A Woman’s Favorite Books

 
Disclaimer: No book, apart from the Holy Scriptures of God, is wholly pure. I have personally read each of the books listed here and found them to be chiefly wholesome, uplifting, and doctrinally sound. If I have reservations about a specific book I have included them in bold type. Would you like to recommend your own favorite books for women? Please email me. fiction  The Complete Home, Julia McNair Wright This beautiful housekeeping tome is presented as “a thinking woman’s views of that which is woman’s widest kingdom and her highest sphere.” The fictional Aunt Sophronia counsels her three nieces on the reasons and methods of good housekeeping. Although some aspects of the book are dated, the principles remain timelessly invaluable. Topics such as order, beauty, economy, hospitality, and methods of work are treated with thoroughness and with respect for the both the art and science of keeping a Home. [577 pages and index] This book is out of print. The Dean’s Watch, Elizabeth Goudge An heirloom watch links the life of the formidable dean with that of the lowly and embittered watchmaker Isaac Peabody. Devoted to his wife, his church, and his city, the dean has nevertheless remained misunderstood and spurned. Through his blossoming friendship with the watchmaker, the dean learns the love that transforms. The story unfolds slowly—like life—to reveal the lives and thoughts of its characters. Goudge remains sensitive to the nobility of humanity while recognizing its faults. All is couched in the lyrical language of Elizabeth Goudge, as she gently brings our attention to small pleasures and big truths. Its theme is one of redemption and restoration in a world often ugly and painful. The book is never triumphalist but ends on a note of ambiguity appropriate to her theme. As long as life continues, there is room for growth and improvement. Hind’s Feet on High Places and Mountains of Spices, Hannah Hurnard This beautiful allegory tells the story of Much-Afraid, a crippled and fearful young shepherdess escapes from her Fearing relatives and journeys to the High Places, where "perfect love casteth out fear." She must learn to accept the guides that the Chief Shepherd has chosen for her—Sorrow and Suffering—and resist the attempts of her kins-people Pride, Bitterness, Resentment, Craven, and Self Pity to take her back to the Valley of Humiliation. The inspiring sequel, Mountains of Spices, continues the story as Much-Afraid, now Grace and Glory, returns to minister to her relatives in the Valley of Humiliation. In the midst of her work among the Fearing family, she is taught by the Shepherd about the fruits of the Spirit, as compared to the spices in Songs of Solomon. Although these two allegories have many Scriptural truths to share, please note that as Miss Hurnard continued to write, her New Age religion came into sharper focus. First, read this article from the Asterisk Files: Hinds’ Feet in Lowest Place. Mother, Kathleen Norris Ugly little Weston has a narrow horizon for ambitious young schoolteacher Margaret Page, and she is beginning to feel cramped in her home with six siblings. When a bewildering whirl of events sweeps her to New York as secretary of the distinguished Mrs. Carr-Boldt, Margaret thinks it is a dream come true. In this bright and busy new world, she comes to imagine that motherhood and keeping home is drudgery and a wasted life. Only God can dramatically change her heart and show her that wealth and independence are illusory and ultimately enslaving. Margaret comes to realize that the greatest woman she has ever known is her mother. Now she longs for home and for motherhood. [202 pages] A hardback edition is available at Vision Forum. Mrs. Miniver, Jan Struther ✭✭✭✭✭ This delightful book is a series of vignettes of the life of an English housewife and mother. Mrs. Miniver takes a brightly feminine interest in the ordinary. Whether she is arranging chrysanthemums, deciphering the squeaks of windshield wipers, choosing a new datebook, or writing Christmas lists, Mrs. Miniver finds pleasure—and ample material for reflection—in the details of daily life. Each page is imbued with a gentle vibrancy. Mrs. Miniver reminds me to take note of the beauty, humor, and importance in the little things. It is also the most intimate look into a woman’s mind that I have ever read. Stepping Heavenward, Elizabeth Prentiss “When Queens Ride By,” Agnes Slight Turnbull Jennie Musgrave is a tired, bitter woman. Once, when she was young and newly-wed, she had envisioned a lovely home, ironed linen, tasty meals, and well-dressed children; but, after slaving for years with John to help pay the mortgage on the old farm, Jennie has given up her old dreams in the despair of daily drudgery. Then a beautiful stranger appears and, sensing Jennie's need, shares her own story.  Jennie is skeptical. Is it true that John needs her more in the house than in the fields? Written in the 1800’s, this is my favorite story and is the basis for the award-winning play of the same title. You can read the entire text here: When Queens Ride By. “The Wise Woman,” George MacDonald Wonderful truths about self-control, duty, pride, and parenting. This story does contain strong elements of fantasy, which may concern some parents. nonfiction All the Way Home, Mary Pride Mature subject matter. Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature, Linda Lear  The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, Edith Holden This facsimile edition of a naturalist and artist’s 1906 nature journal is a true jewel. Written in her own neat handwriting are Mrs. Holden’s accounts of her many walks and rides through the English countryside surrounding her home village. In delicate and lovely watercolors she portrays the many wildflowers and feathered songsters she met along the way. This volume gained international fame with its 1977 publication and this original edition, with “aged pages,” is my favorite. [176 pages] Created to Be His Help Meet: Discover How God Can Make Your Marriage Glorious, Debi Pearl Mature subject matter. [291 p] Available from No Greater Joy Ministries. Elizabeth Prentiss: ‘More Love to Thee,’ Sharon Joy The Family Meal Table and Hospitality, Nancy Campbell Americans gobble their food on the run: slurping down energy drinks or other "fast food" while maneuvering through traffic or surfing the internet. Seldom do we sit down and enjoy real, good food; tragically, few of us sit down with our families. Eating, however, has traditionally meant more than meeting a biological need; it also helps to restore us spiritually (as we reflect on God's Providence), emotionally (as we interact with family and friends in a cheerful environment), and aesthetically (as we observe and delight in the order and beauty of the meal and the settings). This is the difference between feeding like an animal and dining like a human being. In The Family Meal Table and Hospitality, Mrs. Campbell gently encourages women to resume their role as family nourishers, to develop a thriving family culture around the table, and to exercise biblical hospitality. [206 pages] Available from Above Rubies. The Five Silent Years of Corrie Ten Boom, Pamela Roswell Many are familiar with the heroic life of Corrie Ten Boom during the Nazi occupation, but what happened afterwards? Join Pamela Roswell as she lives with Miss Ten Boom for the last years of the missionary’s life. Ill health interrupts Corrie’s busy traveling ministry, and she settles down in America. Corrie doesn’t let this interrupt her mission to share God’s love with the world, however. Even when a series of tragic strokes takes away her powers of speech and communication, Corrie’s message is clear: God is king! This is a sad but triumphant story of how God’s strength and power is revealed through the weaknesses of His children. Hair, Anne Akers Johnson I confess that pony-tails are a necessary part of a girl’s everyday life, but why settle for only that? Learn how to achieve a feminine and sophisticated appearance with French twists, braided chignons, Gibson tucks, and French braids. Simple instructions and detailed drawings make this book a delight. While most of the ladies are dressed modestly and femininely, there are several that are not. The Hidden Art of Homemaking: Creative Ideas for Enriching Everyday Life, Edith Schaeffer Despite its brevity, the word art has assumed a sublimity that associates it with Bach, Michelangelo, and the Louvre. Mrs. Schaeffer, however, reminds us each person was formed the image of a Divine Creator. She encourages men and women to exercise their individual talents to produce a home culture rich in the beauty that is a reflection of the First Artist. Topics include music, painting, sketching, interior design, gardens, food, writing, drama, and clothing. Whether your home is a castle or a cottage, there is ample opportunity for the exercise of artistic creativity. [215 p] Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendelson This comprehensive volume is an invaluable resource for homemakers, detailing the methods and meanings of the domestic arts. Mendelson learned early how important domestic customs are to the home’s comfort and identity. She writes out of love and respect for her subject, and the result is a rich but readable resource with a keen sense of the history and values involved. Housekeeping routines, marketing, food storage, meal presentation, laundry, cleanliness, household safety, and far more are thoroughly and clearly discussed. [837 p and footnotes and index] In My Father’s House, Naomi and Tamara Valine Written with the beautiful language and imagery of yesteryear, and embodying a godly rallying cry for the young unmarried women of today and all times, this book is certain to encourage and goad. They write, “Whether you are a young girl hoping to marry someday or an older girl who feels that your prince charming is long overdue, this book will provide encouragement, inspiration, and practical wisdom. No young woman today should be ‘just waiting’ to be married. The godly woman has much to do even while single. These essays from past generations will broaden your definition of godly womanhood, something which encompasses more than having a ring on your finger and a baby in your arms.” As it is a compilation of many writings, the writing style is a bit choppy; otherwise, the book is quite wonderful A hardback edition is available from Lily Press. Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life, Margaret Kim Peterson What do the Scriptures have to say about the practical duties and value of keeping house? A surprising lot! [165 p] Letters from a Woman Homesteader, Elinor Pruitt Stewart This remarkable collection of letters chronicles the adventures of Elinor Pruitt, a young widowed mother who moves west looking for fresh air and open spaces. Writing to a friend back East, Elinor fills her letters with lyrical descriptions, colorful portraits, humorous anecdotes, and accounts of her explorations. Although life isn’t always easy, Elinor is determined to meet it with cheerfulness and a keen eye for beauty and humor. You will be uplifted by this unique self-portrait of a woman who faced the homesteading life with indomitable spirit. One story involves an illegitimate child, but the subject is treated with the usual decorum of the time. [282 p] The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady, Edith Holden The publication of Edith Holden’s The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady was an instant and international success, but many are unaware that another of her diaries has been published. This forgotten volume was her “Nature Notes for 1905.” Written and illustrated a year before her popular Country Diary, this volume features more of Holden’s beautiful watercolors. Unfortunately, the publishers found it necessary to print her writing in type to aide legibility. [191 p] The Pace of a Hen: Fulfillment for the Housewife, Josephine Moffett Benton [100 p] Passionate