Elisabeth (Howard) Elliot came to public prominence when in 1956 her husband, Jim, was slain along with four other young missionary men in the jungles of Ecuador while trying to reach an isolated tribe known as “Aucas” (Waorani). Photos of the tragedy filled the pages of Life followed by a feature article a year later on the widows who continued to serve on the field in Ecuador. Through Gates of Splendor, written by Elliot and telling the story of the five martyrs, was published by Harper & Brothers in 1957 and became an instant bestseller. A follow-up Life article in 1958 that “shocked the nation” was read by an astounding 76% of American adults, and featured Elliot’s continued missionary work among her husband’s “killers.” Elliot went on to become a well-known Christian writer and came to be viewed as a “formidable” woman and a lightning rod for her outspoken rejection of modern egalitarian gender roles.

The picture that emerges from Austin’s magnificent, 500-plus page biography is that of a “brilliant, difficult and complicated person.” The story takes place across the full background of postwar American evangelical history running through the missionary enterprise, the Bible school movement, fundamentalism, the flavours of holiness teachings, and the prominent evangelical family that the Howard family became.

Wheaton College was formative for Elliot, as well as for her brothers Dave and Tom, and it was here that she became a compulsive journal writer, a voracious reader of books, developed disciplined habits, and where she met Jim. Elliot had a directness to her personality that came across as abrasive but she softened to a degree through new friendships while her faith was shaped through reading and especially the writings of Amy Carmichael. She “shone” in speaking at the Urbana missionary conference in 1972 that was organized by her brother Dave. For decades she was well-known as a Christian public speaker, radio teacher and the writer of 31 books.

Twice-widowed, the topic of suffering was a common theme in her teaching. The “complicated” side of Elliot is the constant theme of the biography but it is her trust in the love of God that in the end stands out to this reader. Austen, a homeschooling mother, with the help of thousands of pages of writing that Elliot left, has surely accomplished something that Elisabeth herself would have admired.