waodani Indians in the jungle of Ecuador, it was Betty that was chosen to write their story to share with the world. When Through Gates of Splendor was published, the world was introduced to Elisabeth Elliot. Little did anyone know what an effect the publishing of that book would have on the rest of EE’s life! Vaughn has a monumental task in attempting to write the Biography of such a well known woman and one who is beloved by many. She has been allowed the use of EE’s personal diaries as well as Interviews with family members and friends. She also has spent untold hours researching through a vast number of existing articles, past interviews and even made a trip to visit the actual Waodani Indians and see the place that changed and shaped the rest of Elisabeth’s life and ministry. It is through this lens that Vaughn writes how she observes Betty Elliot becoming Elisabeth Elliot. Elliot was not a saint — as her own diaries will testify. She was a woman of great depth and feeling. She struggled mightily to follow God and to do His Will at — any cost. Even when EE recognized her spiritual gift of linguistics, she would not force them to be used in an effort to ensure a quicker written language for the Waodani. She always kept her mind sharp (not the easiest thing to do in a jungle setting), was available to treat illnesses, snakebites, be a midwife or deal with whatever other crises might arise. She struggled with what her ministry should be. She struggled with loneliness, a theme that she would write several books about. She struggled with her grief over Jim’s death. Yet she never lost faith in God. God used EE’s extraordinary communication skills of writing and public speaking to influence many generations to make professions of faith, decide they wanted to have a deeper walk with God, dedicate their lives to working on the mission field and just understanding what it means to answer God’s Call on their life. This book states that it is only Volume 1. It is easy to see why there would need to be a Volume 2. So much of Volume 1 is obviously about her time in Ecuador and her early writings. At the conclusion, it quickly touches on the rest of her life but more as a hit and run approach than the detailed approach of her life in Ecuador. Another favorite quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often shared explains what she learned from the death of her young husband and the other four missionaries: “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.” Elisabeth Elliot continually sought the path of obedience, no matter the cost. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by B&H Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I am a fast reader. Not so with "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot." I savored every word, underlined and highlighted so much, and wrote in the margins when something touched me personally and deeply. Needless to say, I have given several of these books as gifts, but I will not part with my copy. It is more like a personal journal. I had the privilege to work with Elisabeth on several programs and even had her to my home for dinner - but now I feel like I truly know her heart. Thank you, Ellen, for writing such a rich biography about a woman who has touched so many lives - including mine. If you knew Elisabeth, or just heard of her - if you read her books or heard her speak - you must read this book. It will change your life and help you to see life through His perspective - which is what Elisabeth's life was based on. I loved this book and did not expect to grow so deeply from it. Outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

In my youth and young adulthood, a family-owned Christian bookstore operated so near home that I could ride my bike there to spend my babysitting money. Amid the theologically diverse content of its shelves, God led me to Elisabeth Elliot as one of my first mentors in the Christian faith. Through her I found Amy Carmichael. I wanted to know God like those women knew God. I wanted to be greatly used by Him. They were my heroes. What naivete hid from me was the extraordinarily high, painful cost of their mature faith. In the half-dozen times I saw Elisabeth Elliot speak, in all her books I read, in her radio program Gateway to Joy, in her quarterly newsletter, she seemed so logical. Unemotional even. Her calm, collected, reserved demeanor as she talked of the loss of her first husband to martyrdom (at the hands of a remote tribe he sought to reach with the gospel) amazed me. When she wrote or spoke of the loss of her second husband to cancer, I mistook her poise in speaking for her poise in grief. Now I understand the softening effect of decades that enabled her to touch the scars without observably wincing. That never meant the wounds that caused them were without profound sorrow. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot corrects that misunderstanding and does so largely in Elisabeth’s own words, from copious journals and letters to which the family gave biographer Ellen Vaughn access. Vaughn shapes the source material in a way that brings the young Elisabeth to vibrant life. All the emotion I didn’t see from Elisabeth in her later speaking ministry pours forth on these pages. We glimpse the family of her youth, read the story of how she came to attend a prestigious Christian boarding school and what she found there, experience with her the agonizing wait for Jim to declare his affections and act on them. Vaughn lifts the curtain on Elisabeth’s grief when he died, how that led her to a writing career, what her jungle life as a single mother and missionary was like, and some of the interpersonal friction that grew so severe and unresolvable that Elisabeth left the jungle and returned to the United States. This is not a hagiography that only selects and shares what will keep Elisabeth on the pedestal where many of us have placed her. This is realism. Do not be deceived into thinking a missionary biography will be boring, either. This is a page-turner in a way I did not anticipate, even knowing and loving her work as I do. In short, this is one of my must-reads of 2020. If you love Elisabeth Elliot already, this will increase your affection. If you don’t know her work and story, this would be a fabulous introduction to the rest of her work. Along with Gentle and Lowly, it will find its way into a number of Christmas care packages in the month ahead. I look forward to the planned second volume, which picks up the story of her life after the jungle years.

