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7 Biographies
Seven Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness
A beautiful gift edition of this instant classic exclusively for graduates, with a special letter from Eric Metaxas to those entering the next phase of life’s journey.
What makes a great woman great? In Seven Women, New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas provides an answer by telling the captivating stories of seven women who changed the course of history and impacted the world in astonishing ways. Teenaged Joan of Arc heard God’s command and led the French army to a mighty victory over the British. Susanna Wesley, the mother of nineteen children, gave the world its most significant evangelist and its greatest hymn-writer, her sons John and Charles. Corrie ten Boom risked her life to hide Dutch Jews from the Nazis in World War II and somehow survived the horrors of a concentration camp, but her greatest feat was her forgiveness of her tormentors years later. And Rosa Parks’s God-given sense of justice and unshakable dignity helped launch the twentieth century’s greatest social movement. Seven Women reveals how the extraordinary women profiled here achieved their greatness, inspiring readers to lives propelled by a call beyond themselves.
What makes a great woman great? In Seven Women, New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas provides an answer by telling the captivating stories of seven women who changed the course of history and impacted the world in astonishing ways. Teenaged Joan of Arc heard God’s command and led the French army to a mighty victory over the British. Susanna Wesley, the mother of nineteen children, gave the world its most significant evangelist and its greatest hymn-writer, her sons John and Charles. Corrie ten Boom risked her life to hide Dutch Jews from the Nazis in World War II and somehow survived the horrors of a concentration camp, but her greatest feat was her forgiveness of her tormentors years later. And Rosa Parks’s God-given sense of justice and unshakable dignity helped launch the twentieth century’s greatest social movement. Seven Women reveals how the extraordinary women profiled here achieved their greatness, inspiring readers to lives propelled by a call beyond themselves.
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 8, 2015
920 people are currently reading
8774 people want to read
About the author
Eric Metaxas
132 books2,259 followersIn a decidedly eclectic career, Eric Metaxas has written for VeggieTales, Chuck Colson, Rabbit Ears Productions and the New York Times, four things not ordinarily in the same sentence. He is a best-selling author whose biographies, children’s books, and works of popular apologetics have been translated into more than 25 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 825 reviews
July 28, 2020
The subtitle of this book should be "The Secret of Their Greatness is Christianity and Adhering to Traditional Female Roles." Not that there is anything wrong with being a Christian woman, but I was disappointed that was the unifying theme Metaxas chose for these women. In his introduction he blatantly states he is anti-feminist, and my heart sank. I suppose there lies my issue with the unifying Christian/supporting the religious and governmental patriarchy theme. Women who break the mold and are pioneers in feminism he dismisses out of the hat as unseemly radicals, while praising those who excel in "womanly" ways. Meh, not my cup of tea. Some of the women Metaxas selected I had never heard of, some I have read biographies or autobiographies of (Joan of Arc, Corrie Ten Boom) that were FAR superior to the synopsis Metaxas wrote. Several women I am positive do not fit into the same ranks as Mother Teresa and Rosa Parks, but because they were good Christians and anti-feminists, Metaxas included them (Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Saint Maria of Paris).
Update, July 2020: Eric Metaxas is absolute trash, a *rump supporter, anti-BLM, "Covid is a hoax" and deranged right wing lunatic. I absolutely stand by my review of this book.
Update, July 2020: Eric Metaxas is absolute trash, a *rump supporter, anti-BLM, "Covid is a hoax" and deranged right wing lunatic. I absolutely stand by my review of this book.
February 16, 2016
Just as he did in 7 Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness Eric Metaxas shares brief biographies of seven inspirational women. Some are familiar, like Mother Teresa and Rosa Parks. Some I had never heard of, such as Saint Maria of Paris and Susanna Wesley.
Metaxas begins the book by considering the way our culture often highly celebrates women who compete with men, as if there is no other way to measure a woman's value. We think of this as putting men and women on equal terms, but it actually pits them against each other in a zero-sum competition. Someone must win and someone must lose. That's hardly "equality." It is ironic that such a standard is so built into our culture that this concept was slightly startling to me. And I'm nobody's knee-jerk "feminist."
I found it amusing, therefore, when Metaxas' first great woman was Joan of Arc. Is there a better female icon for achieving greatness by doing what the boys do, but better? It turns out that one of the contradictions is the little known fact that Joan was not as we portray her these days, like Katniss from The Hunger Games. She was inexperienced, petite, vulnerable, and innocent. It was precisely her feminine, youthful qualities which affected the average fighting man to respect her victories as miracles.
Story after story shows these women just as they were, rising to the difficulties of their circumstances in ways that exemplify true womanhood. Each surrendered themselves to God and sacrificed themselves in some way for the greater good. In so doing, each helped change the world for the better.
Somehow the phrase "true womanhood" equates these days with "namby pamby" or "doormat." Nothing could be further from the truth. As you read these stories you will come away respecting how strong feminine qualities can be under adverse conditions. Examining the lives of these great women helps reset our view by stepping outside of our current assumptions and that can only help inspire all of us. It certainly inspired me.
