Ordinary Women of the Bible (Diana Wallis Taylor) Books in Order

Ordinary Women of the Bible is a multi-author biblical fiction series built around women who appear briefly in Scripture, or stand just outside the center of a famous story. Instead of treating them as footnotes, these books slow down and imagine the homes, fears, duties, and decisions behind the few lines readers already know. For Diana Wallis Taylor readers, the key connection here is Pursued by a King: Abigail's Story.

The series moves across different eras of the Bible, from the Old Testament to the early church, but the approach stays fairly consistent. Each book is designed to work as a standalone. You get one woman's viewpoint, a clear historical setting, and a plot driven as much by family pressure and personal risk as by large public events. The result feels more intimate than epic, even when kings, prophets, or soldiers are nearby.

These are character stories first.

In Taylor's related volume, Abigail is not introduced as a legend but as a young woman facing a marriage she does not want. Her father chooses Nabal of Maon, and she quickly learns that life with him will be ruled by his temper and unpredictability. The turning point comes when David, not yet king but already feared, asks Nabal for the kind of generosity that custom would normally allow. Nabal refuses him and insults him, putting the whole household in danger. Abigail has to think faster than everyone around her, gather provisions, meet David herself, and try to stop bloodshed before it begins.

That makes Abigail a strong fit for this kind of series. She has very little formal power, yet the fate of servants, property, and family rests on her judgment. The setting matters too: flocks, food stores, travel, and household hierarchy are not background decoration here. They are the very things that create the tension. The danger is real, but the suspense comes from diplomacy, timing, and moral courage rather than nonstop action.

If you already like Taylor's biblical novels, this series offers a familiar pleasure. It treats women from Scripture as fully human, not just symbolic. Expect faith-centered historical fiction, emotional stakes, and a lot of attention to the private choices that shape public history.

One woman, with very limited room to move, chooses to act anyway.