John David Bosch
In the Vanguard of Heroes, Martyrs, and Saints

How difficult to capture the life of such a selfless, self-effacing soul as John Bosch ("one of the chosen and not of the called" according to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, paraphrasing Christ's words), and yet how successful is Angelina Allen with her meticulous biography of this great man, the spiritual brother and dear support of fellow Californian Bahá'í, Thornton Chase. Angelina captures John Bosch's "language of the heart" ('Abdu'l-Baha) and helps the reader to inhale the spiritual fragrance that had Shoghi Effendi refer to him as a "saint."  Like sugar dissolving in tea, John Bosch dissolved his ego in service, particularly in his educational legacy — Geyserville.  So it's fitting that this book evolves into a love letter to that Bahá'í school and its successor Bosch School, a  living educational monument (like this literary monument) to John and his wife Louise.  

I just finished reading this book and I am taken aback by how much work Angie must have put in to make this gem come to fruition! I never realized how important of a figure John Bosch was to the Faith. Just to get a glimpse of how close he was to Abdu'l Baha' and the impact John had on The Master's decision to visit the West Coast on his tour of the U.S. is amazing! And the fact that he and his beloved wife, Louise, were among the seven Western believers in Haifa at the time of Abdu'l Baha's passing is not lost on this reader. So many letters exchanged with some of the most notable early American Baha'is: Thornton Chase, Louis Gregory, May Maxwell, among others. Even the closeness of his connection with Shoghi Effendi is depicted within the covers. It describes the importance of the Baha'i school the Bosch's created in Geyserville, later to be relocated to the beautiful Santa Cruz mountains (a must visit for all!). This was an enthralling read and one I highly recommend!