Metaxas begins the book by considering the way our culture often highly celebrates women who compete with men, as if there is no other way to measure a woman's value. We think of this as putting men and women on equal terms, but it actually pits them against each other in a zero-sum competition. Someone must win and someone must lose. That's hardly "equality." It is ironic that such a standard is so built into our culture that this concept was slightly startling to me. And I'm nobody's knee-jerk "feminist."
I found it amusing, therefore, when Metaxas' first great woman was Joan of Arc. Is there a better female icon for achieving greatness by doing what the boys do, but better? It turns out that one of the contradictions is the little known fact that Joan was not as we portray her these days, like Katniss from The Hunger Games. She was inexperienced, petite, vulnerable, and innocent. It was precisely her feminine, youthful qualities which affected the average fighting man to respect her victories as miracles.
Story after story shows these women just as they were, rising to the difficulties of their circumstances in ways that exemplify true womanhood. Each surrendered themselves to God and sacrificed themselves in some way for the greater good. In so doing, each helped change the world for the better.
Somehow the phrase "true womanhood" equates these days with "namby pamby" or "doormat." Nothing could be further from the truth. As you read these stories you will come away respecting how strong feminine qualities can be under adverse conditions. Examining the lives of these great women helps reset our view by stepping outside of our current assumptions and that can only help inspire all of us. It certainly inspired me.
July 3, 2022
Outstanding in every way. Incredibly inspiring. I loved this book and the greatness of the women.
I highly recommend.
I highly recommend.
August 23, 2024
2024 Review
I challenged myself in 2024 to re-read the books that impacted me most in my 20s.
I'm not really sure this book impacted my 20s but it did introduce me to Hannah More and for that I'm grateful.
I had a very similar reaction to the introduction as I did during my first read (aka skepticism and visceral dislike.) In fact, if I hadn't specifically noted it in my 2016 review, I might have given up. Thankfully, the introduction is the only time he really talks about womanhood in the esoteric sense before jumping into the appeal of these 7 women.
Having read some more Metaxas by this point in my life, I can see that the women he chooses are somewhat limited to the periods in history (and men) that he has previously written about. But as they are pretty remarkable in their own right, I think these 7 make for solid biographies.
Maybe not a 5 star read but surprisingly good still.
2016 Review
My brother and I are currently listening to the audio of Seven Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness. To be honest, I'm pretty unimpressed with it so far. Because of that, I was extremely hesitant to pick up 7 Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness. However, I was packing away my books and it was right there and I figured I might as well give it a try. The introduction didn't do much to assuage my fears. My ideas of womanhood and femininity have shifted over the past few years and I was afraid I was going to disagree with Metaxas's conclusions about womanliness and what made these ladies great.
Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised to discover quite the opposite. This book was encouraging and interesting. Some of the women were familiar to me, others much less so. I particularly enjoyed learning about Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, and Maria Skobtsova. Their stories were inspiring and intriguing. I appreciate the different walks of life portrayed here.
Well worth the time.
I challenged myself in 2024 to re-read the books that impacted me most in my 20s.
I'm not really sure this book impacted my 20s but it did introduce me to Hannah More and for that I'm grateful.
I had a very similar reaction to the introduction as I did during my first read (aka skepticism and visceral dislike.) In fact, if I hadn't specifically noted it in my 2016 review, I might have given up. Thankfully, the introduction is the only time he really talks about womanhood in the esoteric sense before jumping into the appeal of these 7 women.
Having read some more Metaxas by this point in my life, I can see that the women he chooses are somewhat limited to the periods in history (and men) that he has previously written about. But as they are pretty remarkable in their own right, I think these 7 make for solid biographies.
Maybe not a 5 star read but surprisingly good still.
2016 Review
My brother and I are currently listening to the audio of Seven Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness. To be honest, I'm pretty unimpressed with it so far. Because of that, I was extremely hesitant to pick up 7 Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness. However, I was packing away my books and it was right there and I figured I might as well give it a try. The introduction didn't do much to assuage my fears. My ideas of womanhood and femininity have shifted over the past few years and I was afraid I was going to disagree with Metaxas's conclusions about womanliness and what made these ladies great.
Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised to discover quite the opposite. This book was encouraging and interesting. Some of the women were familiar to me, others much less so. I particularly enjoyed learning about Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, and Maria Skobtsova. Their stories were inspiring and intriguing. I appreciate the different walks of life portrayed here.
Well worth the time.
December 2, 2015
I have read all the Metaxas biographies and found them inspiring, easy to read and exciting. I love biographies, but some are so dry it is hard to get through. Metaxas really brings these heroes to life. His goal is to give our generation heroes of the faith and I think he is successful.
January 18, 2018
From the start I had confidence that this book would promote the true characteristics of womanhood in all its "different-than-men" glory. I was so happy to read that Metaxas was not about to write a book about women who "threw off their chains of 'societal restraints'" and who acted like men so that they could change the world. This is a book about women, who embraced their God-given sex, characteristics, and personality and moved the world in which they lived, with the help of God. I was interested in each of the widely varying stories and lifestyles of these great women, and came away with a sense of pride in the power of femininity.
