​Danika Cooley has skillfully written the story of Martin Luther in such a way as to engage the minds of teens and probably adults of any age. The story is entitled When Lightning Struck: The Story of Martin Luther—not to be confused with Struck by Lightning: The Carson Phillip Journal, a book about toxic high-school culture that is reported to include sex and foul language. Danika’s book about Martin Luther was published in 2015, two years before the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation. The references listed at the back of the book show that Danika researched Luther’s life very thoroughly.

The title of the book comes from the moment when Luther was frightened into making a vow to serve God as a monk. The story begins with colorful word pictures conveying the reader to the dramatic thunderstorm in which young Luther found himself trapped. From there it flashes back to his childhood. Being only 234 pages, not counting pages of reference notes, the book is not meant to be exhaustive. The print is very readable. Since it is written in the style of a novel, Danika tells us in her “Author’s Note” at the end that some details needed to be changed or added to keep the story moving. Some details had to be left out. Danika states: “My goal in telling Luther’s story was to be faithful to history, to Scripture, and yet to remain brutally honest.”

The book portrays Martin as having an inquisitive mind even as a child. When he was 13 years of age, his father sent him to a better school 40 miles away in Magdeburg, where he would live at the monastery. His father was determined that he should be a lawyer. About a year later he sent Martin to a school in Eisenach, a hundred miles or so from Magdeburg. While singing in Magdeburg and tutoring in Eisenach, Martin’s ears were filled with clergymen’s conversations about heaven and hell.

From there the story moves to Martin’s days at the University of Erfurt, where he began his study of law. But as he and a friend launched on a trip to his home during a break, Martin took a fall, his sword making a very serious gash in his leg. He managed to survive and keep his leg, only to have to nurse his dear comrades through the devastating effects of the Black Plague and Typhoid Fever. He would have to bury his closest friend, Hieronymous. After the darkness of death had passed and he came to the joyous day of graduation from his studies, he headed home for a break before his doctoral studies. It was at this point that he encountered the giant thunderstorm that would change his destiny.

I will leave the rest of the story for you to discover by reading the book. This is the story of a man who changed history by standing up for truth. When he posted the 95 Theses on the door of a church on October 31, 1517, it opened the door of the Reformation that brought truth to those who had been forced to rely on the word of clergy as to the legitimacy of doctrines and traditions they espoused. Luther would later have to put his life on the line if he chose not to deny the truths he had uncovered.

It’s important for everyone to have knowledge of the man God used to help bring the light of His Word to those in his own generation, affecting the spread of God’s truth for generations to come. The author states that the only person who has been written about more is Jesus Christ. You could read a long biography if you wish to take in more information about Martin Luther’s life, but if you or someone you know want a quick, impactful look into Luther’s life, this book is a good choice.