Eric Liddell: Finish the Race (Trailblazers) by John W. Keddie
I had always heard about "the guy" in the Chariots of Fire movie. It was not until signing up for this blog tour that I realized his name was Eric Liddell. Eric is known for two things: his racing and his religious conviction. His conviction was that he would not run on Sunday, for it was the Lord's Day. This decision was a difficult one for him. The author says, "He sought no praise from men...By His worthy example of faithfulness of Christ and truth he speaks to succeeding generations, calling them to follow Christ as he did faithfully in his day."
John W. Keddie, the author, starts with the story of Eric’s childhood as the son of missionaries to China. His parents sent him to a boarding school in England where he became a great runner and his talent took him to the Paris Olympics in 1924. After he graduated from college, he left his homeland to be a missionary in his birth country of China. There he would influence Christianity in China for years to come. During his days in China he married Florence, a daughter of missionaries, and had 3 children, one of whom he would never meet. Because of his training in running he learned perseverance. This would be a great asset to him as things became more difficult. While he was in China he was taken captive by the invading Japanese army. It was in their prison that he would spend his last days.
The recommended age for this book is 7-14. There is some information that might be difficult for a younger child to process, but they would be able to get an idea of Eric's life. The discussion questions in the back are a great resource for parents to be able to converse with their children while reading this book. As a parent of a seven-year-old, I would recommend this book as a good introduction to the biographical genre.
This was my first exposure to the Trailblazer series. I am eager to read some of the other stories to my children.
The recommended age for this book is 7-14. There is some information that might be difficult for a younger child to process, but they would be able to get an idea of Eric's life. The discussion questions in the back are a great resource for parents to be able to converse with their children while reading this book. As a parent of a seven-year-old, I would recommend this book as a good introduction to the biographical genre.
This was my first exposure to the Trailblazer series. I am eager to read some of the other stories to my children.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book as part of the Christian Focus 4 Kids Blog Tour, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Rated: 4/5
Rated: 4/5