I loved this book. It gives a side of Elisabeth Elliot that I hadn't heard of before. The author did an excellent job of delving into Elisabeth's life and we get to know more about her and all she experienced because of diaries and more in depth interviews with those who knew her and loved her. I am looking forward to her 2nd book telling more about Elisabeth Elliot's later years.

It is so wonderful to have a book about a hero that provides both positive and negative views of the lady.

I do not have a heart for missionary work...just being honest! Wanted to know why this lady has been held in such high esteem for yrs. Not sure I would have liked her in her youth. But by the end of the book I had tremendous admiration and respect for an amazing, Godly woman! Still don't think she and I could have been "kindreds" but the story of her life and love for the Lord was extraordinary and an eye opener. They don' t seem to make them like this gal anymore!!! Sad...if true.

This is an adventure book, both experiential and spiritual, and it will take you to lands you have not seen or imagined. Reading this story in quiet solitude will lead you deeper, both earthly and spiritual, in the dangers, trials, and victories Betty (Elisabeth Elliott) experienced. I promise, you are in for an exciting time ensconced in this book. Following are a few gems from Becoming Elisabeth Elliot... To Betty, the only measure of any human action came down to one thing: obedience. "If 'success' is defined not by obedience, but by measurable outcomes, then... the calculations would never end." "He leads us right on, right through, right up to the threshold of Heaven. He does not say to us, ever, 'Here it is.' He says only, 'Here am I. Fear not.'" "If a duty is clear, the dangers surrounding it are irrelevant." "It is not easy to hold things lightly. Once we have them, we want to keep them." "When one is stripped of all outward evidences of God's blessings, there is a deeper comfort. The soul who loves God only for Himself, apart from His gifts, knows indescribable peace." "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." "The Lord gives us a moment at a time, and trusts us to invest it for eternity." "Do the next thing." The author concludes her book with "The takeaway from their lives is a reckless abandon for God".

This is a Christian must read. If you are an E. Elliot fan, this is the real Elisabeth, her inner self, what made her tick, how she related to her God. I have always loved her works, but this really gave me more insight into her inner workings with God. If you aren’t especially an Elisabeth fan, or don’t know about her, this is the story of a real Christian, the highs the lows, the real deal on a daily basis, not just that everything is always roses and there are no struggles. This gives me a greater insight into my own journey as a Christian, that it’s not a straight line, sometime it can be two forward and one back, and that’s how God works sometimes in our lives. This was an eye opener and a welcome insight into one of the spiritual giants of our times!! A must read!

With craft and wit and wisdom and love, the author turns the reader into an unseen witness of Elisabeth Elliot's heart and spirit. Vaughn's skill turns the legendary icon into a living testimony of God's grace and power. "Not I, but Christ" is fleshed out in Elliott's surrendered life. And, one suspects, in the life of her biographer. God has used Elisabeth's words and works to mentor me for decades. It was sheer joy, salted with some tears, to be challenged and encouraged anew through Vaughn's masterful, microscopic mirroring of God's work in and through Elisabeth's early life. Read it.

