Chapter One Readers    Respond Reviews

Here's what reviewers are saying about

Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible
Flawed Women Loved by a Flawless God

"In her latest book—a follow-up to hits like Bad Girls of the Bible (1999) and Really Bad Girls of the Bible (2000)—Higgs intersperses frank accounts of her own failings with stories of how even some of the 'good girls' of the Bible screwed up. Hagar, the handmaiden of Sarah who bore Abraham’s first illegitimate child, is consumed with bitterness. Beautiful Rebekah manipulates her sons. Saintly Sarah obsesses over her fertility and then kicks Hagar out. 'Not to worry,' says Higgs. 'The less-than perfect men are well represented in this series. In Rebekah’s chapter of Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible, we observe her trickster son, Jacob, in action.' Higgs’s refreshingly nonjudgmental and compassionate take on the sins of others extends to her own life’s travails. 'By sharing some of the grittier aspects of my life as a former bad girl, I let readers know they’re not alone and that I won’t judge them—two fears that often haunt those of us who’ve traveled a hard road and wonder if any other Christian really "gets it." I get it. My latest book…makes it clear that we never shake that "bad girl" designation completely. We need God’s mercy not just one day, but every day.'”
     —KirkusReviews.com

"Very insightful, full of humor. This book is a 'must read' for any ladies' Bible study! Each chapter in Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible ends with two very valuable sections—'What Lessons Can We Learn From…’ and ‘Good Girl Thoughts Worth Considering.' The first reinforces the positive lessons to be learned from each woman’s struggle with badness and the second contains questions for either group discussion (if used in a Bible study/ladies group format) or personal reflection. The modernization that comes at the beginning of each chapter in Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible really adds to the value of this book. Many times the stories in the Bible can feel like ancient history, which they actually are. They can be hard to relate to a modern world so much different from the one in which its stories take place. Ms. Higgs does a great job of taking these principles and making them contemporary, putting a face on them that almost any woman can recognize. Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible is an excellent look at some good women who struggled with some problems in their life but still managed to make some right choices. I would recommend this book for any Christian woman; there is something to be gained for any woman who will take the time to read it. Every woman has her slightly bad moments, what matters is what we do about them."
     —Epinions.com

"Higgs revisits the well of biblical women for this continuation of her hugely successful Bad Girls of the Bible series. Whereas Bad Girls of the Bible and Really Bad Girls of the Bible tackled the Jezebels and Salomes, often demonstrating that these women were not as nefarious as later traditions would suggest, this one takes a different tack, looking at five "good girls" of the Bible and finding them seriously flawed. Focusing on Genesis, Higgs looks at Sarah (a control freak), Hagar (who was filled with bitterness), Rebekah (a conniving schemer who played favorites with her sons), Leah (another schemer) and Rachel (who was consumed by jealousy). One theme that emerges clearly is how fertility, or the lack of it, dominated these women's lives in a patriarchal culture. As always, Higgs's tone is chatty and girlfriendish, addressing the reader in the second person as she emphasizes the lesson—and the humor—in each woman's tale. And as always, this one capably blends fictional vignettes of contemporary "bad girls" with in-depth exegesis of their biblical counterparts' stories. Higgs also reveals her own foibles as she weaves personal anecdotes into each chapter, underscoring the book's overall theme: even faithful women can sometimes be hurtful and selfish."
     —Publishers Weekly

"Liz Curtis Higgs is back with more Bad Girls of the Bible. Her nonfiction fans will be thrilled to have Higgs writing for them again with this fourth book in the Bad Girl series. All of the books are being released with new fresh, bright covers and this newest installment will hit stores in September. The women included are Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel. Each of these women struggles in their own way. Sarah wants to be in charge. Hagar grapples with overwhelming bitterness. Rebekah pits her sons against one another. Leah and Rachel fight for the love of one man…a man who has been tricked into marrying them both. And yet, despite their differences, all of the women share common struggles as well. All of them are obsessed, to some degree, with bearing children. All of them battle with jealousy, lying and anger. Once again Higgs asks the question, what can we learn from these women and the bad choices they made? These 'diamonds in the rough' provide lessons that apply to the women of today. While we may no longer base our self-worth on how many children we bear, we do compare ourselves to one another in other ways—weight, beauty, wealth, etc. Higgs isn’t afraid to take a hard look at the lives of bad girls and yet she always does so in a light, humorous way. She isn’t preachy and keeps the reader’s interest with current-day anecdotes and examples. I’ve enjoyed each of the books in this series and Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible was no exception. The book also includes notes, a study guide, and a 'chat with Liz.'"
   —BlogCritics.org

288 pgs • Soft cover • WaterBrook Press • 2007

 
ISBN 978-1-4000-7212-5