Goodreads Reviews: Ishmael

I know I've already reviewed this book, but I'm doing the Goodreads book challenge this year and one of the books I read was Self-Raised, the sequel to Ishmael, . So...it would make sense to review this book first and then review the second one. Also, I'm going to try and review every book I read in my Goodreads challenge as a new series for my site, as well as other books that I've already read and aren't part of the challenge (Ishmael for example).

These reviews can also be found on my Goodreads page.

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Ishmael by E.D.E.N. Southworth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finding a good story, with a strong hero that has good Christian morals, but doesn't come off as to good to be true can be difficult. However, Ishmael Worth's story from obscure, poor beginnings and his journey to become a respectable gentleman in pre-Civil War American society, really has the makings of a great Christian hero.

Ishmael was written by E.D.E.N. Southworth in 1876 and is loosely inspired by the life of Ishmael Worth who became the first man to ever defend a woman in court. Ishmael's life started with love and loss. His parents came from two polar opposite social circles. His father, Herman Brudenell, is immensely wealthy while his mother, Nora Worth, although beautiful and generous, comes from the poorest class. They meet, fall in love and marry in secret, but like all tragic love stories, they are separated. Herman leaves for Europe while his heartbroken bride dies in childbirth to their son, whom Herman is unaware of.

Now, orphaned and alone, little Ishmael Worth is raised by his strict spinster aunt, Hannah Worth. From a young age, Ishmael is instilled with a strong work ethic, the importance of education and the strength of faith in God. These three qualities begin to mold Ishmael from a destitute child to a young man whose life is forever challenged by the immoral acts of others.

Yet, with each challenge, fight, victory and even losses, Ismael continues to persevere and grow. In his early age he witnesses injustices done to those of a lower social status and the abuse of power; which eventually leads him to pursue a life of jurisprudence or simply, he wants to become a defense lawyer.

When he's not out on the course of justice, Ishmael's heart seems to set a course of his own. He finds himself in love with a beautiful, but vain and selfish young heiress, Claudia Merlin. Yet, Claudia, so wrapped up in herself, is clueless to Ishmael's pining heart. Meanwhile, Claudia's sweet cousin, Beatrice "Bee" Middleton is madly in love with Ishmael, but he only sees Bee as a sister and nothing more.

And then of course, we have Ishmael's big court case...but I don't want give anything away : )

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To sum it all up then:

So, we have a coming of age, rags to riches character that's the paragon of the American dream. Christianity is important to the story, but is not too preachy. It's simply a part of Ishmael's growing up and is the moral foundation of his life. Ishmael is described as being extremely handsome, but his description is summed up in a few sentences instead of three or four paragraphs (thank goodness).

Are there times when Ishmael comes off as too good to be true? Absolutely. Yet, there is is something endearing and likable about him too. He stands up to injustice and tyranny without breaking a sweat, but becomes an awkward idiot around his crush, while he is utterly clueless to the one woman who is completely perfect for him.

I'm not sure if Ishmael Worth was real or if he is based on someone else, but the character and story of Ishmael is truly inspiring. People may compare Ishmael to the Christian likes of Elsie Dinsmore, but they are hardly the same given their circumstances in life. Yet, the moral Christian themes of faith, standing for those who cannot stand for themselves, honesty, integrity and unwavering faith in God remains the same in both characters.

I found Ishmael to be a wonderful story, Ishmael himself, to be a great character who is forever on the pursuit of bettering himself for the benefit of honoring the God that he loves. And in so doing can better the people and the world around him.

***Ishmael's story has even made it into the movies! The 1921 silent film, Hearts of Youth is based on the original Ishmael novel, but primarily focuses on the romance between him and Beatrice.***