September 19, 2018
This book did not live up to writing style of his previous book. The secret of the woman greatness was not defined in the book. I got the feeling
Metaxas was not excited about writing this book but only wrote it because of the suggestion he needed to write something for woman after of having written 7 men and their greatness. Also if I had not been reading it for a book group the people that wrote praises in front of the book, would have made me not want the read it with words like “reawaken woman that fell into the trap of feminism”
I do thank Metaxas for inspiring me to want to read other historians on Mother Theresa and Rosa Parks. So hopefully Metaxas will return to his style of his first books.
Metaxas was not excited about writing this book but only wrote it because of the suggestion he needed to write something for woman after of having written 7 men and their greatness. Also if I had not been reading it for a book group the people that wrote praises in front of the book, would have made me not want the read it with words like “reawaken woman that fell into the trap of feminism”
I do thank Metaxas for inspiring me to want to read other historians on Mother Theresa and Rosa Parks. So hopefully Metaxas will return to his style of his first books.
February 4, 2017
Really enjoyed reading the mini-biographies of each of these women, some who I had never heard of before. I already love Corrie ten Boom; Rosa Parks and Mother Teresa are favorites too. I had never heard of Hannah More before but I'll be reading her full biography, Fierce Convictions, next. These women all from different times shared faith and courage.
February 17, 2016
An easy, fast read about 7 amazing women! I loved the writing style and the way the author approached his subjects. Just the way he explained how he chose the 7 women he did is somewhat profound for this day and age. I'd recommend this for women and men alike. It's inspiring and educational.
April 11, 2017
This book was fantastic! The speech at the end when Mother Teresa is accepting the Nobel Peace Prize is phenomenal! Worth finding a copy. Where are these amazing women of today?
February 16, 2016
While the book is informative I came away disappointed in how shallow the biographies were. The tone was simplistic at best, and as a few other reviewers have mentioned, his anti-feminist bias was a problem for me. His main criteria for inclusion in the seven was that they had to be Christian. While I don't dispute the greatness of women like Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa or Joan of Arc, there are plenty of other women historically who also were great. Religion in and of itself is not necessarily a qualifier for greatness, at least not in my book. Other great women who came to mind that Metaxas obviously didn't feel made the cut, but who in my mind were equally memorable, are Madam Curie, Helen Keller, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony for starts.
Other reviews seem to champion this book because of its Christian tones, but there has to be more than that to elevate a book. The writing quality was mediocre at best, and the author gave little of substance as to what he felt these women had achieved greatness, especially as compared to other works regarding his subject. And lastly, I find his notions against women's equality rather off-putting and patronizing. Great that he's written a book about 7 great women. I'm just not certain he's the best candidate for the job given his idea that women are most notable when they endeavor in feminine pursuits.
Other reviews seem to champion this book because of its Christian tones, but there has to be more than that to elevate a book. The writing quality was mediocre at best, and the author gave little of substance as to what he felt these women had achieved greatness, especially as compared to other works regarding his subject. And lastly, I find his notions against women's equality rather off-putting and patronizing. Great that he's written a book about 7 great women. I'm just not certain he's the best candidate for the job given his idea that women are most notable when they endeavor in feminine pursuits.
August 1, 2018
Entertaining enough, but almost... too simple. These are just seven short basic biographies of women in history. Anyone could have written this. Maybe I had high expectations? It just didn’t feel very Metaxas-like. Maybe his longer biographies have more richness to them.
Will not be picking up Seven Men. See Amy’s review here: Read Amy's 5-star review of Seven Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Will not be picking up Seven Men. See Amy’s review here: Read Amy's 5-star review of Seven Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
September 24, 2020
I struggled to stay engaged with this book. I felt as though the chosen biographies were an odd, eclectic choice of women. Overall, it was informative, and I did learn about some women that I didn’t know much about. I was encouraged in my homeschooling journey as I read about Susanna Wesley, but found Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa’s biographies the most inspiring. I found those two women fascinating, and wouldn’t mind reading more about them. The Joan of Arc information was just weird; it was interesting, but a very strange biography.
June 2, 2019
لم أتوقّع أن أستمتِع بقراءة هذا الكِتاب، وبدأتُ بقراءتهِ من باب الفضول ولجَمال غلافهِ فقط!
ولكن، لحُسن الحظّ، استمتعتُ بجُزء كبيرٍ منه. وربّما كانَ لجَهلي بكثير من القصص فيه دورٌ كبيرٌ في استمتاعي وإعجابي.
