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To make it clear, this isn’t about the apostle called Peter, but about the author’s husband Revd Dr Peter Marshall, who was a well-known preacher and minister in the United States in the first half of last century. I’ve finally been re-reading it over the past couple of weeks. My paperback edition is rather falling to pieces, but it’s still readable. And, in the other sense of the word, it’s a very readable book.
Catherine Marshall was the writer of a couple of novels (‘Julie’ and ‘Christy’) and some other Christian books, including the excellent ‘Beyond ourselves’. She has a style that appeals to me, and while I’m not, in general, a huge fan of biographies, I found ‘A man called Peter’ quite difficult to put down at times.
Peter Marshall was born in Scotland early in the 20th century, and grew up in a Christian (presbyterian) home. His father died when he was just four, and one of his earliest memories was seeing his funeral procession. He longs, as a teenager, to go to sea and even tries to sign up for the Navy, but is turned down. He takes various other jobs, and has hopes of an introduction to naval life, only to be disappointed.
Catherine Marshall makes it clear from the start that in these rejections and disappointments, God is shutting the door to Peter’s ambitions, gradually making it clear that his call is to the ordained ministry. At the same time, he finds that his financial needs are met, sometimes by unexpected promotion. Peter’s mother prays for him regularly, and he has a growing awareness of God’s presence in his life.
In another writer’s hands the story might be dull, or pious, or cringeworthy, but somehow Catherine Marshall makes Peter’s story come to life. This is so even in the early chapters, at a stage before she had met him. But as is clear later in the book, they had a close friendship as well as love, and must have spent a lot of time discussing their childhoods, and the ways they became closer to God.
Peter’s call involves studying - for which funds are supplied as needed - and eventually a move to the United States, which is where he meets and falls in love with Catherine. He starts to make a name for himself as an inspired, creative preacher. He believes in listening to God, to using images and stories, rather as Jesus did in his teaching and parables. He studies and uses the Scriptures too, of course, but makes his sermons so interesting that people start to crowd into his church, many of them meeting God themselves for the first time.
Yet Peter is also a very human person, with a sense of humour. He has the ability to play imaginary and silly games with friends, and, later, with his son ‘wee Peter’, who is their only child. He loves to play board games, and does them with dedication and quite a competitive spirit, and he likes to take walks and to spend evenings with friends. He and Catherine clearly balance each other well, sorting out problems in their relationship as they arise, and inspiring each other in their lives and ministries.
There’s a lot more, of course. There’s a chapter about their holiday home, and one about Peter’s first illness, three years before his death. And while it’s Peter’s story, there’s inevitably a lot about Catherine too, and her gradual willingness to lay down her own ambitions and irritations, and to support Peter in whatever ways seems best.
Some of the book is inevitably dated, happening, as it does, nearly a hundred years ago. But the personalities of the people described shine through realistically. I didn’t remember the names of the quite large number of minor characters - if that’s the word in a biography - but when it’s necessary to know who someone is, the author drops in a brief reminder.
All in all, I very much liked reading this book again. The ending is bittersweet, as I recalled; there are some quite moving sections. Overall I found it encouraging and inspiring. It's a book intended to be read by Christian believers; those of other faiths (or none) might find the number of listed prayers and Christian content to be a bit off-putting, although I didn't find it excessive, given the topic of the book.
'A man called Peter' has been published many times in several editions, and is still in print including in ebook form.
Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews
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