#COLLABOREADS // Non-fiction

I've heard of this fun online reading club that Rachel from  and Amber have been hosting for the past several months called #COLLABOREADS, and I was excited to jump on board this month! The idea is that each month there is a theme (non-fiction, thriller, back-to-school, etc). You find a book that fits that theme, read it during that month, then review it using several elements (how was it riveting, what was the plot line, what does the book remind you of, and was the design of the book an eye-catcher?). Then, link-up with Rachel and Amber and check out other book-lover's reviews. It's an awesome way to learn about new books & meet new book-lovin' bloggers. 

This month's #COLLABOREADS theme was a non-fiction read. This is a pretty broad theme and since I was just finishing up 7 Women by Eric Metaxas, I thought it would be a perfect fit! 

7 Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness 

by Eric Metaxas

Seven mini-biographies of seven extraordinary women who loved God and loved people. It was an excellent read and inspired me in many ways! Joan of Arc, Hannah More, Maria Skobtsova, Corrie Ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa each are world-changers, followed the call on their lives, and courageously trusted God even in the most difficult circumstances. 

Riveting

What part of the book could you NOT get enough of?  I loved learning about these seven women and how their boldness, compassion, bravery, and intelligence were rooted in their deep love for Jesus. Each of them was different and so admirable in her own way, so I enjoyed reading every one of the mini-biographies. 

Elements

How did you relate to/care for the characters? I can't say I related to them too much because they just seemed like superwomen to me, but at the same time, Metaxas made sure to include portions in each of the biographies that showed that the women felt insignificant, scared, and lonely some of the time, which made them more relatable rather than being out-of-reach heroes that I could only admire and not relate to. I cared for each of them because I now have a deep respect for each of them. I knew of a few of the women (mostly Corrie Ten Boom from her autobiography The Hiding Place) but one was completely new (Saint Maria of Paris). 

What's your thought on the plot line and twists and turns? Since this was a series of stories within a story (and I use "story" loosely since they are all true accounts), this would be hard to generalize since each of their lives had a myriad of twists and turns. Joan of Arc's unfair and unlawful imprisonment angered me, Hannah More's switch from more "secular" fun writings to purposeful poems and playwrights on the abolition of slavery was inspiring. Rosa Park's early run-in with the same bus driver she would one day defy by refusing to give up her spot for a white man, Mother Teresa's decision to step away from her beloved Loreto Convent to start her own ministry living and working among the poorest of the poor, and Corrie Ten Boom's courage to protect Jews in Nazi-Occupied Holland  all made the book really hard to put down.  

Associate

What other books are like this one? I love biographies of Christian women who sacrificed pleasures and comfort to serve and defend the impoverished, sick, and forgotten. Corrie Ten Boom's mini-biography in 7 Women definitely reminded me of her own biography, The Hiding Place.  Mother Teresa's biography reminded me of Elisabeth Elliot's biography on Amy Carmichael, A Chance To Die. Amy served in India from 1901 until her death in 1950. She formed the Dohnavur Fellowship, mainly focusing on rescuing children from sex slavery and providing a safe home and education. 

Design

You know you judged this book by the cover. What did you think of it? How did it relate to the contents of the novel? And the font and layout of the pages? The big orange 7 is eye-catching on the cover. And I really like that there is a grey-scale photo of each of the seven women on the cover. The photos seem faded from the color and are cropped to form stripes for the cover, so some of the faces are not clearly recognizable, but I got super excited when I recognized Mother Teresa and Corrie Ten Boom the first time the book came in the mail. The font of the pages was readable and non-pretentious. I liked that each biography started with a small image of the woman and her date of birth and death. It was a quick intro that helped me switch gears from the previous biography a few pages prior. 

Stars

How many out of five do you give this book? 5 out of 5 starts, for sure!
Would you recommend this book to a friend? YES! I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about these amazing women as well as the "secret of their greatness" (Metaxas' subtitle)