I’ll admit it. This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for a very long time. I’m just not that fond of most books written to address single Christian women. Fortunately, and much to my surprise, Carolyn McCulley has written a genre-defying contribution that is both encouraging and edifying for any woman.

Readers will find essential wisdom for women at any station of life – young, old, middle-aged, never-married, married, divorced or widowed. Primarily written to the Christian woman who happens to be single, Carolyn’s book encourages readers to rejoice in God’s sovereignty and goodness by showing us how to be fruitful stewards where ever God has placed us.

In the first of the three parts of her book, Carolyn connects by both acknowledging the struggles that accompany living with the deferred hope of marriage and stressing our identity first and foremost as Christian women. While the idea of using singleness as a gift is a fairly common teaching, I found her wit and self-effacing storytelling refreshing, such as how she handled her twenty-year high school reunion and was bombarded with questions regarding her singleness. Her focus is to trust and treasure God above our circumstances.

In part two, we are treated to radical departure from the typical teaching on Christian singleness where the Proverbs 31 woman is considered an ideal deferred, until we reach our main priority of marriage.  To the contrary, Carolyn shows in parts two and three how cultivating the virtues and qualities of the Proverbs 31 woman can and should characterize any woman who is in Christ. Developing and practicing the characteristics of a godly wife are just as pertinent to the unmarried, divorced, or widowed woman, younger or older.
She gives practical examples of how we as single woman can find joy and fulfillment by cultivating the Proverbs 31 practices of hospitality, compassion toward the needy, financial stewardship, and make wise career choices.  Other edifying chapters deftly challenge worldly thinking with the true concepts of inward and outward beauty, as well as modesty and purity.

In her final chapter, Carolyn exhorts us to laugh at the days to come, knowing that there is great joy before us, whether or not we ever marry. Ultimately, we know that our worth and true joy is derived from God himself, not the gifts he gives. She reminds us of God’s promises of fruitfulness to His glory and joy as we live our lives as daughters of the King. 

Whether you're a single Christian woman or if you know a single Christian woman who needs encouragement, I would fully recommend this book.