12 Faithful Women: Portraits of Steadfast Endurance

12 Faithful

by Melissa B. Kruger

Trials have a way of changing us, for better or worse. They can humble us or harden us. They can make us run to God or away from him. Perhaps your trials have resulted in a closer walk with him, or maybe he seems far away. Often, God strengthens our faith through the witness of courageous Christians who've gone before us. Be encouraged and challenged by these 12 portraits of faithful women who steadfastly endured many trials-including physical pain, persecution, infertility, loneliness, and oppression-and who, in their various sufferings, found Christ to be an all-sufficient Lord and Savior, steadfast, faithful, and true.

Genres: Christian, Biography, Christian Non Fiction, Christian Living, Biography Memoir, Nonfiction, Church History

199 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2020

About the author

Melissa Kruger teaches women at Uptown Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and at conferences around the country. She regularly writes articles for the Gospel Coalition and Christianity.com, and she is the author of The Envy of Eve. Melissa’s most cherished roles include being a wife to Mike, president of Reformed Theological Seminary–Charlotte, and a mother to her three children, Emma, John, and Kate.

Reviews

[aiza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has deeply moved and encouraged me. I found myself wiping tears and thanking God as I remembered these godly women, despite their flaws. I have resolved to read this book again in 2024.

[Josie Heinrich · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some value as an introduction to twelve godly women. The short biographies, however, seemed hastily written and were a bit boring, disjointed, and didactic: I would rather a biographer (or portraitist) show me, and not just tell me about, her subject.

I'll be checking the footnotes to find fuller biographies, especially of Hannah More and Phillis Wheatley!

[Sophie Willcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book so much! Reading the mini bio’s of these 12 women who have stood firm in their faith through such different adversities (persecution, discrimination, illness, loneliness, loss) and at the same time have been so influential in the advance of the gospel was so encouraging. It would be a great one to read with a friend - I think when my kindle unlimited runs out in 5 days I’ll buy it and do just that!

[millie · Rating 4 out of 5]

every single woman in this book had a deep reverence and thirst for the Word of God. reminds me not to take the bible i can read freely for granted. also particularly enjoyed the biographies depicting how the Lord has worked mightily in asian countries like china and korea!

[Meggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christians are often encouraged to read about the lives of “the saints,” to be encouraged and reminded of the power of faithful lives. But so often, such biographies can be long, hard to find or we just don’t have time to delve into the details. Crossway has a nice solution: a 12 chapter book of short biographies of famous and faithful Christians.

While many of the bios read like a book report, drawing from just a couple sources, I enjoyed learning about these women who have lived under persecution, spoke against evils of their day, endured physician pain or worked faithfully for the Lord. Each woman reflected the gospel in different ways.

I especially appreciated the application and scripture at the end of each chapter, encouraging readers to reflect on the woman’s life and how it can speak into one’s own.

[Lydia Gahafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My word for 2025 is steadfast, so I was excited to read about the steadfastness of different Christian women throughout history.

Man. I am so humbled and blown away by the testimony of these twelve. They endured horrific physical and emotional suffering, yet they didn't lose their faith. When their friends, family, health, and stability were taken away, they pressed into their faith in Jesus and His goodness all the more.

Here's the really amazing part--these women aren't admired because their lives were perfect, because they never failed, because their houses were always aesthetically pleasing, or because they had lives free of suffering. Rather, their responses to cling to God for grace in their weakness is what makes their stories so powerful. May I endeavor to pursue the goodness of God with the same zeal that these twelve did 🤍

[Sarah Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ I really appreciated the diversity of women profiles in this book! Some of the chapters felt a bit choppy and hard to follow, and since it’s a collection of short biographies it felt like there was a lot missing! But I do look forward to reading more about several of these women now thanks to the introduction from this book.

[Mackenzie Bare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the format of this book; 12 sections each about a different woman with very different stories. Good for when you don’t have a long time to read, but want to be encouraged and see God’s faithfulness in a lot of different circumstances. There were several times that the stories in this book pulled me out of self-pity. Would recommend!

[Haley Dorris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is filled with powerful testimonies through the faithfulness of several women across history and the world. Each story is encouraging and convicting, always pointing to the sovereignty of God. I would highly recommend this read to anyone wanting to be encouraged by God’s work through suffering.

[Taylor Overos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book - if these women can find the Lord’s strength and comfort during some of the darkest times in history, so can we in our daily lives. Truly inspiring! It’s hard to condense so much into brief chapters but these essays were done strategically and well.

[Ry · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very very encouraging

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 love some inspiring mini bios

[Hanna Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful compilation. Each biography spurred me on to want to truly live faithfully and sacrificially. This would be a great book to study or with a group as their are some questions and additional Bible passages to think through and discuss at the end of each chapter. While some of these women were very family to me others I just knew by name or not at all so I found it very compelling to have some of the faithful women of the faith from the 1500’s to today highlighted.

