“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.”

Great people have changed the course of history. Women play a special role and have done things throughout history that were great because of their womanhood. From Joan of Arc to Mother Teresa, women impacted the people around them and the ripples were felt around the world.

I have read several of Eric Metaxas’ books and plan to read all of them as time permits. I started with his biography of Dietrich Bonheoffer and just last month read 7 Men and the Secret to Their Greatness. He has a biography of Martin Luther scheduled to come out later this year and I plan to pre-order it. His books are very well researched and easy to read and understand.

In 7 Women and the Secret of Their Greatness, Metaxas tells the stories of Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, St. Maria of Paris, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks and Mother Teresa. I was familiar with most of the stories, but hadn’t heard much of Wesley, More or St. Maria before this book. Wesley raised children who went on to influence Methodism and social reforms. Her son wrote several hymns that are still used, such as “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” More was a writer who used her skills to influence the social and spiritual world of her day. St. Maria helped the poor by living among them and helped Jews in France during Hitler’s rule. She died in Ravensbruck – a concentration camp. I am always awestruck by Corrie ten Boom’s story and was glad to be reminded how we can each impact the world in small ways right where we are.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone high school age or older, mostly because several of these women suffered severe persecution and death. I think a book club would enjoy reading and discussing the women and it could even be done as a study group, reading one chapter a week.

This review was shared with An Open Book.

Buy the book here (affiliate link).