Tyndale House, through its Living Expressions Collection, has re-released the classic “Hinds’ Feet on High Places: An Engaging Visual Journey” by Hannah Hurnard, illustrated by Jill DeHaan and Rachel McNaughton.
Originally published in 1955, “Hinds’ Feet” is an allegory describing God’s deep love for us, and His desire to perfect us and bring us into his loving kingdom. It tells the story of Much-Afraid, who is full of fears, and is crippled and disfigured. She desires to travel with the Shepherd to the High Places, a land full of love, healing, forgiveness, redemption and perfection.
As she travels with companions Sorrow and Suffering through areas like the Desert, Shores of Loneliness, Forests of Danger and Tribulation, and Valley of Loss, Much-Afraid must learn to not only trust in the Shepherd, but trust in herself while she fights off the temptations of her cousins Pride, Resentment, Bitterness, Self-Pity and Craven Fear.
“Hinds’ Feet” is a beautiful love story that reminds us to turn to God while we strive for the “High Places” — a place where no fears are able to live because perfect love casts out fear and everything else that torments. However, it reminds us that we sometimes must go through the low places before we can reach the high places.
Featuring many passages from the Bible (in the King James Version), its title is also taken from the Scriptures — Habakkuk 3:19 and Psalm 18:33. It also features several characters from the Bible, and refers to incidents that incur in the Bible.
Tyndale House’s newest version of “Hinds’ Feet on High Places” is a beautifully illustrated book containing gorgeous watercolor paintings, photography, and hand-lettered Scripture verses, as well as areas where you can journal answers to personal questions and reflections. In the back it also features “blank” hand-lettered Scripture pages that allow you to try your own hand at coloring and illustrating a beautiful piece of art.
The end of the book also includes a brief autobiography of the author, as well as “Lessons Learned on the Slopes of the High Places,” describing Hurnard’s inspiration that led to her High Places.
Some helpful definitions to remember, provided by Merriam-Webster, include: hind is “the female of the red deer” and allegory means “the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence.”
This is a beautiful book that would be great to give as a gift, or to keep for oneself.
Five stars out of five.
Tyndale House Publishers provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.