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Book Review of Mountains of Spices

Mountains of Spices
reviewed on + 143 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3


Mountains of Spices, a sequel to Hinds'Feet on High Places, is a powerful allegory that personifies unhappy, tormenting attitudes of mind, heart and temperament. Meet Mrs. Dismal Forebodings, Old Lord Fearing, Sir Arrogant, Umbrage, Resentment, Craven Fear and others. Contrast their lives with the lives of Grace and Glory, Mrs. Valiant, Mercy, Joy and Peace. Feel the tension as the tug of something better stirs unrest among the inhabitants of the Valley of Humiliation. Not all respond to the Shepherd's gentle touch, but those who do discover that "love turned outward is true life." In the words of a song sung on the Mountain of Calamus where the reeds of gentleness grow:

He loves thee far too well
To leave thee in thy self-made hell.
A Savior is thy Lord.

Concerning Mountains of Spices, Hannah Hurnard says: "I have tried to show as clearly as possible that the very characteristics and weaknesses of temperament with which we were born can be transformed into their exact opposites and can therefore produce in us the loveliest of all qualities."