It's a Mad Mad World

I think to truly enjoy this book you either have to have not much knowledge of Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora's life or you have to try to block out everything you know and try to enjoy the story. And, I couldn't do that. The reformation and Martin Luther were among my favorite subjects when I was studying theology and to read about Martin Katharina marriage like a love story just didn't work for me because their marriage were a marriage of convenience, not love. Martin Luther himself wrote that they didn't marry for love and that she wasn't even his first choice. 

I liked the beginning of the book. Katharina and the other nuns escape from the cloister and everything about settling into a life outside the cloister. But my problem with the story grew as the story became more and more romantic. I can understand the need to invent happenings and new characters, but personally I just couldn't accept changing the very nature of Martin and Katharina's relationship. if this had been two other persons and not based on two real persons would this book been much better. 

So, I would say that this book will enjoy those that can see past the truth, that can take the authors romanticisation of a marriage that without any doubt was more a marriage of convenience than a marriage of love. It was in no way badly written, I just couldn't enjoy reading something that for me feels wrong. I wish had liked it better because this was a book that I have wanted to read for a long time.

I received the book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.