الكِتاب يذكُرُ قصصَ سبع نساءٍ أثَّرنَ في مسار التاريخ، وكانَ لهُنّ دورٌ هامٌّ في المُجتمع. وقد كانت كُلّ القصص مُلهِمةً فعلاً وتستحقّ أن تُقرأ. ولكنني وقفتُ طويلاً أمام قصّة مُذهلة – هي الأكثر أهميّة وإدهاشاً بالنسبة لي. وهي قصّة القدّيسة جان دارك (الملقّبة بِعذراء أورليان). تلك الشابّة التي أعدِمَت حرقاً بتُهمة الزندقة وهي ابنةُ 19 عاماً. فقد ادّعَت أنها رأتِ الله في رؤيا يوجّهُها كي تخلّص فرنسا من السيطرة الإنجليزية في أواخر حرب المائة عام.
والعجيب، أنَّ رؤاها كانت – حسبما يروي المؤرخون – حقاً. وقد قادت جان دارك الجيش الفرنسي وحققت انتصارات كبيرة (كانت أشبه بالمُعجزات). وقبل إعدامِها أخبَرَت جلاديها أن الإنجليز سيَخسرون معركَةً كُبرى بعد سنوات من موتِها، ومن ثمّ سيخرجون من فرنسا. وقد تحققت نبوأتُها! حيثُ خسِر الإنجليز عام 1450 معركة فورمِغني وعلى إثرها خرجوا من فرنسا.
هذه القصّة العجيبة لِجان دارك، تركَتني مشدوهاً! هل كانت نبيّةً؟
وقد وجدتُ فيلماً فرنسياً صامتاً عَنها، يُصوّر مُحاكمتها وحرقَها. وهُو مصنّف من ضمن أفضل 250 فيلم في التاريخ. وقد عجِبتُ كيف لم أسمع بها من قبل!
القصص الأخرى التي ذُكِرَت في الكِتاب كانت لنساء أخريات مُلهِمات. ولكن لم يؤثروا بي مثل ما فعَلَت جان دارك. ربّما أشهر النساء المذكورات في الكِتاب هُنّ: الأم تيريزا، و روزا بارك.
الكتاب جميلٌ بلا شكّ، ويستحقّ القراءة.
لم أتوقّع أن أستمتِع بقراءة هذا الكِتاب، وبدأتُ بقراءتهِ من باب الفضول ولجَمال غلافهِ فقط!
ولكن، لحُسن الحظّ، استمتعتُ بجُزء كبيرٍ منه. وربّما كانَ لجَهلي بكثير من القصص فيه دورٌ كبيرٌ في استمتاعي وإعجابي.
الكِتاب يذكُرُ قصصَ سبع نساءٍ أثَّرنَ في مسار التاريخ، وكانَ لهُنّ دورٌ هامٌّ في المُجتمع. وقد كانت كُلّ القصص مُلهِمةً فعلاً وتستحقّ أن تُقرأ. ولكنني وقفتُ طويلاً أمام قصّة مُذهلة – هي الأكثر أهميّة وإدهاشاً بالنسبة لي. وهي قصّة القدّيسة جان دارك (الملقّبة بِعذراء أورليان). تلك الشابّة التي أعدِمَت حرقاً بتُهمة الزندقة وهي ابنةُ 19 عاماً. فقد ادّعَت أنها رأتِ الله في رؤيا يوجّهُها كي تخلّص فرنسا من السيطرة الإنجليزية في أواخر حرب المائة عام.
والعجيب، أنَّ رؤاها كانت – حسبما يروي المؤرخون – حقاً. وقد قادت جان دارك الجيش الفرنسي وحققت انتصارات كبيرة (كانت أشبه بالمُعجزات). وقبل إعدامِها أخبَرَت جلاديها أن الإنجليز سيَخسرون معركَةً كُبرى بعد سنوات من موتِها، ومن ثمّ سيخرجون من فرنسا. وقد تحققت نبوأتُها! حيثُ خسِر الإنجليز عام 1450 معركة فورمِغني وعلى إثرها خرجوا من فرنسا.
هذه القصّة العجيبة لِجان دارك، تركَتني مشدوهاً! هل كانت نبيّةً؟
وقد وجدتُ فيلماً فرنسياً صامتاً عَنها، يُصوّر مُحاكمتها وحرقَها. وهُو مصنّف من ضمن أفضل 250 فيلم في التاريخ. وقد عجِبتُ كيف لم أسمع بها من قبل!
القصص الأخرى التي ذُكِرَت في الكِتاب كانت لنساء أخريات مُلهِمات. ولكن لم يؤثروا بي مثل ما فعَلَت جان دارك. ربّما أشهر النساء المذكورات في الكِتاب هُنّ: الأم تيريزا، و روزا بارك.
الكتاب جميلٌ بلا شكّ، ويستحقّ القراءة.
January 13, 2016
It was challenging and encouraging to read about these women!
May 13, 2022
~4.0~
“How can you change the world? The answer: find seven women, turn them loose, and watch Satan tremble in their presence.”
Wow! I surprisingly really liked this book! It was so cool and interesting to hear the stories of these women and their lives and struggles and what they did to overcome these. We hear the stories of Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Maria Skobtsova, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa. In my life, I have only heard of three out of four of these people and so it was super nice to learn more about empowering women in history.
