Books for Young Maidens

Do you have young women living in your home?  If so, you are blessed indeed!  You will want to provide fertile soil for the seeds of faith that God will surely sow into their lives as they grow up in His love.  One of the most beautiful ways to keep that soil as rich as possible is to give them nourishing reading material to feed their souls.

Our culture teaches that reading, in and of itself, is the great goal.  “As long as they’re reading…that’s what counts!  It doesn’t matter what it is…just keep them reading!”  This is a blatant lie, and the consequences of such foolish thinking are tragic in many lives.  Nothing is neutral, and certainly not books!  The author’s world view is most assuredly communicated in the things he or she writes.  God is gracious to give us some guidance in this critical area!

Psalm 1 beautifully captures our Sovereign Creator’s guideline for the things we “take in” and the company we keep.

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

Here is a list of books that have either been enjoyed in our home, and/or have been highly recommended by men and women for whom I have deep respect.  I hope they will provide hours of reading enjoyment while at the same time assisting your daughters in a deeper, more intimate relationship with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Beautiful Girlhood by Karen Andreola

Raising Maidens of Virtue: A Study of Feminine Loveliness for Mothers and Daughters by Stacy McDonald

Joyfully at Home by Jasmine Baucham

Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood by Carolyn Mahaney, Nicole Mahaney Whitacre, and C.J. Mahaney

Lies Young Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Dannah Gresh, and Erin Davis

So Much More by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin

Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ’s Control by Elisabeth Elliot

Quest for Love: True Stories of Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot

Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot

Becoming God’s True Woman by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

By Design by Susan Hunt

The True Woman by Susan Hunt

Alone Yet Not Alone: The Story of Barbara and Regina Leininger by Tracy Michelle Leininger

The Princess Adelina: An Ancient Christian Tale of Beauty and Bravery by Julie Sutter

Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss

Flower of the Family by Elizabeth Prentiss

Aunt Jane’s Hero by Elizabeth Prentiss

More Love to Thee: The Life and Letters of Elizabeth Prentiss by Elizabeth Prentiss

The following seven books were written by Patricia St. John and beloved by ME when I was a girl, and now my own daughter loves them as well. (These are good for girls 10-14)

Treasures of the Snow

Star of Light

The Tanglewood’s Secret

The Secret at Pheasant Cottage

Rainbow Garden

Twice Freed

Where the River Begins

The Hidden Hand by Mrs. E.D.E.N. Southworth  {One of our children’s FAVORITE books of all time!  It’s truly a MUST HAVE!}

The Lost Clue by Mrs. O.F. Walton

Ishmael by Mrs. E.D.E.N. Southworth {This book and its sequel below are incredible!  The children from youngest all the way up to the teen boys were completely enthralled.  And you should have heard the wails when this series was over…it’s that good.}

Self-Raised by Mrs. E.D.E.N. Southworth {The delightful sequel to Ishmael.}