Seven Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness

I loved this book & about everything else written by Metaxas! It's a beautiful glimpse into lives of women, some of whom I knew and others I'd never heard of, who have changed our world and still lead by example centuries later! Inspiring!!

It is humbling to learn what these spiritual and courageous women did for God. Joan of Arc was one I had known about, but not enough to really understand her spiritual connection with God. What courage was required for Susanna Wesley to raise her children to love God and live for Him in the face of hardship.

Imagine diving into the lives of some of the most influential and successful women in history. Not the super wealthy or internet famous—instead, women whose stories and influence spans hundreds of years, multiple continents, and a wide variety of topics. Eric Metaxas doesn’t offer a book of dry historical narratives about these women. Instead, his writing style offers their lives as a story that draws the reader in and gives them an insight into who these women were beyond their accomplishments. The book in a couple sentences: 7 great women—Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Saint Maria of Paris, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks Mother Teresa. Each one could have a collection written about her but Metaxas does an amazing job of highlighting not only their accomplishments but the character of each woman. You learn her background and how she became great. What I liked most: Each story had the right mix of history, fact, and perspective to bring the stories to life. The writing and tone allow readers to imagine the stories and engage. Plus, the wide variety of women and the purposeful choice of women who excelled without comparison to men is encouraging. I might change: Although each woman is unique, a concluding chapter that highlights similarities between all of the women would have helped the reader make solid conclusions. A quote to remember: “When I consider the seven women I chose, I see that most of them were great for reasons that derive precisely from their being women, not in spite of it; and what made them great has nothing to do with their being measured against or competing with men. In other words, their accomplishments are not gender-neutral but are rooted in their singularity as women.”

I wanted to be inspired in my walk as a woman, and I was not disappointed. Though the descriptions break the ceiling on my vocabulary on occasion, he truly infuses life into the stories of these women. In a way I feel like I've spent a little time with each of them. Though the stories are short and I could spend more time reading about each of them, none of the biographies were hollow or left me in question of who these women were and how they lived and loved those around them. The best thing is how Eric is able to express their humanity. He shows us that, though they CAN be your heros (heroines), they're not super heroes by any means. Each has flaws and weaknesses, stumbling here and there, proving that each one of us can be used by God to make a difference if we are brave and choose to chase after His heart for others.

Excellent book, read it with my young teen

I loved reading this book. The lives of these women are very inspiring. It is one of my favorites to give as an any occasion gift to my Christian and secular girlfriends. Eric Metaxas is an excellent writer. His biography of Martin Luther is fantastic, if you like big books. The shorter bios in this book, and 7 Men are little gems.

What a great book! I loved "Seven Men", but as a woman, reading this book was so much more inspiring. I gave it to my niece for her 14th birthday and decided that I will give it to my other three nieces for their birthdays. The author does such a great job of giving you just enough history that you feel like you know the women without boring you down with details. The book definitely has a Christian perspective, but I think non-Christians could find inspiration in it as well - to make a difference in the world around you even if you can't make a difference in the world at large.

I like Eric Metaxas writing style - he is readable,terse,covers a lot of ground and is able to keep each biography moving along. He has filled some huge gaps in my awareness of some of these women and in my understanding of the ones I did know of. At the same time both an enjoyable and a challenging read.

a great present

You know these 7 stories already, right? That's what I thought. Eric Metaxas includes all the best parts in a faster, page-turner telling, PLUS gritty best parts I never knew, like the messy marriage that makes Susanna Wesley so relatable. And Joan of Arc . . . I have no words for Joan. Her words are better anyways. Listen to how she talks to the military men who doubt her, "In God's name! You thought that you could fool me, and instead you fooled yourself; I bring you better help than ever came to you from any soldier to any city: It is the help of the King of Heaven." This book, and these women, changed me.

Great book! Extremely inspiring!

Given as a gift to my son's girlfriend. A solid book with some great role models in this era of moral relativism and Gender issues.