It’s beautifully written and contains many deep truths. I couldn’t put it down and look forward to the sequel. I had only a vague knowledge of the events which led to tJim Elliott and the other young men’s deaths. Very moving.

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.

Wonderful! Easy to read and so very encouraging in my own walk with the Lord. I thank our Heavenly Father for Elizabeth Elliott's life.

I picked up this book first because Ellen Vaughn is a colleague of sorts (we worked at the same organization, just at different times) and a good writer, and second, out of curiosity. To be perfectly honest, while I greatly respected the Elliots' accomplishments, I never got the appeal of their up-and-down-and-on-and-off courtship. "Passion and Purity" made me vaguely queasy. I wanted to read Ellen's analysis and try to figure out these lives and relationships. I still don't get the courtship. (And to her great credit, Ellen paints it less as "epic love story given to us directly by God" and more as "confused guy dithers for a long time over whether to marry his girlfriend," which I think is a good deal nearer the mark.) But I do admire Elisabeth more than I did -- I even like her! It's true that in her younger days Elisabeth was the sort of gushy Christian ("isn't the Lord wonderful!" tacked on to every other sentence) that I never quite know what to make of. But as she worked and suffered and matured, she displayed the kind of unrelenting faith and obedience, even in the worst circumstances, that wins genuine respect. She also became a little more realistic and down-to-earth and less gushy. And it was truly compelling to read about her struggles with strict personalities like her mother and Rachel Saint, and her attempts to push back against legalistic Christianity. I'm dying to know which of her books were banned from Christian bookstores, and why! And I'm now SUPER curious to find out how this Elisabeth became the Elisabeth who wrote "Passion and Purity" and started coming across to the world as fairly strict and unyielding herself. In short, Ellen has done a great job with a difficult task. I'll definitely read the sequel when it comes out.

“Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe ’neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” Old Saxon Poem This poem was a favorite of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often quoted. She took to heart the advice “do the next thing” and she did so throughout her adult life regardless of her feelings or circumstances. I was first introduced to the writings of Elisabeth Elliot in 1984. That opened the door for me to start my collection which now includes every book as well as every pamphlet Elisabeth Elliot wrote. I had the opportunity to meet Elisabeth Elliot in person, share a brief conversation with her and receive a personal note from her. I have listened to many hours of her Gateway to Joy Radio Program and received her Newsletter for many years. I also have heard Valerie Shepherd speak at my Church as she shared about writing DEVOTEDLY(The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot). Also, I have given numerous copies of EE’s books to friends through the years. I read Ellen Vaughn’s Authorized Biography with a very open mind. I believe her title BECOMING ELISABETH ELLIOT is an excellent description for everything she brings forth in her writing. She starts with Betty Howard’s (Elisabeth Elliot) life as a child and works her way slowly through her school years and time at a Boarding School in FL, Wheaton College, meeting Jim Elliot, their separate calls to the mission field, the separate training each went through prior to going overseas, serving in different areas, etc. Vaughn shows a young child developing into a teenager, college student, young adult, single adult missionary, young married, mother, widow, and single mother mIssionary in the jungle. All of this adds into the becoming of Elisabeth Elliot. To many who have followed the writing and speaking ministries of EE for many years, they know she was known as “Betty” to her family, close friends and those on the mission field. After her husband Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were savagely killed while attempting to make contact with the Waodani Indians in the jungle of Ecuador, it was Betty that was chosen to write their story to share with the world. When Through Gates of Splendor was published, the world was introduced to Elisabeth Elliot. Little did anyone know what an effect the publishing of that book would have on the rest of EE’s life! Vaughn has a monumental task in attempting to write the Biography of such a well known woman and one who is beloved by many. She has been allowed the use of EE’s personal diaries as well as Interviews with family members and friends. She also has spent untold hours researching through a vast number of existing articles, past interviews and even made a trip to visit the actual Waodani Indians and see the place that changed and shaped the rest of Elisabeth’s life and ministry. It is through this lens that Vaughn writes how she observes Betty Elliot becoming Elisabeth Elliot. Elliot was not a saint — as her own diaries will testify. She was a woman of great depth and feeling. She struggled mightily to follow God and to do His Will at — any cost. Even when EE recognized her spiritual gift of linguistics, she would not force them to be used in an effort to ensure a quicker written language for the Waodani. She always kept her mind sharp (not the easiest thing to do in a jungle setting), was available to treat illnesses, snakebites, be a midwife or deal with whatever other crises might arise. She struggled with what her ministry should be. She struggled with loneliness, a theme that she would write several books about. She struggled with her grief over Jim’s death. Yet she never lost faith in God. God used EE’s extraordinary communication skills of writing and public speaking to influence many generations to make professions of faith, decide they wanted to have a deeper walk with God, dedicate their lives to working on the mission field and just understanding what it means to answer God’s Call on their life. This book states that it is only Volume 1. It is easy to see why there would need to be a Volume 2. So much of Volume 1 is obviously about her time in Ecuador and her early writings. At the conclusion, it quickly touches on the rest of her life but more as a hit and run approach than the detailed approach of her life in Ecuador. Another favorite quote of Elisabeth Elliot’s and one she often shared explains what she learned from the death of her young husband and the other four missionaries: “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice and no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact.” Elisabeth Elliot continually sought the path of obedience, no matter the cost. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by B&H Books & NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I am a fast reader. Not so with "Becoming Elisabeth Elliot." I savored every word, underlined and highlighted so much, and wrote in the margins when something touched me personally and deeply. Needless to say, I have given several of these books as gifts, but I will not part with my copy. It is more like a personal journal. I had the privilege to work with Elisabeth on several programs and even had her to my home for dinner - but now I feel like I truly know her heart. Thank you, Ellen, for writing such a rich biography about a woman who has touched so many lives - including mine. If you knew Elisabeth, or just heard of her - if you read her books or heard her speak - you must read this book. It will change your life and help you to see life through His perspective - which is what Elisabeth's life was based on. I loved this book and did not expect to grow so deeply from it. Outstanding book and I highly recommend it.

In my youth and young adulthood, a family-owned Christian bookstore operated so near home that I could ride my bike there to spend my babysitting money. Amid the theologically diverse content of its shelves, God led me to Elisabeth Elliot as one of my first mentors in the Christian faith. Through her I found Amy Carmichael. I wanted to know God like those women knew God. I wanted to be greatly used by Him. They were my heroes. What naivete hid from me was the extraordinarily high, painful cost of their mature faith. In the half-dozen times I saw Elisabeth Elliot speak, in all her books I read, in her radio program Gateway to Joy, in her quarterly newsletter, she seemed so logical. Unemotional even. Her calm, collected, reserved demeanor as she talked of the loss of her first husband to martyrdom (at the hands of a remote tribe he sought to reach with the gospel) amazed me. When she wrote or spoke of the loss of her second husband to cancer, I mistook her poise in speaking for her poise in grief. Now I understand the softening effect of decades that enabled her to touch the scars without observably wincing. That never meant the wounds that caused them were without profound sorrow. The new biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot corrects that misunderstanding and does so largely in Elisabeth’s own words, from copious journals and letters to which the family gave biographer Ellen Vaughn access. Vaughn shapes the source material in a way that brings the young Elisabeth to vibrant life. All the emotion I didn’t see from Elisabeth in her later speaking ministry pours forth on these pages. We glimpse the family of her youth, read the story of how she came to attend a prestigious Christian boarding school and what she found there, experience with her the agonizing wait for Jim to declare his affections and act on them. Vaughn lifts the curtain on Elisabeth’s grief when he died, how that led her to a writing career, what her jungle life as a single mother and missionary was like, and some of the interpersonal friction that grew so severe and unresolvable that Elisabeth left the jungle and returned to the United States. This is not a hagiography that only selects and shares what will keep Elisabeth on the pedestal where many of us have placed her. This is realism. Do not be deceived into thinking a missionary biography will be boring, either. This is a page-turner in a way I did not anticipate, even knowing and loving her work as I do. In short, this is one of my must-reads of 2020. If you love Elisabeth Elliot already, this will increase your affection. If you don’t know her work and story, this would be a fabulous introduction to the rest of her work. Along with Gentle and Lowly, it will find its way into a number of Christmas care packages in the month ahead. I look forward to the planned second volume, which picks up the story of her life after the jungle years.

