Journeys of Faithfulness is a devotional book from Sarah Clarkson. It is aimed at girls ages 12 and up, though I think if a girl is mature and thoughtful, it would be appropriate for girls as young as 10 (Super Girl is reading it at age 11). The book is broken into four sections, each focusing on different women from the Bible: Mary & Martha, Mary (Jesus' mother), Esther, and Ruth. There are three chapters in each section, with each chapter containing a fictionalized narrative about the subject, a devotional reading, and a short Bible study (3 to 5 passages). Both Super Girl and I have found the book easy and engaging to read, however, I keep wishing that there was a bit more to the actual Bible portion of the study. Journeys of Faithfulness is definitely a topical study, rather than a biographical study. None of the Bible passages are actually about the women the book focuses on, but rather look at character aspects the author wishes to stress from the lives of those women.
I really like Journeys of Faithfulness. However, I feel that it is a little light for my taste. I think it would be an excellent starting point for a girl to get into a more in-depth study of one of these women. Or, maybe it is just right for introducing a young girl to Bible studies of this nature, because it is not too heavy, nor does it have a lot of "homework". I just feel that, even for teenaged girls, there is a lot more to be learned from the actual Scriptures than is shared in this book. I would love it if there were additional resources to go along with it, such as a more in-depth workbook. As there is more focus on the fictional accounts and the devotional reading, rather than the Bible, I don't think I'd recommend this book as a part of a girl's homeschool curriculum. It is decent and appropriate for extra-curricular reading, though. I frankly think I'd treat the book more as historical fiction than a devotional or Bible study.
***Disclaimer: I received a copy of Journeys of Faithfulness in exchange for my review through The Schoolhouse Crew. All opinions are my own.
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