By the rivers of water
Book Description
In the autumn of 1834, Leighton and Jane Wilson embarked on an extraordinary journey that would challenge everything they believed about faith, justice, and belonging. This aristocratic couple from the American South had made the radical decision to free their inherited slaves before sailing to West Africa as missionaries, beginning a seventeen-year adventure that would transform both continents.
Their odyssey unfolds across diverse African landscapes, from exotic coastlines to ancient river paths, where they encounter remarkable individuals whose stories interweave with their own. Among them are Paul Sansay, who had escaped slavery in Savannah, the brilliant Grebo leader Mworeh Mah and his daughter Mary Clealand, and the wise King Glass with his companion Toko in Gabon. Through these relationships, the Wilsons discover the complexity of cross-cultural ministry and the profound challenges of fighting both the slave trade and colonial imperialism.
Jane establishes schools while Leighton translates Biblical texts into local languages, contributing to the emergence of indigenous African Christianity. Yet their story takes an unexpected turn when illness forces their return to New York, and later, as the Civil War approaches, they face an agonizing choice between their moral convictions and the pull of their Southern homeland.
This sweeping narrative reveals how good intentions can lead to bitter consequences, exploring the tension between love for place and commitment to justice across two interconnected worlds.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Long (> 400 pages) (~14 hours)
📄 Length: 489 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Africa, biography
- ✓ Explore Mpongwe (African people)
- ✓ Explore Missionaries
- ✓ Explore Grebo (African people)
- ✓ Explore Christian Ministry
- ✓ Explore Presbyterian church (u.s.a.)., missions
- ✓ Explore Missionaries, biography
- ✓ Explore Presbyterian Church in the U.S.
