A very solid collection overall. There were three stories that especially stood out to me. I think my favorite in the collection was "How to Make Love to a Physicist." That story was poetic in it's writing and the use of repetition was amazing. The writing of all the stories is BEAUTIFUL and the subject matter hit home. The themes of Southern church ruling and determining what happens in your life hit close to home. All of the stories were so realistic and for the most part were complete in a way that I don't often get in short stories. I definitely will read anything this author writes.

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies explores the raw and tender places where black women and girls dare to follow their desires and pursue a momentary reprieve from being good. The nine stories in this collection feature four generations of characters grappling with who they want to be in the world, caught as they are between the church's double standards and their own needs and passions. - Goodreads

I think I was expecting something different with this book. This is not to say that this isn't a good read because it is. The stories are tender as the summary mentions. They made me think; not in the way of me debating decisions that I made but more of the privilege in certain parts of my life. These women are hiding a part of themselves or their families in order to function day to day and I am not sure people actually realize that not having to do that is a privilege.

I liked the fact that each story had a ending. There wasn't any story that made me feel as if it wasn't complete and I appreciated that 10 fold. The writing was good. It was inviting and it made me want to read more of the author.

I would recommend this read, especially if you want that to read what I believe to be true adult content with adult emotions.

This book right here!!!! Outstanding read. Short stories that all touch on various issues. All are written very well and not one of them is bad. You have to just read this book. I will recommend this book highly and the stories will stay with me for a long time. Side note to author: Prince for me too!!! LOL. Read the book to find out why I put that in my review....Lol. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

Whew Chile!

Every story had me glued to the pages from beginning to end. I personally may not have known someone like the characters in the book, but I can say that I have heard of people like them. Not my business. J Life behind closed doors is a telltale story that carries a lot of power.

I cannot wait to read more of Deesha’s work.

I absolutely loved this collection of short stories. At the intersection of desire and faith lies Deesha Philyaw’s incredible short story collection. Each story was riveting, compelling and brought something new and insightful to the collection. I can’t stop thinking about the incredible writing and poetry in the prose, as well as the ability to conjure images and feelings within the reader. This was absolutely excellent.

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw is a fascinating, eloquent, and affecting collection of short stories. The stories are largely about the daily life of black characters in the United States and expose their emotion, lived experience, and vulnerability. The stories are about relationships, romantic relationships and our often complicated family relationships. The stories are interconnected by small elements weaved in each story, whether it be peach cobbler or being a caretaker of an aging parent, etc. I listened to the audiobook, which was masterfully narrated by Janina Edwards, who somehow well-embodied the range of characters she represented. I was entranced by this collection and it is truly one of the best short story collections I have ever read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

If anyone knows me, I’m not a big fan of short stories but this book RIGHT HERE “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies” might of just changed my mind. “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies” is a collection of short stories about women and their relationship to their church. There are nine stories in total. Sex plays a prominent role in the stories along with the conflicted view of sex and the church. The scenes are very juicy BTW. These stories can be relatable and very enjoyable. This book was definitely enjoyable and a great masterpiece.



The Good: Great Stories
The Bad: No bad
Is it worth reading: Absolutely
Recommendations: Everyone
Rating: 5/5

These short stories revealing the inner lives of Black women connected to the church dispels the illusion that church women are boring or virginal.

In The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Deesha Philyaw detonates the narratives about the sanctimonious church lady who loves Jesus on Sunday and attends church nearly every other day of the week, with a holier-than-thou, upturned nose. On the contrary, the young and the older Christian women in these brilliant short stories are just “regular” Black folks with human desires and frailties. There’s love and lust and self-reckoning, in secret places and wide-open spaces. Most of the stories are told from the first-person point of view, easily creating an intimate bond with the reader.

About two stories in, I began to think that Philyaw’s literary godmother or muse is J. California Cooper—who in my estimation was one of the best who knew how to bring “common folks” to life with raw humor and unfiltered conversations over the kitchen table. Philyaw is gifted as well. So, prepare to drop your lip and be thunderstruck as you read.

Sincere thanks to the publisher West Virginia University Press and to NetGalley for an opportunity to read this collection for an honest review

Great read and one I will be recommending to many. It's an honest, and at times uncomfortable, read but one that I think many can relate to.