Housewives Desperate For God: Fresh Vision for the Hopeful Homemaker, Jennie Chancey and Stacy MacDonald The Power of Motherhood: What the Bible Says About Mothers, Nancy Campbell Mother and grandmother Nancy Campbell has prepared a beautiful and encouraging book in celebration of Biblical motherhood. Mrs. Campbell reminds women that child-bearing and nursing are a gift from the Lord, not to be rejected or looked-down upon but recognized as the blessed estate it was designed to be. She outlines the various tasks of a mother (feeding, nurturing, teaching, keeping home, praying, etc.) with a thorough evaluation of each one's importance and eternal impact. I found especially interesting the carefully referenced compilation of recent research linking various health risks (most notably breast and other reproductive cancers) to a rejection of God's plan for the womb and breasts. [188 p] Available from Above Rubies. The Private World of Tasha Tudor, Tasha Tudor and Richard Brown Tasha Tudor, a beloved children’s illustrator, always felt that she belonged to another century. Rather than simply dream about a rural farm, antique dresses, and cottage gardens, she set out to live that kind of life. Her motto was taken from Emerson: “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.” Join Tasha Tudor in a homey conversation, set amid the breathtaking photographs of Mr. Brown. Mrs. Tudor was influenced by transcendentalism. [144 p] If you are interested in learning more about Tasha Tudor’s life, you might be interested in her biography, written by her eldest child, Bethany Tudor—Drawn from New England. Not only does it contain interesting text, it is also rich in historical photographs spanning Tasha Tudor’s babyhood, girlhood, and womanhood. [95 p] Raising Maidens of Virtue: A Study of Feminine Loveliness for Mothers and Daughters, Stacy McDonald, [ill. Johanna Bluedorn] Sixpence in her Shoe, Phyllis McGinley This thick collection of essays by a Pulitzer prize winning poet was published as a housewife’s response to Betty Friedan’s Feminine Mystique. McGinley celebrates housekeeping as one of life’s most significant duties, an “occupation sufficient to fill a life, a heart.” The title refers to the English legend that a good housewife would “quite literally, stumble upon a fortune.” “By sixpence,” McGinley writes in her “Unapologetic Preface,” “I mean a reward. And it is the rewards as well as the challenges of creating a home which I discuss here. But the book is about other things as well—about women in general and their odd enthusiasms; about myths, manners, moralities; about husbands; about guests, books, friends, children, food, the paraphernalia of living.” McGinley has a warm, comfortable style that frequently sparkles with her gentle wit. The book is divided into three sections: the Wife, the House, and the Family. The Story of My Life, Helen Keller Helen Keller is a beautiful, happy young baby living in Tuscumbia, Alabama, but at nineteen months a mysterious sickness robs her of both her sight and hearing. Pampered by her parents and frustrated by her inability to communicate, Helen becomes a willful, angry, violent, and demanding child. Her parents despair and even consider sending her to a mental institution. What follows is a beautiful story of the influence of a dedicated teacher who suddenly comes into Helen’s world: Miss Anne Sullivan. With the manual alphabet and some tussling, Miss Sullivan is able to shed the light of language in Helen’s dark, silent existence. Soon, Helen find herself in an immensely interesting and beautiful world of constant learning. She does not allow herself to be bound by her condition, and learns to read in several languages, write, and even speak. This volume includes an informative selection from the letters of Miss Sullivan during the early years of teaching Helen. Some discretion required. Helen Keller was the subject of an unfortunate experiment: no one was to speak to her of religion. She eventually embraced Unitarianism and socialism. [471 p] The Way Home, Mary Pride Mature subject matter. poetry Evangeline, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow “This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks,/ Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight,/ Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic,/ Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their bosoms.” So begins this beautiful and melancholy tale of love and constancy. The village of Grand Prè is an idyllic spot until the English arrive to force the Acadians from Canada. During this Great Upheaval, the maiden Evangeline, newly wedded, is tragically separated from her husband Gabriel. What follows is a lifelong search for one another. This was Longfellow’s most popular work during his lifetime, and considered one of the greatest American poems. Songs of a Housewife, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was an outstanding writer most famous for her novels The Yearling and Cross Creek. What few people realize, however, is that Mrs. Rawlings wrote poetry for her own newspaper column. Quite an accomplished home-keeper and cook herself, Mrs. Rawlings desired to encourage and inspire fellow housewives with poems glorifying the little daily tasks: mending, baking, cleaning, chasing twins, and bathing babies. In an interview, Mrs. Rawlings told her editor, "I have found that there is romance in housework: and charm in it; and whimsy and humor without end. I have found that the housewife works hard, of course—but likes it... There are unhappy housewives, of course, but there are unhappy stenographers and editresses and concert singers. The housewife whose songs I sing as I go about my work, is the one who likes her job." [273 p and index] Verses of Virtue, compiled and edited by Beall Phillipsmailto:handmaidens@me.com?subject=Educational%20Websitehttp://www.xanga.com/asterisktom/595408139/hinds-feet-in-lowest-places.htmlshapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1shapeimage_3_link_2