Biddle's reinvention of silenced, abused, and oppressed women provides a humorous—and at times cynical—take on biblical stories that have historically unfolded from a male perspective. Ruth reflects on her journey as an "alien" in a foreign land; Bathsheba shares her side of the love affair she was forced into when a David took a liking to her; and Delilah defends her actions against Samson, yet defers judgment, writing “I was a serial floozy. Or a heroine. Your choice.” Biddle also incorporates a contemporary woman by the name of Moira—a 21st century descendant of Eve, who sees a correlation between herself and these biblical women and the treatment they faced at the hands of the men in their lives.
Though entertaining, Biddle’s writing also offers serious food for thought, advocating for women whose perspectives have been largely overlooked, as well as unapologetically calling out the lack of women’s autonomy over their own lives and bodies within biblical stories. The narrative also invites some input from men in the Bible and touches on several of-the-moment issues like gun control and discrimination, while offering brief asides from God, who ruminates on the deteriorating state of the world and tells readers “I cannot rescue you from your current lunacies.”
Takeaway: Creative reimagining that gives voices to women of the Bible.
Comparable Titles: Michal Lemberger's After Abel and Other Stories, Anna Solomon's The Book of V.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