I read this book in a day! It was everything I wanted it to be and more. As a Black woman who grew up in the church, every story resonated with me. Philyaw was able to capture the nuances of the role religion plays in Black women's everyday lives.
There was not a story that was a "throwaway" every single one was just powerful and beautiful and necessary.
Through Philyaw's stunning yet simple prose, every "lady" felt like someone I may know personally.
Not only will I most likely re-read this book, but I will also most likely gift a copy to someone in the coming year.

Whatever Philyaw plans to write next, I cannot wait to devour!

Awesomely written. This is a collection of short stories that tip the PC scales. It explores the dichotomy of being a Christian in a black community as a black woman and trying to still be a woman. Very well written

Excellent! I enjoyed this entire collection: the tone, sequence, descriptions. I'm so glad it was honored as an NBA finalist because it's so strong.

It was boring to me in my opinion. Despite the cover being very appealing it wasn't a book for me. Despite my opinion I hope those who read it enjoyed it.

A lush, beautifully written collection about the inner lives of well, church ladies. I loved reading about these faithfully attending church women who had such much more depth than their pewmates might have suspected.

Deesha Philyaw's collection of short stories is a delight. Focusing on the lives of Black women, often queer, often financially precarious, this collection illuminates lives that are seldom written about. While there are commonalities, the lives Philyaw is writing about are varied and the stories never felt repetitive.

In my favorite of the bunch, <i>Snowfall</i>, a woman has moved north with her partner, forging a new life together after her family rejected her. She misses her extended family and the South, never more so than when she and her partner shovel out the driveway early in the morning. In <i>How to Make Love to a Physicist</i>, an art teacher is wary of the interest of the science teacher she meets at a conference. And <i>Peach Cobbler</i>, about a girl growing up with a single mother who bakes for and carries on with the married minister every week, has a companion story later on.

The writing isn't the focus, and neither are the plots; what makes this collection noteworthy lays in how Philyaw establishes a sense of place and in the remarkable characters in her stories. This is a great beginning for a young writer and I'm eager to read what she writes next.

Excellent book that examines, through powerful storytelling, the lives of several women who happen to be black. Unlike other recent books where blackness is the main focus of the books, this collection of stories focuses more on the people themselves. This does not mean that racial injustice and inequity are not explored - they are. But these personal stories really shine for their character studies and personal challenges and not purely focused on racial inequities. I'm not saying that the stories don't address these racial issues - they do - but they are more crafted into the human conditions of being alive than pinpointing race. Crafted in a way that resembles Steinbeck's "simple" stories that really are not simple at all, I highly recommend this book. NOTE: I received a copy of this book through Netgalley(dot)com, but had heard about it and really wanted to read it.

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies is a beautiful collection of nine short stories, all featuring Black women and their connection to a church. From sleeping with the preacher to caring for a difficult parent suffering from memory loss, Deesha Philyaw covers a lot of ground and reminds us there really is no drama like church drama. This book came on my radar when it was nominated for the National Book Award; I can see why it’s so well reviewed - I devoured it in a few hours.

All of the stories deal in some way with the conflict between a woman’s private wants and needs and the expectations set upon her by society, namely in the form of her family and her church family. It’s pretty amazing how Philyaw writes so many nuanced and detailed characters in under 200 pages. Much of the subject matter is heavy, especially the parts dealing with sexual identity and homophobia. Philyaw successfully balances her exploration of the darker implications of the church’s unfair expectations of women with a some hilarious dialogue. I could read a whole book about Tasheta from the Dear Sister story, in particular. What can I say, I love reading about women being themselves.

The final story in the collection, When Eddie Levert Comes, is the most moving depiction of memory loss I’ve read this side of Britt Bennett’s The Vanishing Half. Rooted in so many poignant details, that story in particular stands out to me as fine writing. Read this!

Wow! Deesha Philyaw does an excellent job introducing readers to a set of gorgeously diverse characters in interwoven "slice of life" stories revolving around the personal lives of black women of different ages and stages tethered together by their associations to the church. It's sensual, funny, heartbreaking and real. I'll never look at peach cobbler quite the same again. Highly recommend.

I don't normally read anthologies, and didn't really know what to expect from this one; but reading the blurb about this book made me want to take a closer look. Boy am I glad I did! Each story made me want to go into the next. I could not put it down. I finished this book in one day!!! I absolutely LOVED it. Thank you Netgalley for making this book available to me. I will definitely take a closer look at this author Deesha Phityaw.