First was Joan of Arc. Boy, I could NEVER do what she did. She was only sixteen (two years younger than me) when she got the impression that she must lead the army to victory. AND SHE DID! That is until she was captured and burned at the stake. Joan really inspired me because it was her persistence and her bravery that led to her success and she didn't care what others thought about her. I have a hard time doing this in my life and it was refreshing seeing someone could block bad people out and do what she thought was best.
The second was Susanna Wesley. My gosh. This woman was a warrior. She had SO MANY KIDS. First of all, wow. And then her husband left her for a year while she had kids and didn't work. AND THEN her house caught on fire like three times because people hated her husband. Wow. She then taught her kids about the gospel and schoolwork all at the same time. She was so strong, mentally. I strive to become like a brick in my mind and want to be as strong in my mind as Susanna was. She was able to get over all the obstacles that were thrown at her and be a great example to her kids and her husband.
The third was Hannah More. I have to be honest. This is probably the story that I didn't pay attention to the most. BUT I WISH I WOULD'VE. Because she was a writer. She wrote plays and stories and weaved messages through those stories. I thought that this was so cool because she was able to talk about controversial topics and her ideas on things through these plays that she wrote. I love writing and I think that writing can have a HUGE impact on the readers and the writer and I admire Hannah for that.
The fourth was probably one of the two women that inspired me the most. And that was Maria Skobtsova. I think that I have a very soft spot for people that endured WWII. I love reading and learning more about the war and can't imagine feeling what the people who went through that felt. The passion that she felt for Jesus Christ and the gospel was unimaginable. She was so faithful and true to her faith. No matter how much the war beat down on her, she was able to keep up her faith, and even when she was in a concentration camp, cared for others and then take someone's spot to go to the gas chamber (that is just a guess). Her courage is immeasurable and I wish to have courage like her someday.
The next courageous person was Corrie ten Boom. She was probably the most impactful person on me. I was surprised to realize that I have never heard of her before (or at least my dad was shooketh). She hid Jews in her house and then was sent to a concentration camp where she witnessed people she loved die and then forgave the people that mistreated her. But the thing that I loved most about this story was that Corrie ten Boom was NOT perfect. Yes, she was very faithful and trusting in God but there were some moments when she questioned and wasn't all the time faithful and her sister had to help her and remind her of God. I thought that this was just amazing. All the other stories have been examples of people who have been perfectly faithful and never wavered their faith in their trials. But in Corrie ten Boom, we see that and I am so thankful for this. It shows me that I can still be faithful but also question it sometimes and learn from it and grow from the trials.
The sixth person (i am going to start moving a little faster because this review is getting very long) was Rosa Parks. Everyone has already heard of her, but her story should never die down. Rosa Park was so courageous and brave to be the one to sit in front of the bus. She didn't care what would happen but she just wanted to make a stand. I strive to be like her in my life and have the courage to do things that others are too scared to do.
The final woman was Mother Teresa. I also checked out a little during her story...because I was nearing the end but this woman was so strong in her faith and in helping those around her. I admire the fact that Mother Teresa didn't care what others thought of her but she just did what she believed to be right. I want to follow her example and be kinder to those who need kindness and love and show them that there is hope.
Overall, this book was very inspiring and beautiful. The problem that I had was that I was a little bored throughout it and checked out a little bit but the parts when I was full in, were very interesting. Another problem was that all the women seemed a little too righteous (save for Corrie ten Boom) and I thought that I couldn't really relate to any of them because my faith is not always perfect.
I hope you all have a wonderful day!! : )
“How can you change the world? The answer: find seven women, turn them loose, and watch Satan tremble in their presence.”
Wow! I surprisingly really liked this book! It was so cool and interesting to hear the stories of these women and their lives and struggles and what they did to overcome these. We hear the stories of Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Maria Skobtsova, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa. In my life, I have only heard of three out of four of these people and so it was super nice to learn more about empowering women in history.
First was Joan of Arc. Boy, I could NEVER do what she did. She was only sixteen (two years younger than me) when she got the impression that she must lead the army to victory. AND SHE DID! That is until she was captured and burned at the stake. Joan really inspired me because it was her persistence and her bravery that led to her success and she didn't care what others thought about her. I have a hard time doing this in my life and it was refreshing seeing someone could block bad people out and do what she thought was best.
The second was Susanna Wesley. My gosh. This woman was a warrior. She had SO MANY KIDS. First of all, wow. And then her husband left her for a year while she had kids and didn't work. AND THEN her house caught on fire like three times because people hated her husband. Wow. She then taught her kids about the gospel and schoolwork all at the same time. She was so strong, mentally. I strive to become like a brick in my mind and want to be as strong in my mind as Susanna was. She was able to get over all the obstacles that were thrown at her and be a great example to her kids and her husband.
The third was Hannah More. I have to be honest. This is probably the story that I didn't pay attention to the most. BUT I WISH I WOULD'VE. Because she was a writer. She wrote plays and stories and weaved messages through those stories. I thought that this was so cool because she was able to talk about controversial topics and her ideas on things through these plays that she wrote. I love writing and I think that writing can have a HUGE impact on the readers and the writer and I admire Hannah for that.
