Happy Saturday! Today I’m going back in time a little bit to bring you my review of the very first book I read in 2017, Seven Women and the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas. I was going to wait and pair this review with a review of Metaxas’ book Seven Men, which I’ve read before, but I decided to split them up so I could talk about each individually!

Can I tell you a secret? Sometimes I put a lot of ridiculous pressure on the first book of the year. I know it’s silly to put pressure on an inanimate object, but I always hope that the first book will set the tone for my reading goal over the next 365 days. Last year I read A Center of Quiet first in an attempt to find more quiet in my life and to better hear God speak. I can’t say I always found time to be still and quiet, but I look back on that book as an inspiring start to the year.

This year, I am glad to say, my first book was equally as inspirational. Metaxas’ similar book, Seven Men, is one that I read a few years ago, and I can’t recommend his biography of Bonhoeffer highly enough. All that to say–I was excited to pick up another book by such an excellent author.

This book contains seven mini-biographies of important and influential women. Metaxas’ introduction to the book includes a lot of great information about Biblical manhood and womanhood, and he clearly shows that he highly values women and their contributions to society. The seven women he selected are:

• Joan of Arc
• Susana Wesley
• Hannah More
• Maria Skobtsova
• Corrie Ten Boom
• Rosa Parks
• Mother Teresa

I had heard of all of these women except Maria Skobtsova and Hannah More (of whom, by the way, I am incredibly anxious to learn more!). Metaxas walks you through each woman’s life and explains along the way how each woman’s faith made her strong and enabled her to influence those around her.

I think in this age of endless debates about women’s rights and equality, this is a great book for anyone who struggles to see how women of faith fit into important moments in culture. Metaxas’ book shows that women who place their trust firmly in Jesus have nothing to fear from the world because they can overcome even the greatest odds by relying on Him. From Joan of Arc’s inspiring faith to Corrie Ten Boom’s supernatural ability to forgive her enemies, each of these women are amazing and inspirational.

For all of these reasons and many more, this was an excellent book and a great way to kick off 2017!

Keep Reading,

Sarah