Book Review of Fierce & Faithful: 25 Women of the Bible Who Dared to Trust God
The Children’s Book Review
Fierce & Faithful: 25 Women of the Bible Who Dared to Trust God
Written by Carmen Joy Imes and Nijay K. Gupta
Illustrated by Jade van der Zalm
Ages 8-12 | 128 Pages
Publisher: IVP Kids / InterVarsity Press | ISBN-13: 978-1-5140-1308-3
What to Expect: Biblical women, female leadership, courage, faith, historical context, maps, sidebars, reflection prompts, Christian themes.
Fierce & Faithful: 25 Women of the Bible Who Dared to Trust God is an engaging, historically grounded storybook collection that highlights the courageous, pivotal, and often overlooked roles played by women throughout the Old and New Testaments.
When Bible stories are told, the focus frequently falls on well-known men, but women were central leaders, protectors, prophets, and peacemakers in God’s ongoing story. This rich volume takes young readers from the Garden of Eden to the early Roman church, bringing twenty-five remarkable women to life through imaginative storytelling paired with authentic historical context. Across two beautifully organized sections, readers will discover how midwives, businesswomen, elderly prophets, queens, and young girls displayed fierce bravery and steady faith to protect others, share good news, and shape the course of history.
Carmen Joy Imes and Nijay K. Gupta’s narrative strikes a superb balance between accessibility and intellectual depth—each entry blends a dramatic story scene with clear historical explanations, inline phonetic pronunciations, sidebars tackling tough questions (such as slavery, war, and lying to save lives), and thoughtful reflection prompts. Their prose is direct, warm, and highly engaging for young listeners and independent readers alike.
Jade van der Zalm’s full-color artwork enriches every chapter, placing characters against evocative historical backdrops with warmth and care. Along with detailed regional maps, the illustrations work to heighten the reader’s connection to the ancient Mediterranean world and reward visual exploration.
Fierce & Faithful is an empowering, highly educational, and deeply inspiring collection that belongs on every spiritual bookshelf. Families seeking a meaningful read-aloud or devotional, and educators looking to highlight diverse female leadership in biblical history will enjoy it most.
Buy the Book
About the Authors
Carmen Joy Imes (PhD, Wheaton) is an associate professor of Old Testament at Biola University. She is the author of Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters, Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters, and Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters.
Nijay K. Gupta (PhD, University of Durham) serves as Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. Gupta has published over twenty books, including the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (2nd ed., coeditor), several Bible commentaries, and award-winning titles such as Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church and Strange Religion. He also serves as a senior translator for the New Living Translation.