The fourth was probably one of the two women that inspired me the most. And that was Maria Skobtsova. I think that I have a very soft spot for people that endured WWII. I love reading and learning more about the war and can't imagine feeling what the people who went through that felt. The passion that she felt for Jesus Christ and the gospel was unimaginable. She was so faithful and true to her faith. No matter how much the war beat down on her, she was able to keep up her faith, and even when she was in a concentration camp, cared for others and then take someone's spot to go to the gas chamber (that is just a guess). Her courage is immeasurable and I wish to have courage like her someday.
The next courageous person was Corrie ten Boom. She was probably the most impactful person on me. I was surprised to realize that I have never heard of her before (or at least my dad was shooketh). She hid Jews in her house and then was sent to a concentration camp where she witnessed people she loved die and then forgave the people that mistreated her. But the thing that I loved most about this story was that Corrie ten Boom was NOT perfect. Yes, she was very faithful and trusting in God but there were some moments when she questioned and wasn't all the time faithful and her sister had to help her and remind her of God. I thought that this was just amazing. All the other stories have been examples of people who have been perfectly faithful and never wavered their faith in their trials. But in Corrie ten Boom, we see that and I am so thankful for this. It shows me that I can still be faithful but also question it sometimes and learn from it and grow from the trials.
The sixth person (i am going to start moving a little faster because this review is getting very long) was Rosa Parks. Everyone has already heard of her, but her story should never die down. Rosa Park was so courageous and brave to be the one to sit in front of the bus. She didn't care what would happen but she just wanted to make a stand. I strive to be like her in my life and have the courage to do things that others are too scared to do.
The final woman was Mother Teresa. I also checked out a little during her story...because I was nearing the end but this woman was so strong in her faith and in helping those around her. I admire the fact that Mother Teresa didn't care what others thought of her but she just did what she believed to be right. I want to follow her example and be kinder to those who need kindness and love and show them that there is hope.
Overall, this book was very inspiring and beautiful. The problem that I had was that I was a little bored throughout it and checked out a little bit but the parts when I was full in, were very interesting. Another problem was that all the women seemed a little too righteous (save for Corrie ten Boom) and I thought that I couldn't really relate to any of them because my faith is not always perfect.
I hope you all have a wonderful day!! : )
April 25, 2016
Meh.
It didn't help that I'm not really a fan of the first two women in this book. Joan of Arc said the voices told her what to do. Really? Voices, plural? Since when do Christ-followers hear voices, plural? How about one singular voice, that of God Almighty? Joan of Arc is creepy to me. Sorry, sad but true.
I'd read a biography of Susanna Wesley prior to this book and it seemed clear in both books that although she certainly had fortitude through a lot of crappy life circumstances, she didn't seem to have a saving faith in God until the end of her life. It seems odd to say, then, that Christ was the secret of the great things she did in life.
The stories of Corrie Ten Boom and Mother Teresa were inspiring, but of course, those ladies were pretty much awesome in every single thing they ever did, so I don't think anyone could write a not-inspiring description of their lives.
I loved Metaxas's previous biographies of Bonhoeffer and Wilberforce, but the abbreviated biographies in this book seemed a lot drier to me. Too many life facts, not enough about the secret of their greatness. The chapter with the most new information to me was the story of Hannah More, and it was interesting to read her story. I also really appreciated the biography of Rosa Parks.
I did enjoy the book, but wouldn't read it again or buy it for someone as a gift. I'd much rather re-read or gift "The Hiding Place" or one of Metaxas's longer biographies.
It didn't help that I'm not really a fan of the first two women in this book. Joan of Arc said the voices told her what to do. Really? Voices, plural? Since when do Christ-followers hear voices, plural? How about one singular voice, that of God Almighty? Joan of Arc is creepy to me. Sorry, sad but true.
I'd read a biography of Susanna Wesley prior to this book and it seemed clear in both books that although she certainly had fortitude through a lot of crappy life circumstances, she didn't seem to have a saving faith in God until the end of her life. It seems odd to say, then, that Christ was the secret of the great things she did in life.
The stories of Corrie Ten Boom and Mother Teresa were inspiring, but of course, those ladies were pretty much awesome in every single thing they ever did, so I don't think anyone could write a not-inspiring description of their lives.
I loved Metaxas's previous biographies of Bonhoeffer and Wilberforce, but the abbreviated biographies in this book seemed a lot drier to me. Too many life facts, not enough about the secret of their greatness. The chapter with the most new information to me was the story of Hannah More, and it was interesting to read her story. I also really appreciated the biography of Rosa Parks.
I did enjoy the book, but wouldn't read it again or buy it for someone as a gift. I'd much rather re-read or gift "The Hiding Place" or one of Metaxas's longer biographies.
May 4, 2019
I so enjoyed this book. I learned so much. The ladies I had never heard of, or knew little of, I will look forward to further readings on them. I would say that Joan of Arc was the least interesting to me and Rosa Parks & Mother Theresa were the most intriguing. All in their right they did wonderful things for women in the Christian world and I was encouraged and inspired. The other women’s stories told were: Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Saint Maria of Paris, & Corrie ten Boom.
