Much has been written about her over the years, and it was humbling to read of Susanna’s trust in God amidst poverty, a husband who treated her poorly and much tragedy in her life. Metaxas introduces another champion of education, Susanna Wesley. It was fascinating reading about how a celebrity of the 18th century was able to use her power to help those less fortunate, and to speak the gospel, even though it left her open to criticism and hardship.

But I will tell you that Hannah More was famous in the late 1700’s as an author and playwright and her works actually outsold Jane Austen’s! She used her status and writing to influence all levels of society she was a passionate advocate for education of girls and the poor and she helped pave the way for the abolition of slavery. I won’t tell you all the details of her fascinating life, I’ll leave you to discover those for yourself. One of the joys of reading “7 Women” has been discovering the wide and long ranging impact women have had on society, motivated by their deep faith in God and the way He used them to speak out. She had such a profound influence on history that it is amazing that she is not better known. “Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world” says Percy Bysshe Shelley, and indeed this would be a fitting epitaph for the life of Hannah More who we meet in “7 women”.

7 women metaxas