I loved this book. It gives a side of Elisabeth Elliot that I hadn't heard of before. The author did an excellent job of delving into Elisabeth's life and we get to know more about her and all she experienced because of diaries and more in depth interviews with those who knew her and loved her. I am looking forward to her 2nd book telling more about Elisabeth Elliot's later years.

It is so wonderful to have a book about a hero that provides both positive and negative views of the lady.

I do not have a heart for missionary work...just being honest! Wanted to know why this lady has been held in such high esteem for yrs. Not sure I would have liked her in her youth. But by the end of the book I had tremendous admiration and respect for an amazing, Godly woman! Still don't think she and I could have been "kindreds" but the story of her life and love for the Lord was extraordinary and an eye opener. They don' t seem to make them like this gal anymore!!! Sad...if true.

This is an adventure book, both experiential and spiritual, and it will take you to lands you have not seen or imagined. Reading this story in quiet solitude will lead you deeper, both earthly and spiritual, in the dangers, trials, and victories Betty (Elisabeth Elliott) experienced. I promise, you are in for an exciting time ensconced in this book. Following are a few gems from Becoming Elisabeth Elliot... To Betty, the only measure of any human action came down to one thing: obedience. "If 'success' is defined not by obedience, but by measurable outcomes, then... the calculations would never end." "He leads us right on, right through, right up to the threshold of Heaven. He does not say to us, ever, 'Here it is.' He says only, 'Here am I. Fear not.'" "If a duty is clear, the dangers surrounding it are irrelevant." "It is not easy to hold things lightly. Once we have them, we want to keep them." "When one is stripped of all outward evidences of God's blessings, there is a deeper comfort. The soul who loves God only for Himself, apart from His gifts, knows indescribable peace." "When God calls a man, he bids him come and die." "The Lord gives us a moment at a time, and trusts us to invest it for eternity." "Do the next thing." The author concludes her book with "The takeaway from their lives is a reckless abandon for God".

This is a Christian must read. If you are an E. Elliot fan, this is the real Elisabeth, her inner self, what made her tick, how she related to her God. I have always loved her works, but this really gave me more insight into her inner workings with God. If you aren’t especially an Elisabeth fan, or don’t know about her, this is the story of a real Christian, the highs the lows, the real deal on a daily basis, not just that everything is always roses and there are no struggles. This gives me a greater insight into my own journey as a Christian, that it’s not a straight line, sometime it can be two forward and one back, and that’s how God works sometimes in our lives. This was an eye opener and a welcome insight into one of the spiritual giants of our times!! A must read!

With craft and wit and wisdom and love, the author turns the reader into an unseen witness of Elisabeth Elliot's heart and spirit. Vaughn's skill turns the legendary icon into a living testimony of God's grace and power. "Not I, but Christ" is fleshed out in Elliott's surrendered life. And, one suspects, in the life of her biographer. God has used Elisabeth's words and works to mentor me for decades. It was sheer joy, salted with some tears, to be challenged and encouraged anew through Vaughn's masterful, microscopic mirroring of God's work in and through Elisabeth's early life. Read it.