[Teresa Keck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had this book for a few years and decided to read a chapter a day, as a devotional. It's honestly not what I expected. I expected it to describe 12 women in the Bible, but instead it described 12 women who lived Biblical lives through many trials. It reminds us to have faith and trust, no matter what the world is telling us.

[Josie Bedenbaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exactly what it says it is. Each chapter is about a different woman who has exemplified steadfastness in her faith. Most of these womens stories were incredibly moving and inspiring. Overall, it was an easy read and I really enjoyed it! I only deducted a point because I wish that they would’ve chosen different women for 2 of the chapters.

[Alana Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read exploring the incredibly humbling stories of faithful women throughout history

[Abbey Bedenbaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally finished this book, and I really enjoyed reading the stories of these women! Maybe I’ll look into reading a more in depth book about a couple of them, who knows!!

[Emily Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always encouraging to read about faithful Christians who have gone before me. Pretty simple and short biographies, but the perfect length to read before bed!

[Amber Debenning · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are the kinds of stories every Christian should read. These 12 brief biographies highlight some women of incredible faith, who changed the world now and forevermore. They did so deliberately, sacrificially, quietly, without fanfare, and without a desire for recognition. Their stories are the kinds of stories that remind us we exist in a much bigger context than we remember at times. These 12 women are truly heroes of the faith. Excellent read, and one that has me looking out more in-depth biographies.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning more about the women and their stories—especially from various authors. Certainly works as a stand alone read a chapter at a time type book.

[Stephanie Sipes · Rating 3 out of 5]

While some of the stories in this book are compelling, the writing quality and structure are… rough. Each woman’s story begins by dropping you into an anecdote, but because it gives you no reference for where and when she lived, it’s not an effective device for pulling you into the story. Many of the stories are poorly written, more like a middle school book report of a biography rather than a well-told life story. In the process of summarizing the woman��s life, many of the contributors get overly trite about her suffering and how easy and convenient it is that God can use suffering for his glory. (He can, but it certainly didn’t seem like the contributors understood the weight of the suffering they were describing.) They also use informal modern language that yank you out of the story’s context.

To top it all off, each chapter ends by explicitly listing “lessons” that you’re supposed to learn from each woman’s life. This is not what stories are for!!! We do not read biographies, even biographies of exemplary Christians, to learn life lessons. Good stories have the ability to speak to our hearts and and witness to the truth on a MUCH deeper level. Why ruin it by immediately moralizing the unique women’s lives?

[Jess McDonald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to get a sense of writing style with a different author for each chapter. Since each chapter was so short you don’t really get a feel for ANY of the women. And some of the chapters were very poorly written. Try Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper, or In Trouble and in Joy by Sharon James instead

[Patti Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books challenged me to look at suffering in a different light.

[SarahO · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to say it but I wasn't really a fan. Most of the chapters were a bit too choppy and just felt lacking. The women sound amazing though.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

p. 13, After being raped by an enemy soldier Helen Roseveare experiences, "In the darkness and loneliness, He met with me. He was right there, a great , wonderful, almighty God. His love enveloped me. Suddenly the "Why?" dropped away from me, and an unbelievable peace flowed in, even in the midst of the wickedness. And He breathed a word into my troubled mind: the word privilege. "These are not your sufferings: they are not beating you. These are My sufferings: all I ask of you is the loan of your body. Helen experienced a peace that passes understanding.
p. 43, "We are still called to pursue faithful service in ordinary, repetitive tasks."
p. 137, "Catherine's steadfastness was not coincidence. It was not even a family trait. I was an expression of the reality that because of who God is, he is worthy of our trust even when life makes no sense."
p. 142, "Today's find was beautiful to the inward vision as well as to the outward. It was clusters of exquisite wild lilie's -white, fragile and fragrant- growing out of the hot salt sand...down below the surface, the storage of reserve material in the lily bulbs had silently taken place. The hour had come now, and no adverse condition could keep back the upspringing. The same Lord over all can store the roots in His spiritual creation, even though they have but smothering sand drifts around them."
p. 159, "It was Hannah's fate to often feel like a square peg in a round hold. But, in his Providence, God used Hannah's ill-fittedness to stretch the contours of her world - as well as herself - increasingly into his likeness."
p. 177-178, Joni's experience with extreme pain: "Something unseen and electrifying is abuzz in my dark room. The unseen world and all the heavenly host including powers and principalities are watching me. They are listening to me and as I respond, they are learning about God and his character through me. I can't tell you how many times I've been able to press on because I know my life is on display. We don't suffer for nothing and we never suffer alone. My response to hardship is never isolated. It isn't true that no one cares or notices. The stakes are high and God's reputation is on the line. It's all for God's glory." p. 182, "Joni know God uses her life as a blackboard on which to chalk lessons about himself. That truth encourages her to press on, since her response matters for his glory."
p. 183, "Serve in a powerful way through prayer. Prayers offered in times of affliction possess greater power before God's throne because they are sacrificially voiced."

