• Fierce Convictions

  • The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More - Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist
  • By: Karen Prior
  • Narrated by: Christine Stevens
  • Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (99 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Fierce Convictions  By  cover art

Fierce Convictions

By: Karen Prior
Narrated by: Christine Stevens
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $25.19

Buy for $25.19

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

With a foreword by Eric Metaxas, best-selling author of Bonhoeffer and Amazing Grace.

The enthralling biography of the woman writer who helped end the slave trade, changed Britain's upper classes, and taught a nation how to read.

The history-changing reforms of Hannah More affected every level of 18th Century British society through her keen intellect, literary achievements, collaborative spirit, strong Christian principles, and colorful personality. A woman without connections or status, More took the world of British letters by storm when she arrived in London from Bristol, becoming a best-selling author and acclaimed playwright and quickly befriending the author Samuel Johnson, the politician Horace Walpole, and the actor David Garrick. Yet she was also a leader in the Evangelical movement, using her cultural position and her pen to support the growth of education for the poor, the reform of morals and manners, and the abolition of Britain's slave trade.

Fierce Convictions weaves together world and personal history into a stirring story of life that intersected with Wesley and Whitefield's Great Awakening, the rise and influence of Evangelicalism, and convulsive effects of the French Revolution. A woman of exceptional intellectual gifts and literary talent, Hannah More was above all a person whose faith compelled her both to engage her culture and to transform it.

©2014 Thomas Nelson Publishers (P)2014 Thomas Nelson Publishers

What listeners say about Fierce Convictions

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    51
  • 4 Stars
    25
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    30
  • 4 Stars
    19
  • 3 Stars
    22
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    7
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    47
  • 4 Stars
    28
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

If Only We All Were So Fiercely Convicted

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narrator frequently mispronounced words, especially proper names, such as William Cowper and Magdalen College. These pronunciations cannot be credited to simply a difference between American and British English. She also had a way of pausing in the middle of a sentence that was sometimes confusing. But other than that, her narration was a great match for the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It was very good, but I found that I needed breaks from it occasionally.

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I knew nothing of Hannah More before I read this book. Her life is inspiring and provides fresh perspective on the world and culture. You can't help but hear her story as a call to action against the injustices of our day. This book also made me reflect on the way I live out my own faith.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book, poor audiobook

Get this book, not the audiobook. The reading is not well done and detracts from the book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Worth the read

I have read many books on Wilberforce as well as others from their group who helped eradicate slavery and it is fascinating to see how all the pieces came together and to find out that More was one of the most Intercal parts of the equation though barely mentioned in most my previous reading.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Worth Reading

Hannah More is one of those people you should have heard of, but haven't. What a remarkable person of her time!

The book started slowly, almost assuming the reader understood her importance. Once the immensity of her influence was made clear, the book became much more interesting.
The narrator made the listening difficult. She paused at the wrong times, and it could be hard to follow the thoughts as a result.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Writing takes away from story

The heavily academic and dry writing, particularly at the beginning of the book, take away from what could have been a far more engaging story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A Woman of Substance

I heard of name Hannah More mentioned in one of the books I was listening to and was determined to get to know her. The story and history itself is well written even if the performance is wanting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

This is a wonderfully well written and engaging story about an incredibly important woman whom everyone should know about. Highly recommend!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting and thorough biography

I enjoyed learning about the life of Hannah Moore. This is a thorough and academic look at her life. It is well researched and written and I came away inspired to read some of Ms. Moore’s writings.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An amazing woman

I just realized that I never gave this book a proper review. Well, it's about time.

I read this book at a point in my life I was discouraged. I got this on audio because I was curious about Hannah More and the cover was so pretty. I went in knowing very little about Hannah. I came out feeling like we could have been friends.

Prior is an excellent historian. She not only wrote a book about More, but also explained why some things about her life are unknown, despite her research. I like that she never made guesses and wrote them down as facts. The closest she came to that is offering two or three possible explanations for an action and then was honest that we don't really know.

There were a couple of dry moments, but overall, this book kept me reading. I mean, I read it in only two days. The narrator did an excellent job and the author is a skillful writer.

One of the things I appreciated most about this book is the light it cast on William Wilberforce and his work. He was an incredible man, but too often, people make it sound like he pretty much pushed through all the changes on his own. I think this book clearly showed that it took many people working together to change the hearts of a nation before sweeping reforms could be made.

Mostly, I came away from this book inspired by the life of Hannah More. She was a single woman who loved God, had fierce convictions, and used her skill to help shape a better future. She was an extraordinary individual whom I think makes a great role model, especially for single ladies.

I highly recommend this book for those who like history, are interested in William Wilberforce, and single ladies looking for a role model.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Historically accurate, written for adults

This wasn't what I thought it would be when I downloaded it, but I love History and learned a lot. Written for college level and up.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!