I also am a feminist, but not a feminist as many define it today; I don’t march, I am not Pro-Choice and I believe the woman has an infinite amount of influence when her place is in God’s will. I know I am scoffed at by many of my friends & contemporaries, but the introduction to this book is basically my “manifesto” of being a strong, powerful, influential Godly woman. As all of these women were in their own time and sphere of influence. I hope to be more encouraging and steadfast as these remarkable women were, each in their own life.
Mother Theresa is a rockstar to me. She is little but fierce woman and the parts that were shared about what she saw as TRUE poverty in India when she arrived in the late 1940s were absolutely heart breaking and it convicted me in the greatest way to consider and be of help were I can to people TRULY in need.
I also am a feminist, but not a feminist as many define it today; I don’t march, I am not Pro-Choice and I believe the woman has an infinite amount of influence when her place is in God’s will. I know I am scoffed at by many of my friends & contemporaries, but the introduction to this book is basically my “manifesto” of being a strong, powerful, influential Godly woman. As all of these women were in their own time and sphere of influence. I hope to be more encouraging and steadfast as these remarkable women were, each in their own life.
Mother Theresa is a rockstar to me. She is little but fierce woman and the parts that were shared about what she saw as TRUE poverty in India when she arrived in the late 1940s were absolutely heart breaking and it convicted me in the greatest way to consider and be of help were I can to people TRULY in need.
April 9, 2017
I loved listening to this book about these incredible women that followed what God had called them to do in this life. They were all amazing. Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Maria Skobtsova, Corrie ten Boom, Mother Teresa, and Rosa Parks. Each one of them helped shape our world with their great love of truth and goodness. They fought the good fight for what they knew was right. I'd like to read, or listen to it again, as it was rich in history.
April 18, 2018
I loved this one—I learned so much about seven amazing women in history. I love that Rosa Parks was included, as we have been studying civil rights. I was especially touched by the fact that all of these women felt called by God to serve others—it tied everything together so well.
March 8, 2017
7 great women - 7 story worth reading... Highly recommended read.
September 25, 2018
Eric Metaxas presents biographical sketches of seven women who impacted the people around them and changed the course of history. Having read Metaxas' biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I was familiar with Metaxas' biographical style and in-depth research, and I was eager to read more of his work. When I saw that he had written this book with short sketches of these seven women, I was really intrigued. And truly, from the preface until the final pages, I was hooked. His preface, which detailed why he had chosen these particular women and how he felt that their influence reached as far as it has, not in spite of, but BECAUSE they were women, I felt myself moved to tears. Honestly, there was a point in each and every biography where I was in tears (something to do with pregnancy hormones? No. I'm pretty sure it was the power of these stories). I was also challenged and convicted by each story too - and really, how could you not be? Susanna Wesley, for example, who was "only" a stay-at-home mom, raised children whose contributions to faith and social issues were immense. Some of the figures were fairly well-known to me (Joan of Arc, Corrie Ten Boom, Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa) and some I had heard of but knew little of (Susanna Wesley), but some were completely new to me (Hannah Moore and St. Maria of Paris). Regardless of my familiarity with each story, though, I learned something new and profound about each women. This was such a wonderful book. There are at least three people I know who will be receiving this book for Christmas this year!
June 28, 2019
First, know that I do not see eye-to-eye with Metaxas. I approached this book cautiously.
This book came highly recommended by close friends, and now I understand why. His introduction alone deserves to be read because he dispels the idea that women are only valuable if they can do something a man can do, better. Rather, he chose 7 women who were able to do fantastic things that men are not actually able to do.
The rest of the book is an easy listen, for the most part. I see why Metaxas has a large following; his style is straightforward but engaging. Each mini-biography reminded me of a Wikipedia article—brief but interesting. As one friend of mine said, it’s really an introduction to some fascinating individuals, not comprehensive.
The audiobook works quiets well if you listen to small portions while running errands or doing menial tasks. Each biography lasts approximately an hour, so you can easily keep up with the book even if you stretch it out over a few months.
During the final chapter, I felt challenged by the acts of love and selflessness he highlighted. Maria Skobtsova, Corrie ten Boom, and Mother Teresa were by far the most inspiring women he chose. These women spent time at the feet of Jesus, and their love for others reflected Him.
This book came highly recommended by close friends, and now I understand why. His introduction alone deserves to be read because he dispels the idea that women are only valuable if they can do something a man can do, better. Rather, he chose 7 women who were able to do fantastic things that men are not actually able to do.
The rest of the book is an easy listen, for the most part. I see why Metaxas has a large following; his style is straightforward but engaging. Each mini-biography reminded me of a Wikipedia article—brief but interesting. As one friend of mine said, it’s really an introduction to some fascinating individuals, not comprehensive.
The audiobook works quiets well if you listen to small portions while running errands or doing menial tasks. Each biography lasts approximately an hour, so you can easily keep up with the book even if you stretch it out over a few months.