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat down to start this book this afternoon and read and read and kept on reading until I finished it, the book is that good. It's short biographies of 12 women whose life experience and faith in God stand out. Some of them I was well acquainted. with, Corrie Ten Boom, Elisabeth Elliot, others I had never even heard of Hannah Moore, Phillis Wheatley.

A couple of comments:

1. Phillis Wheatley came across the ocean as a seven year-old in a slave ship and was bought by owners in Boston. Her story is amazing, she could read English fluently by nine and mastered Greek and Latin by the age of ten! She eventually became a poet and seventeen men had to swear in the foreword to her book that the poems within it were hers. She eventually gained her freedom, but not for a very long time. She came to faith in Christ as a result of being kidnapped and forced into slavery, God turning evil into good, as he so often does.

2. Elisabeth Elliot being greatly influenced by Amy Carmichael whose words "In acceptance lieth, peace," we could all profit from meditating upon.

3. The extraordinary suffering of Joni Eareckson Tada. An amazing, amazing woman. I can't begin to imagine the suffering that she has endured.

4. Catherine de Bourbon. Daughter of a queen, sister of the king of France and yet a staunch protestant, and even discipled by Theodore Beza, one of the heroes of the Reformation. I had never heard about her before, but another extraordinary woman who stood faithful to Christ despite the best efforts of her brother the king to get her to convert to Catholicism.

Good book. Some extraordinary women.

[Rachel Menke · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and encouraging read to excel still more in the life that God has given us! This book is filled with women who persevered and thrived, rather than simply survived, sufferings many of us might find unimaginable and others might relate to closely. The women in this book faced obstacles of the physical, emotional, mental, sexual, social, criminal, and various other sorts and their stories will inspire you to endure for the sake of the Gospel too - whatever you may be facing!

One of my favorite aspects of each chapter were the “Lessons from the Faithful” sections which summarized how that woman’s example can spur us on today even if our struggles are not the same. These sections include Scripture passages to read for further reflection and prayer as well!

I also appreciated that while some of the tried and true examples of women who persevered in suffering were used (e.g. Corrie Ten Boom, Joni Eareckson Tada) there were also women who I hadn’t heard of. There was also women from a variety of cultures and ethnicities which I also appreciated (though admittedly most - not all - are white women who were born in western cultures). That being said, I think this book still lends itself to showing that God is at work in the trials faced by His daughters all over the world! This truth as it is revealed again and again in this book should motivate you to worship and rejoice in whatever situation you may find yourself!

[Bethan Lycett · Rating 4 out of 5]

After hearing one of the editors, Kristen Wetherell, give an interview about this book I was really intrigued to read it. It tells the stories of 12 Christian women as mini biographies. There is something just so interesting and challenging about reading real stories about those who have gone before, and from such a wide reaching selection of women.
The stories include immense adversity, great courage, stark loneliness, and lifelong suffering and yet each story points firmly to their faithful trust in God.
It was really encouraging to read the stories: some I had briefly heard of before, some I’d read the full biography of, and some I’d never heard of at all!
I really liked the way that at the end of each chapter there was a series of questions about what lessons we could learn from their lives, and that was really helpful to me as it meant I didn’t just skip right onto the next story, but thought about how my life, and faith, could be shaped by those lessons.
I would definitely recommend this book, and as a result of reading it I have a few complete biographies that I now really want to read! Wen Wei Chieh, Lilias Trotter and Hannah More being amongst them!

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of twelve short biographies of Christian women from the past to the present written by twelve different women. It was a perfect way to start the new year. Each chapter took my heart (that sometimes is weighty and burdened in life) away from myself to a higher plane to see how God molds our character, heart, and soul for usefulness to Him. Many of these women have been my “heroes of faith” through the years and others were new to me. The theme of steadfastness is so timely. The topics: steadfast in trial, sacrifice, persecution, service, loss, darkness, revolution, suffering, opposition, adversity, controversy and pain encourage the reader to find hope in God and press on. Each chapter ends with “lessons from the faithful” encouraging readers not to just read, but apply lessons drawn from the woman’s life. Not just for women, this book is challenging, informative, and encouraging to believers as we walk out the Christian life.

[Tracie Lobstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book of mini-bios encouraging and touching—short reads with strong messages.

I received this book from a church I visited, as a Mother’s Day gift for all women, and found it to be a wonderful selection.

Although I am familiar with some of the women in the book, quite a few were new to me, and I am intrigued to explore some of their stories in more depth.

I found inspiration in their various backgrounds, countries, and eras, and appreciated that each person's experience was unique. In addition to the thought-provoking questions in each chapter that encourage the reader today, I feel there was enough of each woman's story to make this a valuable read for a small group and would trigger quality conversation.

I am grateful I was able to get a glimpse into these women’s lives and see their unwavering, faith-filled response to hardship.