Elisabeth Elliot, missionary and author who was widowed and later remarried, wrote Let Me Be a Woman to her daughter when she was about to be married. It focuses on God’s design and plan for men and women, as well as for marriage. That being a man or a woman is a calling, and that to run away from that calling is disobedience. The book addresses singleness but it mostly focuses on marriage. The desire to be married is right and good, but don’t let it take away from living joyfully in God. Singleness and marriage are both gifts. “Let not our longing slay the appetite of living.” On marriage some topics are: what to look for in a man, who is it that you are marrying, and how to make a marriage work.
One thing that resonated with me while I read the book was on appreciating your spouse. That most husbands and wives should not take each other for granted. My favorite quote from the book is “Snoring is the sweetest music in the world, ask any widow.” I have never thought of snoring in that way, but what a new perspective this book has given me. Another thing that resonated with me was on loyalty. That wives should be proud to identify as their husband’s wife. This helped me understand why wives traditionally take their husband’s last name.
Overall, I think this is a good read for those exploring biblical womanhood from a Complementarian view, as well as any woman who is thinking of getting married, engaged, or already married.