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About Luther and Katharina

A Christy Award-winning novel chronicling the forbidden romance between Martin Luther and his wife, Katharina von Bora, set against the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century.

She was a nun of noble birth. He was a heretic, a reformer, and an outlaw of the Holy Roman Empire.  

In the 16th century, nun Katharina von Bora’s fate fell no further than the Abbey. Until she read the writings of Martin Luther. His sweeping Catholic church reformation—condemning a cloistered life and promoting the goodness of marriage—awakened her desire for everything she’d been forbidden. Including Martin Luther himself.
 
Despite the fact that the attraction and tension between them is undeniable, Luther holds fast to his convictions and remains isolated, refusing to risk anyone’s life but his own. And Katharina longs for love, but is strong-willed. She clings proudly to her class distinction, pining for nobility over the heart of a reformer. They couldn’t be more different.
 
But as the world comes tumbling down around them, and with Luther’s threatened life a constant strain, these unlikely allies forge an unexpected bond of understanding, support and love. Together, they will alter the religious landscape forever. 
 
- Christy Award: Historical Romance Fiction Winner

Praise

“Jody Hedlund’s Luther and Katharina is an absorbing and deeply researched look into the life and ministry of a figure in church history I’d previously known only from a few dusty facts. Jody breathes life into those facts with this fascinating and intimate portrayal of Martin Luther’s life. Luther and Katharina is a compelling tale of tested faith, tumultuous church history, and incredible courage against daunting odds—and one of the most unique love stories I’ve read in ages.”
—Lori Benton, author of The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn and The Wood’s Edge

“My favorite Jody Hedlund novel to date! Luther and Katharina is a work of heart, showcasing a unique setting, a rich plot, and a shimmering romance drawn from two of history’s most beloved heroes of the faith, Martin Luther and his wife, Katharina von Bora. Well done!”
—Laura Frantz, author of The Mistress of Tall Acre

“Luther and Katharina is a sweeping romance set against the turbulent background of the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. At times heartbreaking, at times breathtaking, readers will be swept away by both the love story and the historical details woven expertly through every chapter. Don’t miss this one!”
—Robin Lee Hatcher, best-selling author of Whenever You Come Around and Keeper of the Stars

“Complex and emotionally rich, Luther and Katharina gripped me from the very start and never let go. Not even when the final page was turned. The history, the love story, the depth of faith in this novel is masterfully woven by Jody Hedlund.”
—Tamera Alexander, USA Today best-selling author of To Win Her Favor and A Lasting Impression

About Jody Hedlund

Jody Hedlund is a CBA best-selling and award-winning author of more than a dozen books. Among a variety of genres, she especially loves bringing long-forgotten women of history to life. She is the author of Luther and Katharina, which was awarded the ECPA Book of the Year Award in Fiction. Her other novels have won the Carol Award, the INSPY Award, and the Christy Award. She resides in Midland, Michigan, with her husband and five busy children.

Product Details

400 pages | Published by WaterBrook

On Sale Date: Oct 6, 2015

Trim Size: 5-1/2 x 8-1/4

Carton Quantity: 24

Press Release

For Immediate Release

WaterBrook Press, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc.

CONTACT

Charlene Guzman, Senior Publicist
719-264-5698

cguzman@penguinrandomhouse.com
 
Katharina von Bora: The Woman Behind Martin Luther
Giving Voice to One of History’s Most Forgotten Women
 
Travel back through the centuries to uncover a world fraught with danger as one heretical monk seeks to enlighten a Church darkened by corruption and greed. Plunge into the pages of history like never before as a young nun dares to break free from a life of punishment and isolation. Their troubled paths intersect and conceive one of history’s most incredible, yet little-known love stories.
 
In Luther and Katharina: A Novel of Love and Rebellion (WaterBrook Press, October 6, 2015), award-winning historical romance author Jody Hedlund invites readers into the 16th century, on the precipice of the Reformation—a time of birth pains and bloodshed as Martin Luther labors to bring the truth of Scripture to life. With a keen sense of suspense, Hedlund delivers a breathtaking account of Martin Luther and the woman who would eventually capture his heart.
 
BACKGROUND INFO
 
Hedlund begins this epic with an immediately gripping image; a young woman, terrified but desperate for freedom dangles from the stone ledge of a window. Her name is Katharina von Bora and at 24 years old, she’s spent most of her life behind the walls of the Marienthron convent. She hesitates, listening intently for any proof that her plan has been compromised, knowing the punishment that awaits her if she is discovered. Yet there is no turning back. The words of Martin Luther’s writings echo in her mind and propel her forward into the unknown.
 
Not far away, an Augustinian monk, whose radical teachings have left him excommunicated from the Church, advocates the power of God’s grace as the faith he loves falls even farther away from the Holy Scriptures.
 
In Luther and Katharina, Hedlund beckons readers into an unfamiliar world and compels them to journey alongside these two historical figures. In elegant detail, she reveals the woman in who Martin Luther met his match and learned the truth of Scripture, that “he who finds a wife finds a good thing.”
 
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JODY HEDLUND is an award-winning and bestselling author of inspirational historical romances for both adults and teens. She’s written several novels including Captured by Love, Rebellious Heart, and A Noble Groom, winner of the 2014 Carol Award and INSPYs Award.
Hedlund has been featured by numerous media outlets, including Publishers Weekly, Romantic Times and Library Journal. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. Currently she resides in Midland, Michigan with her husband and five children. For more information, visit: http://jodyhedlund.com/.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJodyHedlund
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JodyHedlund
Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/jodyhedlund/

Contact Publicist

Charlene Guzman