Reviews with content warning for Racism - The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

This was an absolute masterpiece. Each story was so engaging and stood on its own. I could not put it down from chapter 1 to the end. I listened on audio which was great and toward the end I bought the Kindle version so I have a permanent record and to support this awesome storyteller. Will revisit this book and this author often.

Content Warnings

hollyd19's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies is a collection of short stories that spotlights Black women of various ages as they push against prescribed narratives & wrestle with purpose, sexuality, and worth. One endorsement described the collection as “cheeky and insightful” and I second that. I can’t say every story was for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed How to Make Love to a Physicist, Peach Cobbler, Snowfall, and Instructions for Married Christian Men. The stories are rich, artistically diverse, and deeply human.

I was surprised (perhaps I shouldn’t have been, given the word ‘secrets’ in the title) by how heavily sex factored in nearly all the stories. It was never gratuitous or explicit, but it did play a much larger role than I had expected. Additionally, I had the impression that the collection would be more... fun? Honestly, for the most part I found it fairly bleak. That’s not to say it wasn’t tender and at times funny, but most stories left me feeling rather melancholy. Each woman featured faces some significant strain — emotionally, relationally, etc — and I would have loved at least one story to be robustly joyful (the closest is How To Make Love to a Physicist). Finally, there is ample mention of church life & culture, but I wouldn’t define any of the protagonists as “church ladies.” They are all church-lady-adjacent, but perhaps that was Philyaw’s chosen device: a window into the lives of church ladies from those who are in some way outside the fold.

Content Warnings

noelanig's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

francestea's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A nice mix of stories allowing the reader in on little slices of each characters life. Peach Cobbler, one of the longer stories, was really visceral (and had me craving peaches). Eula, was another story that really stood out for me, about two friends romantically involved (although one is completely in denial of their situation). The characters feel very real, regular people with hardships, joys, desires, and failings. A quick and enjoyable read I’d recommend especially for someone new to short stories. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator as well!

Content Warnings