A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans

^"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life....She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates."
                                  -Proverbs 31:10-12, 27-31 (KJV)

I bought this book months ago as a follow-up to A Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs, a Page Turners' selection. It had hidden itself on a shelf until it was discovered recently. It is a 5---I loved it! I could tell it would be amusing by the subtitle "How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband 'Master.'" Indeed it made me smile often and laugh out loud at times. What surprised me was the depth of knowledge and thoroughness of research the author demonstrated. It seemed to me she had some profound insights into scripture as it relates to our modern society.

Ms. Evans focuses on Proverbs 31 as her guide to living as a Biblical woman for a year. I have quoted a part of it above but there is so much more. For each month, starting with October she concentrates on one quality of the Jewish eshet chayil, the woman of valor: gentleness, domesticity, obedience, valor, beauty, modesty, purity, fertility, submission, justice, silence and grace. The results are sometimes hilarious and often enlightening, thought-provoking and even  inspiring. I especially loved the "Submission" chapter which was funny, but poignant, as she ends with an explanation of why she respects her husband. Another part I especially enjoyed was "Justice." On her "To Do This Month" list in July was: Read Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.  I read it a couple of years ago and it moved me greatly. It seemed to make a huge impression on her, as well. At the end of each chapter and especially instructive were the descriptions of actual women of the Bible who seemed to embody the qualities the author was trying to emulate.

I was impressed with the author's consultation and growing cyber friendship with Ahava, a Jewish woman. I believe this social networking helped Ms. Evans stay grounded and true to her purpose. Her husband was a saint to support her efforts in this year-long project, it seems to me.

Jacobs' book, A Year of Living Biblically, was possibly funnier but I enjoyed this one so much more. Perhaps it was the concentration on women or the educational aspect or the obvious fact that Rachel Held Evans is a Christian, while one is never sure if that is true of Jacobs. I recommend this one highly to all women but especially those of the Christian faith. Now that I think about it, most men would enjoy it, as well. The author's husband, Dan, even chimes in from time to time.

Us by David Nicholls

"Well I can tell you now that married life is not a plateau, not at all. There are ravines and great jagged peaks and hidden crevasses that send the both of you scrabbling into darkness. Then there are dull, parched stretches that you feel will never end, and much of the journey is in fraught silence, and sometimes you can't see the other person at all, sometimes they drift off very far away from you, quite out of sight, and the journey is hard. It is just very, very, very hard."
                              -Douglas Petersen, from the novel

This was an interesting book, but I didn't love it and I certainly couldn't call it a "page turner." It actually took me about 2 weeks to finish it. I will rate it a 3 since I did want to finish it and because Nicholls is an able writer.

The Petersen family is somewhat dysfunctional but seemingly loving at the same time. Husband/father, Douglas, is a biochemist, a driven man lacking in ability to show emotions. Connie is the wife of over 20 years, who suddenly reveals near the beginning of the novel that she wants to end the marriage. Their only son is Albie, seventeen and wanting some independence. Albie and Connie are very close but Douglas has never really bonded with his son. So this is a very brief look at the family who decides to go on a Grand Tour abroad anyway.

The author separates the novel into parts geographically (Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, etc.) and numbered episodes that go back and forth to the time when Douglas and Connie's relationship first began to the present time. I was not confused by the flashbacks at all and the characters were well-developed, even some of the minor ones.  What I found very puzzling was why Connie wanted to go on a month-long trip with the husband she has said she wants to leave. At times she seems very affectionate with Douglas so I just didn't get her desire to be free of him. Albie seems to be very resentful of his father and it takes a near-catastrophe for that to change.

I could describe Us as the portrait of a marriage but don't expect a "happily ever after" ending!