Mountain Rain: A New Biography of James O. Fraser

This well written biography of James Outram Fraser spoke to me rather deeply. Despite remarkable gifts in mathematics and music, Fraser spent most of his adult life as a missionary among illiterate tribespeople in South-West China, having only minimal contact with people of his own culture. He lived in squalor and discomfort, and risked his life on several occasions. Despite many years of apparent failure, he pressed on unflinchingly until his efforts finally bore tremendous fruit. The secret of his strength was his remarkable life of prayer. He loved to pray and spent many hours at a time doing so. This reminded me of Jesus, who often retired into the hills to pray for many hours at a time. But it also challenged me uncomfortably, because I find it hard to pray for more than half an hour. I tend to give priority to trivial amusements or tasks of secondary importance. This inspiring book left me with the profound conviction that I must change my priorities and learn to commune with God the way Fraser did.

My parents and grandparents were all missionaries in China and this book was so inspiring reading. Their daily life in China in the first half of the 20th century came very close to me. Every Christian must read this book.............

Very honest account of missionary life in a pioneering situation in China/Burma hill tribes. Lots of quotations from James Fraser's own journal.

Sadly this is where you see modern Christianity taking its first steps with new (corrupted) bible versions and zero actual preaching. People are merely invited to "ask" Jesus into their hearts rather than repenting and believing. This for me was a huge eye opener. I am a bible believing preacher and this is where i begun to see problems in the CIM (now OMF) and where the corruption begun. So sad and tragic - an insult to the legacy of James Hudson Taylor.

I agree this is a brilliant book - I remember being very impressed with it when I first read it, when it was first published, in 1982. This "new biography" must be a reworking of the original.

Glowing, inspiring book in plain but strangely evocative language. It puts us in James Fraser's fascinating travels, and portrays him from all angles - Fraser the passionate Christian, Fraser the pianist, Fraser the eccentric gentleman, and Fraser the adventurer. I've never seen such an astounding combination of common-sense, other-worldliness, and unpretentiousness. Makes you want to go and be a missionary...