Steal Away Home: Charles Spurgeon and Thomas Johnson, Unlikely Friends on the Passage to Freedom

“I loved this book and did not want it to end. I was unfamiliar with the story of the famous preacher Charles Spurgeon and the slave Thomas Johnson, and how our sovereign Lord brought them together in what can only be called a divine friendship. Now I am. I was greatly moved by this work and more than once brought to tears. Humans can be very evil, but our God is very good. This book is a wonderful witness to both of those truths.”

“I’ve long been a great fan of Charles Spurgeon. I wasn’t familiar with Thomas Johnson, and enjoyed reading about his part in the drama. As a fiction writer I appreciated the creative storytelling elements of this account. Matt Carter and Aaron Ivey have done a great job selecting historical realities and weaving them together into a compelling story. I really enjoyed Steal Away Home.”

“We live in a time and a culture when many people feel their stories are worth telling. It is certainly not for me to judge the worthiness of every story out there, even the one you hold in your hands. However, I will offer this—I cannot imagine having not been given the opportunity to know this story. Charles Spurgeon is, of course, a giant of both Christian history and lore. But where his story intersects that of the faithful, enduring man, Thomas Johnson, it creates for us an almost cinematic tale. Matt and Aaron have worked tirelessly to accurately and fairly capture the history in which this story is set. The evil of slavery and of those who perpetuated it. The indomitable spirit of the African-American people, acutely seen through the life of Johnson. The sacredness of true friendship, and the beauty of the gospel are all at the fore, and I cannot more strongly encourage you to read this powerful work.”

“A fresh and artful treatment of two remarkable, gospel-shaped men. I’ve read lots of books on Charles Spurgeon. I’ve never read one like this one. Once you start it, you won’t put it down.”

“Steal Away Home is the collaborative work of a pastor who specializes in truth, and an artist who specializes in beauty. Their subjects are a titan of truth and beauty in his own right, the great "Prince of Preachers," Charles Hadden Spurgeon, and his lesser known yet no less significant friend, missionary and abolitionist Thomas Johnson. While claiming to write historical fiction versus pure biography, Matt and Aaron have done a great job honoring two men whose profound impact shares a common thread: neither outgrew his need for Jesus and the gospel. As a preacher and aspiring abolitionist myself, I am moved by this volume not only to be a better minister, but to remain thirsty for our freedom-fighting, truth-telling, and beautiful God.”