cover image Wisdom's Daughters: Stories of Women Around Jesus

Wisdom's Daughters: Stories of Women Around Jesus

Elizabeth Watson. Pilgrim Press, $14 (188pp) ISBN 978-0-8298-1221-3

Watson's book tells the life of Jesus through the eyes of 14 women who encountered him. These include Elizabeth, John the Baptist's mother; the unnamed woman at the well; Simon Peter's mother-in-law; Mary Magdalene; and, of course, Mary, the mother of Jesus. Each woman receives her own chapter, and each chapter begins with references to key biblical passages and then opens into three parts. First, in her own voice, each woman tells the story of her relationship with Jesus. Second, Watson offers thoughtful, imaginative observations and personal reflections on the life of the woman featured. In the third and final section of each chapter, the reader is offered questions in order to reflect on connections with the biblical character and on implications for the reader's own life. For example, when reflecting on the prophetic role of Elizabeth, Watson asks: ""Have you known people who were prophetic elders? Is this something acquired with age and experience?"" Written with a well-balanced and contextualized interpretation of scripture, Watson's book will appeal to women interested in reflective self-evaluation. (Aug.)