During the final chapter, I felt challenged by the acts of love and selflessness he highlighted. Maria Skobtsova, Corrie ten Boom, and Mother Teresa were by far the most inspiring women he chose. These women spent time at the feet of Jesus, and their love for others reflected Him.
March 28, 2019
Eric Metaxas is such a winsome and informed voice for truth in today's culture. This follow-up to Seven Men is just as inspiring, encouraging, and well-crafted as its predecessor. Each of the women discussed are worthy of emulation in unique ways, and I appreciate how Eric Metaxas emphasizes that they accomplished what they did because of their womanhood. He writes that to pit men and women against each other is to degrade both of them, so it is refreshing that he doesn't uphold these women because they competed with men and won somehow. Rather, he shows that men and women ought not to be compared to one another, but are meant to work together, so it is precisely because of the femininity of the women in this book that they accomplished what they did. The men in Seven Men did things women couldn't have done in the same way, and the women in this volume are remembered for things that wouldn't have been possible in the same ways for men. Men and women are meant to work together, and Eric Metaxas shows that masterfully in these books. Seven Women is refreshing, challenging, and affirming to women in so many ways.
December 29, 2016
Succinct and interesting. Seven women, each covered for about one hour (audio edition).
So far:
Joan of Arc - Very interesting. Lots of things I never knew.
Susanna Wesley - Susanna is one of my heroines! I read several biographies about her years ago in my early days of homeschooling and adopted many of her methods. This is the first time I remember hearing that Susanna wrote about her explanations / comments of the Apostles' Creed to children. I'd love to find a readable copy of her Complete Writings (ISBN 0195074378) without paying a fortune -~$100 - but may have to resort to reading most of it via Google Books preview.
Hannah More Her name didn't ring a bell under Metaxis mentioned the title of a recent book about More, Fierce Convictions, which has been read by several I know.
Maria Skobtsova Interesting. Her name was completely unknown to me, and her story is quite interesting.
Corrie ten Boom Corrie's story was quite familiar to me but enjoyed listening to it again.
Mother Teresa Wow! I never knew all that about Mother Teresa.
Rosa Parks Nor did I know all that about Rosa Parks!
So far:
Joan of Arc - Very interesting. Lots of things I never knew.
Susanna Wesley - Susanna is one of my heroines! I read several biographies about her years ago in my early days of homeschooling and adopted many of her methods. This is the first time I remember hearing that Susanna wrote about her explanations / comments of the Apostles' Creed to children. I'd love to find a readable copy of her Complete Writings (ISBN 0195074378) without paying a fortune -~$100 - but may have to resort to reading most of it via Google Books preview.
Hannah More Her name didn't ring a bell under Metaxis mentioned the title of a recent book about More, Fierce Convictions, which has been read by several I know.
Maria Skobtsova Interesting. Her name was completely unknown to me, and her story is quite interesting.
Corrie ten Boom Corrie's story was quite familiar to me but enjoyed listening to it again.
Mother Teresa Wow! I never knew all that about Mother Teresa.
Rosa Parks Nor did I know all that about Rosa Parks!
November 8, 2018
I really enjoyed reading about the incredible histories of these 7 women, but in the back of my mind I couldn’t shake Metaxas’ take on feminism in the introduction. He provides an example of an author friend who described herself as “pro-woman” but not feminist. Metaxas uses this instance to extrapolate that “to pit women against men is a form of denigration of women, as though their standards must be determined by masculine standards.” While I get what he’s after here, 1) I think it’s dangerous for a man to cite the example of one woman to explain feminism and 2) it’s easy to say we shouldn’t pit people against one another when you’re not oppressed. While I agree with the notion that feminism is not about pitting women against men, it IS about equality, which is difficult to see when you’ve never experienced inequality because of your gender, race, etc.
March 8, 2018
This book completely changed my life. I cried several times. What I loved the most was how it showed that not everyone is the same and that we need to broaden our ideas of success, etc. For Joan of Arc, she needed to be super headstrong and defy orders. But for Mother Teresa, she needed to wait a year until she had permission to go to India from the Archbishop. Neither way was wrong, just different. I was inspired to embrace my strengths and not try to be anything I’m not. I want to read this book again immediately.
May 14, 2016
Is a woman great only if she is a religious fanatic ready to induce a killing frenzy into the males around? Sounds pretty much like the point of view of the most extreme islamists. And the only difference lays in choosing only christians.
August 6, 2017
A must read
Eric did a wonderful job summarizing the lives of seven incredible women who made the world a better place. He strived to describe their stories with detail and spiritual context that offers historical background as well as inspiration to others
Eric did a wonderful job summarizing the lives of seven incredible women who made the world a better place. He strived to describe their stories with detail and spiritual context that offers historical background as well as inspiration to others
November 8, 2021
The title of this book should be I'm a Misogynistic Anti-feminist and You Should Be, Too. Or, it could be These Women Were Actually Incredible But I am Going to Twist Their Lives Around to Fit my Narrative.
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