Much-Afraid and Me

If you've never read Hannah Hurnard's Hinds Feet on High Places, you must! It's a really good book. It's an allegory (even if you despise allegories, you should read this book. Jesus liked allegories...) for a believer's walk with God. In the story, Much-Afraid is a simple, lame shepherdess in charge of a small flock of the King's sheep. But her fearsome Fearing relatives have her completely in their power, and as their name suggests, in their power is not a very nice place to be! But every morning and every evening, Much-Afraid slips away to a crystal pool to keep tryst with the Shepherd. One day the Shepherd asks her to go with Him to the High Places. Much-Afraid protests on account of her malady. The Shepherd tells her that by going to the High Places, she will develop hinds' feet, and then He plants the seed of Love (which is very like a thorn) in her heart. The sowing is painful, but the Shepherd promises her that Love cannot come without pain, and that when the seed of Love has grown up and is ready to bloom, then He will take her up to the High Places. But it will be a long and arduous journey which she must begin at once. The Shepherd give Much-Afraid two helpers to help her on her way and to bear her up when her lameness keeps her from ascending. These helpers are sisters names Sorrow and Suffering.
Well, to hear the rest, you'll just have to read the book! I hope my little synopsis has whetted your appetite. The most special thing about the book is the relationship between Much-Afraid and the Shepherd. She is a cowardly, crippled thing, but something about her looks very familiar...
Read it!