- readers experience a young lady’s life from teen years through marriage and motherhood, all via her journal entries
- her ordinary life is relatable as she struggles with universal problems and grows in her faith
- themes include: managing grief as Christians, humility, sanctification, and faithfulness
- convo: deaths of known characters
Type: biblical fiction novel
Ages: 14+
Author: Elizabeth Prentiss
“God is just as willing and just as able to sanctify as he is to redeem us.”
It is now clear to me how this has become an enduring Christian classic. Katherine’s story is relatable (especially to women) at every turn. All the little things we think of, struggle with, or are confronted by are also part of her life. She is by no means a perfect Christian–her mistakes make the story that much more encouraging, as she admits them to her journal and slowly grows in wisdom.
The book begins with big teen-year feelings, doubts of her salvation, and struggles to accept correct biblical teaching. For this reason alone, it would make an excellent read for teen girls today. The subsequent years will be most appreciated by those married or with children but would still be a beautiful example of what teen girls can strive for. It’s a book that should be re-read in each of these life stages!
Both her mother and her pastor are incredible influences in her life. Any mother reading this story is sure to pick up on little ways they can be better mamas. May we all point our children to Christ as Katherine’s mother so faithfully did.
Katherine’s sanctification timeline is realistic–toward the beginning, the journal is filled with shallow comments about others as well as generally prideful or selfish thoughts, but that all continues to diminish throughout her lifetime. Again–so relatable.
“We never see plants growing.” — re. sanctification
If you are an audiobook listener, Generations has recorded a most excellent version of Stepping Heavenward (link here). I enjoyed it, and my only critique is how abruptly the final “You have reached the end of…” comment came–I wanted to soak up the concluding thoughts a bit longer. 🙂
Truly, this is a timeless book, and I’m honestly looking forward to my next time through it. You’ll find many little nuggets of wisdom that may just become a permanent part of your thinking. I hope you get the opportunity to read or listen to it!