Brave Women, Strong Faith is the collective telling of 20 Christian women of what it is like to be a Christian Military Wife and/or female Service Member. I purchased this book because my dear friend Marla Bautista contributed two essays. I soon discovered a number of familiar names from our military community and was introduced to a few new ones.
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Overview of Brave Women, Strong Faith
In this book, you’ll find snapshots of what it looks and feels like to be a Christian military wife/service member. Long term separations, physical distance from family and friends, loneliness, and everyday stressors challenge military families. The women in the pages of Brave Women, Strong Faith have discovered that it is their faith in God that sees them through the hard days. They have taken their challenges and turned them into opportunities to “shine light into dark places and they invite others to walk beside them.”
There are too many authors to tell you about all of them. I read this book because of Marla Bautista, so I will start with her.
Marla is an Army Spouse, founder of the Bautista Project, and a fellow content writer. I met Marla at the beginning of 2020 and then had the unique pleasure of attending a conference with her where we became fast friends. Throughout this year of social distancing and change her phone calls and messages have meant the world to me, brightening my day with each one. So of course when I heard she had contributed to this book I had to get a copy!
Then there is Megan B. Brown who compiled and edited this collection. I’ve been hearing about Megan for a while now, but it wasn’t until the 2020 Speak Up Conference that I got to see her in action.
I’m excited to see all that Megan is doing. She is bubbly and vibrant, passionate about her faith, eager to build community and do all she can for the military families around her. This book is a testament to that desire. Her true mission is stated on the back of the collection, “Let’s come together for God’s glory and our good. And, side by side, let us share the hope we have in Jesus with a lost and hurting world.” When you talk to Megan you hear immediately her passion for the Church and military spouses worldwide.
As a writer what can I take away from Brave Women, Strong Faith?
When I read a book, I come at it not just as an avid reader, but also as a writer. The questions I am asking myself go beyond simple enjoyment. I am looking at the craft.
Do I want to turn every page and if so why?
Each essay felt like a letter from a friend. It felt welcoming and inviting and I wanted to know who I would meet next. After an essay from Jolynn Lee, I found myself messaging her to ask about her involvement with REBOOT Combat Recovery.
REBOOT is a faith-based trauma recovery program. I write often about my family’s own struggle with post-traumatic stress and was excited to connect. There are tidbits like this throughout the collection found in the individual bios of the writers.
Do I develop strong emotional ties to the author and if so how was this accomplished?
Overall the collection provided honest and transparent snapshots of military life. They shared from the heart. There were a few stories that were withholding that one detail that would have helped connect more fully, but overall these allowed the reader into their testimonies of hope.
Was there a progression in the book that strengthened the message, or was it simply a collection of stories?
I enjoyed the progression of this book. At first, when I was asked my opinion the response was if you are a faith leader and unsure how to reach military families in your church, then this book is for you. It felt at first like an introduction to the community. But as I kept reading I realized the order in which the stories are presented allows for a slow progression into military life challenges. It moved from a generalized relocating and saying goodbye is hard to a deeper look into the challenges we face. It then moved toward advocacy and an invitation to accept Christ as the foundation of faith and strength to thrive.
Can this collection offer me a way forward on a project I am working on or a problem I am facing in my writing?
I am currently working on compiling an anthology. This collection was a reminder of how important the layout and progression from one story to the next is. When each builds on one another it makes the overall work more powerful.
For the most part, this was accomplished in Brave Women, Strong Faith. Up until Part Six, there was a gradual climb, each building on the next. The essays in Part Six I believe would have worked better integrated into the book under other themes. Instead, they stood alone, separating those who put on the uniform from those who didn’t.
These are some of the questions playing around in my head with every book I read.
My opinion of Brave Women, Strong Faith edited by Megan B. Brown
While my husband was at boot camp I was terrified. I didn’t know where to get information on what military life would be like. So I binged watched Army Wives. This book would have been a more realistic, loving introduction to the community. If you know someone who is about to embark on this adventure gift them this collection of essays from a group of women who have already lived the life. It will both open them to the reality of what is ahead and encourage them that they are not alone.
If you have a story of your own, one that transpired over 2020, that you would like to share, The Storytellers Alliance has a call out now for an upcoming anthology titled Direct Impact. Find more details by clicking here.
If you’ve read this book or another book by any of the authors I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Don’t forget to grab your copy of Brave Women, Strong Faith.
