I knew I wanted this book when I first saw it was available. Camille Fronk Olson is one of my favorite LDS authors and Elspeth Young is my favorite LDS artist. So a book by the two of them focused on Women of the Old Testament? I was very pleased when my in-laws bought it for me for my birthday. Each chapter focuses on a woman from the Old Testament, each chapter is accompanied by a painting by Elspeth Young (at the end of the book, Young explains her paintings and why she painted them the way they did). One thing I like about Olson's writing is she expects you to be studying it in the scriptures as you read her commentary. She also points out so much -- what was going on at the time, what different texts and commentaries add to the story, what we can learn from it. I learned a lot from this book. Be warned, though, it doesn't cover all of the women of the Old Testament, just a few (10 or t12 maybe), but wow! those she covers are covered in detail. The preface referenced another book these two women are collaborating on that will focus on women in the Savior's lineage. I am excited for it to come out! It was an interesting read. Gives more detail. I especially liked her comments in the conclusion: "They were ordinary women who made extraordinary contributions despite their challenges and foibles--because of the grace of the Lord." She also made the observation that with just seeing a "snapshot" of a woman's life that it is easier for us to make a judgment and "assign a label to define the woman's entire life." We need to be careful there. We all have weakness and strengths.
Do You like book Women Of The Old Testament (2009)?
Very informative. Have really enjoyed learning about these women and how strong they were.
—byakuya
i am reading it right now and am ejoying wonderful background and insights.
—jeanette
Best way to study the Old Testament this year. Camille is a genius.
—cheyenne
