The Sacred Flame by Kevin Belmonte is a new biography of Hannah More.
First of all, what an amazing woman! A writer, an educator, and a human rights advocate, More is a pillar of faith and courage well worth our attention. I relished learning about her life and writing. It was also fascinating to discover the tremendous impact she had on her contemporaries such as John Newton and William Wilberforce, as well as on later Christian writers and thinkers like C.S. Lewis.
This book provides a wealth of excerpts from More’s writing and that of her literary friends and admirers. As a sampling of primary sources, “The Sacred Flame” succeeds. As a compelling biography, not so much.
If you have an analytical bent and love seeing primary sources set in conversation, this would be a good resource to add to your library. If, like me, you prefer more compulsively readable biographies (I’m thinking of Metaxas’s book on Martin Luther) this may not be for you.
I felt that the excessive block quotes obscured the biographer’s voice and prevented me from fully appreciating the connected arc of More’s life. When I read a biography, I am as much interested in the author as the subject. However, I recognize that more seasoned biography lovers might enjoy this book for that very reason and appreciate Belmonte letting More speak for herself more often than not.
Overall, I am better for knowing more about More.
Note: I received a copy of The Sacred Flame from Christian Focus Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Ryanne Molinari 