A Gathering in Hope

Pastor and author Philip Gulley captured my heart in the 1990’s with his Front Porch Tales. Later he drew in many readers with his series about a small town in Indiana called Harmony where pastor Sam Gardner leads a Quaker congregation. Quite the storyteller, Gulley takes Pastor Sam to a new quirky Quaker group in the little town of Hope where the members of the fellowship are in conflict with each other as they discover that money bestowed on the group by a member who has passed away can be a burden as well as a blessing.

As Pastor Sam tries to mediate at committee meetings and deal with local endangered species issues, we find that he is anything but perfect. He is trying to lead by following in Jesus’ footsteps, but he is human. He wishes he could “fire” certain members of his congregation. He would prefer to be at home with his wife rather than attend yet another interminable committee meeting. Like every other human, he sometimes regrets things he has said.

In A Gathering in Hope, Gulley has created another fun tale with eccentric characters, an interesting plot, and lots of good humor. Come for a visit with Paster Sam in Hope and you’re guaranteed a great time.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Center Street for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Humor, General Fiction (Adult)


Publication: Center Street--September 6, 2016

Memorable Lines:

“He’s better now, but it was touch and go for a while. He went through withdrawal. You can’t eat five packages of Peeps a day for thirty years and then quit cold turkey.”

If they spent a half hour discussing paper towels, building a new fellowship hall would take decades. Jesus would return before the first nail had been driven.

He seemed a little crazy, a half bubble off center.

Phillip Gulley is popular in our library - he writes a good story that provides smiles, nods of agreement, and groans for follies along the way. If you have ever served on a committee you will see several of the members reflected n this book.

Years ago I was hooked Robin Gunn's (Christian women on travel vacation) "Sister Chicks" books, and serendipitously discovered Phillip Gulley's books shelved nearby. Gulley's characters and plot lines were so humorous I had to keep buying them. Somehow I missed out on a couple of Gulley's books so it was a real treat to reconnect with Sam and the Quaker friends in "A Gathering in Hope". I'm definitely going to search out the books I missed. Phillip Gulley's writing is laugh out loud funny!! I highly recommend this book to everyone who has a sense of humor!

I first read Philip Gulley's wonderful, heart warming Hope series years ago and even if I haven't read one in a long time, if I pick one of his books up it is like coming back to a place that just makes you feel good and comforted. The characters, the town, the goings on-all of it come together to make for a very warm, cozy read.

Philip Gulley never fails to take me to my happy place! I have loved every single one of his books and look forward to many, many more!

Several years ago, I read a book by Philip Gulley and I thoroughly enjoyed it. When I came across this book, I couldn’t wait to read it. The author still has that light-hearted, warm style of looking of things that I loved so much before. He has a way of taking ordinary situations and making them so funny that you can’t help laughing. The main character, Quaker Pastor Sam, alternates between saying things without thinking and ending up in hilarious situations. He also has some private thoughts that the author is delighted to share with us.

They say humor is good for our health, and this book guarantees that you get a good dose of it. I highly recommend it.