Jim Cromarty

John G. Paton was a Scottish Presbyterian missionary to the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) in the 19th century. Cromarty's biography seems to be based largely on Paton's autobiography and on Paton's wife, Margaret's, published collection of letters and sketches. Cromarty's retelling of Paton's life story is hagiographic, with little to no reference to sources other than Paton family members. Each chapter concludes with a summary and reflection questions. Teenagers are the target audience for show more this book, and many of the questions are meant to encourage teenagers to consider missions as a vocation. As an adult reader, I found the tone too condescending. I would have preferred to draw my own inferences from Paton's life and not had lessons pointed out to me in every chapter. I probably would have liked Paton's autobiography better than this book, and I wish I had read it instead. show less

This is a so-so book about an amazing missionary: John Paton, who servec in the Hebrides islands from the 1850s to the 1880s. He persisted through incredible dangers and the deaths of a wife and child. God rewarded him with seeing great changes among the natives.