10 Dead Gals You Should Know: Leaving an Enduring Legacy

by Rachel Ciano, Ian J. Maddock

Bite–sized biographies of inspirational Christian women. Spanning two millennia and multiple continents, these stories will introduce you to great women in the history of the Christian faith. From Mary in first century Judea, to Catherine Booth in nineteenth century Britain, to Gladys Aylward in twentieth century China. Perpetua and Jane Grey lived brief lives cut short by their conspicuous and brave fidelity to Jesus, while Corrie ten Boom, although no less courageous, lived a long life that testified to God’s compassion and forgiveness. For all their differences, each one of these women has left an indelible legacy on our collective intergenerational Christian consciousness. Each are worth knowing. To know someone’s story is a privilege. We hope you’re encouraged in your Christian walk as you read of theirs. The women whose stories are included in this book

Genres: Christian, History, Nonfiction, Womens, Biography

264 pages, Paperback

Published September 12, 2023

About the author

Rachel Ciano is a lecturer in Christianity in History at Sydney Missionary and Bible College and specialises in the Reformation.Lecturer in Church History at Sydney Missionary and Bible College; church–planter in a multicultural, urban area of Sydney.

Reviews

[Tim Goldsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel Ciano & Ian Maddock take us on a whirlwind tour of 10 great women from Christian history, ranging from 1st Century Mary, to 20th Century Corrie Ten Boom. This approachable and encouraging book takes a look at the lives, faith, and legacy of these women. Including a mystic, a mother, a queen, a denominational leader, a missionary and a resistance leader, this short book is chock-full of eye opening and encouraging women.
A great read.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved having a brief window into some remarkable women of history in the faith. It provided much insight into their lives, but even more so into the God they lived and (often) risked so much for!

[Bridget Jeffries · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It has moving, accessible stories of ten women throughout church history, many of whom you may not have heard of, or if you did hear of them, you may not know the full story of their faith or their contributions to history. The women featured are: Mary, the mother of Jesus (1st c.), Perpetua (d. 203), Catherine of Siena (d. 1380), Lady Jane Grey (d. 1554), Anne Hutchinson (d. 1643), Anne Dutton (d. 1765), Selina, Countess of Huntingdon (d. 1791), Catherine Booth (d. 1890), Gladys Aylward (d. 1970), and Corrie ten boom (d. 1983). Dutton and Selina are probably the least well-known of the pack, with more localized historical contributions. As in the accompanying *10 Dead Guys* book, the stories are well-written and engaging but in a simplified manner that is geared towards the average church-goer. The book is also not a "women's book" (despite being about women) and is intended for male readers as well as female.

Though I give the book five stars, I will offer two critiques, and the first is similar to my critique of the first book: after the early church, all of the stories are about European or American white women, and no people of color are featured. (Perpetua was a north African Christian and probably not what we would think of as "white," while Mary was Jewish.) Certainly race is significant in the stories of Aylward and ten Boom, but it would have been nice to have seen the faith of a woman of color featured in the second half of the book. Walatta-Petros or Sojourner Truth would have been good choices here. Juana Ines de la Cruz is technically a white woman, but significant in Mexican history and would have also been a good multicultural choice.

My second critique is that Mary is an absolutely bizarre choice for this volume. Yes, she is theologically significant for church history, but we have no information about her in the early church that the Gospels and Acts do not give us (the Protoevangelion of James and Dormition of Mary are interesting, but hardly historically reliable). She more properly belongs to the realm of biblical studies, not church history. Besides, are there actually Christians out there who don't "know" Mary when her story is extensively featured every Christmas season?

The patristic era certainly has a source problem when it comes to women as few writings from women survive this era. However, if the authors wanted another patristic-era woman to feature (10 Dead Guys had both Athanasius and Augustine), Paula of Rome or Macrina the Younger would have been excellent choices, and either would have made far more sense than Mary.

Despite these flaws, I think this is an excellent, entry-level book on women in church history and I am teaching it at my church next year, with some additions and deletions. 

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting, enjoyable, and well-written. I appreciated how the authors celebrated the faith of these saints without minimising their flaws. It was also refreshingly clear from the eclectic mix they chose and their commentary on them that their intent was to inspire readers to love and live for Jesus more, rather than to push a specific doctrine.

"No, I ground my faith in God's Word, and not upon the church. For if the church be a good church, the faith of the church must be tried by God's Word; and not God's Word by the church...Shall I believe the church because of antiquity?" Jane Grey 1537-1554

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written short biographies of ten prominent women in church histories. I appreciated the selection -- while there were some well-known women included, there were also some lesser known names that I was curious about. I especially liked the chapters on Perpetua, Jane Grey, Selina of Huntingdon, and Catherine Booth.

[Malvina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short bios of 10 Christian women who have changed history with their passion for visions and evangelism. Also a push for equality for women in Christ, owning the freedom to proclaim him as freely as men could. So interesting to read, something to learn from all of these women.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book is good, and several of the biographies are uplifting and interesting, however many of them feel quite heavy and academic to read- as if they were written for an academic audience rather than a more general readership.

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book about 10 women who served God and the Lord to the full. Well worth a read…