The contemporary woman: Can she have it all? by Michele Guinness

REVIEWER: Ali Hull

BOOK: The contemporary woman: Can she have it all? 

(Hodder & Stoughton, 2023) 

Wherever you stand on the debate regarding women as leaders or preachers, this book is worth a thoughtful read. And it covers so much more than that: it is about women’s place in the Bible, in the church, in history, in the family, in society… all written with intelligence, humour and insight. You won’t agree with everything she says, but all of it will be worth your while.   

I found the sub-title less than helpful: it seemed to indicate that the book was mainly about the tired question, Can a woman have a successful family life, marriage, run a home and have a demanding job? Any woman who has tried this combination will know the answer is ‘It depends.’ Rather than exploring that issue, Michele concentrates on three other strands: the women of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, and their experiences of God: the experiences of various key women down the ages, who used their talents to do what God had created them to do; and she argues that women should be able to use their God-given talents to the full: that God always intended that they should. She even argues that St Paul’s instructions to men to love their wives as Christ loved the church means that men should do all they can to see their wives are able to do so.   

All through the book, she draws on her own experience (and that of her daughter Abby) in a world that has changed and keeps changing, looking at what her Jewish heritage has contributed to her, and what she has gained (and had to fight for) as part of the church. So the book is part polemic, part Bible study, part history… hard to categorise. But not hard to read. Michele has always been a very gifted writer, and I recommend her other books (full disclosure: particularly Autumn Leave, as I edited that one!) She engages, challenges and educates: a great combination.   

Reviewer: Ali Hull

Ali Hull is Book Editor for Preach, and can usually be found behind a pile of books. She has also worked as an editor, a commissioning editor, a press officer and a writing coach.