Empowered is a book that is geared toward 8-14 year olds, but has much to offer individuals of all ages—including this 40 something Mama. I appreciated Parks’ voice reaching toward the younger crowd and explaining some difficult words in a way that they could understand but not be insulted for maybe not knowing what a particular word in a quote from the 1700’s might mean.
I’m glad I finally had a chance to read this book and will definitely be passing it along to all of my immediate family—young and old. :-) A solid 4.5 stars!

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

Written for middle grade readers, the selection of role models presented in this book is more global and diverse than is often the case. I learned about some great Christian women I hadn't heard of before, such as Esther Ahn Kim and Pandita Ramabai. For what it is meant to do, I think the book succeeds. However, even though the purpose of the book is didactic, I wish the questions about the women had been left more open ended, with room for readers to make their own connections between God, the Bible and these women's lives. This isn't a book that is likely to attract young readers on their own; it's one that adults will use to teach.

My daughter and I found this book to be very empowering. Reading the story about how God enriched these women’s lives should us the wonderful things he can do in ours. I recommend this book to all young women.

I received an ARC from B&H Publishing Group via NetGalley, this review is my opinion..


In this time we hear the Empowered In our society this word means so many things, but sadly many of them are wrong Catherine Parks did a wonderful job on this book, give in us a correct definition of what empowered means. Especially since this book is the focus for young girls, and they need guidance with all the changes they are an experiment. In this book, we found a real-life story, of women who decide to trust, follow and obey God and how these ordinary women, were God used by God in their specific time and place to make a difference. This book could be a beautiful gift and I believe it could also an opportunity to getting more deeper with the questions after each chapter, to not only knowing more of God but who He says they are.according to the Bible.

"Empowered" celebrates eleven notable women who made significant contributions to the world because of their faith in Christ. These women represent different races, nations, and spheres of influence, and even though some of them are well-known in Christian circles – such as Corrie Ten-Boom and Elisabeth Elliot – others, such as Sophie Scholl and Pandita Ramabai, are more obscure. In each chapter, the author shares a biographical sketch, a short devotional, and discussion questions. The questions include Scripture references, and encourage readers to reflect on how the chapter’s lessons relate to their lives.

The focus of "Empowered: How God Shaped 11 Women’s Lives (And Can Shape Yours Too)" is clear from the title. Catherine Parks uses the language of empowerment to teach girls about the power of the Holy Spirit, showing them that these women were able to accomplish what they did because of God’s strength in them. She encourages girls to know that they, too, can serve God and others in meaningful ways, because even though they may never face the intense conditions that many of these women did, God calls each of us to serve Him within our ordinary lives and the circumstances in which He places us.

This book is a great resource for Christian schools, homeschool families, and devotions. It teaches about a variety of women and historical issues, and does so in a way that elevates God’s power instead of making the women themselves the center of the story. Parks is honest and direct about the women’s accomplishments and their faults, and never praises them in a way that encourages idealization or the belief that no one could be like them. This book is refreshing and encouraging, and is a great choice for both children and adults who are interested in learning about historic Christian women.

Since I am a public school teacher, this is one I can’t just use in my class. However, I learned about it from a church friend and immediately knew I wanted to read it! I love that it focuses not just on these women who did amazing things, but more so the reason and way they were able to do them, through Christ! I’ve bought the boy’s version, Strong, for my boys to read, but I want to get this one to read to them after as well!

This book is geared towards teens and young women but I thoroughly enjoyed it as someone much older! I highly recommend this for girls wanting to know more about women God has used.

Oh, how delightful! It's a bit of church history in a readable book for teens. The lessons are there as well. Your daughter can easily read this on her own but if you read it together, I bet you learn a thing or two as well.