Lauren Ducommun

Want to sneak a fun way to learn about someone in church history? Check out Katie Luther, Mother of the Reformation: The Graphic Novel by Susan K. Leigh. I was surprised at how much I learned about Katherina von Bora through this graphic novel, and while it mainly shared facts about her life, the illustrations made it quite enjoyable!

Leigh’s biographical graphic novel on Katie Luther was wonderfully thorough. It covers her life from birth to early childhood in a convent school, to escaping from the convent with the help of Martin Luther. I especially appreciated how it covered her life after her husband, Martin Luther, passed away, and the struggles she faced afterward. It helps put in perspective the difficulties that her family faced during a time of war, and what it cost her to leave the convent and follow Jesus.

The author also includes helpful historical information with dedicated pages to The Great Peasant’s War and the plague.

The book is illustrated by Dave Hill in a typical graphic novel form, but I just found the details so wonderful. The architecture, the clothing, and the scenery really brought the historical context to life.

If you have a reader who struggles with chapter books or prefers graphic novels, then this would be a great book to pass on.

Katie Luther: Mother of the Reformation
by Susan K. Leigh
Concordia Publishing House, 2016
96 pages