A while back, I remember reading an article where a certain female celebrity said she was raised in the Christian faith but fell away because "there were no strong women in the Bible." I wanted to tell her to A) actually read the Bible because if she thinks that then she either hasn't read it for herself, wasn't paying any attention when she did, or was trying to assert modern mentalities onto the cultures of Biblical times, which was very different than how we live our lives today. And B) Give her a book like this one that puts the spotlight on 16 different women who appear in the Bible, named and unnamed, and uses what we're told in the Bible as well as accurate historical context to show the reader what their lives were like and exactly how strong and valuable to God each of these women really were. Yes, even when the fallible human men in their lives and culture treated them otherwise.
I thought Shannon Bream did a solid job writing this book. Rather than trying to assert her own opinion or any modern mentalities on these women she stuck firmly to the biblical narrative and gave each biblical passage she referenced historical context for any readers who might not know what the culture was like during the times in which these women lived. I know a lot of this historical context myself, but still learned a few things here and there when she brought up details I didn't previously know or may have forgotten.
I especially enjoyed the section of the book that dealt with the women with whom Jesus interacted directly during His time on earth. There are those in modern-day culture who falsely believe that Christianity doesn't value women as much as men, but that couldn't be further from the truth. All you have to do is look at how Jesus treated women. He went completely against the culture of His day, drawing attention to and valuing women who were overlooked or rejected by society, from prostitutes to widows. He also invited women into environments where they otherwise weren't supposed to be, like allowing Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, to learn at His feet among the disciples. Things like that simply weren't done back then, but Jesus wasn't limited by human rules. He created us all and He loves us all, and this book portrays that beautifully.
I highly recommend this book for Christians old and young, new and long-time believers, and non-believers who want to know the truth about the role of women in Christianity and the Bible.
Content Advisory:
None. This book is written for adults, so young children probably wouldn't comprehend it all yet, but I'd say that if an older Middle School age kid is reading and understanding the Bible and expresses interest in this book, they could easily handle it. It is definitely completely appropriate for teens, too.