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Church Folk [Review
2] Reviewed by Sharon
Hudson, Myshelf.com I simply was not aware that Ms. Bowen was a member of my church. I've been attending my church for three years now, and I have the distinct privilege of being in the inner-sanctum, and I can't find Ms. Bowen's name on the roster anyplace, but it just has to be there. I think I have to call my pastor to see if he knows that we might have a published author in our midst. Church Folk has hit the nail on the head in its fictional account of the goings on with down-home Southern churches and had me bent over in laughter while I read the story. Many times I laughed out loud, violently shook so that people asked me what was so funny. I read entire pages out loud to company and by the time I was through, one girl laughed until she cried. This was simply a story that I couldn't put down. A love story would be the first side to this story. Despite his clerical collar, Reverend Theophilus Simmons is undoubtedly a man subject to the temptations of any other human. He's young enough to recognize that he's but a man and makes a concerted effort to separate church from personal life. One of these times has surfaced when he met Miss Essie Lee Lane, who isn't the least bit impressed that he's a minister. His nosy family thinks a minister is a fine catch and deep down, Essie feels the same way. Their budding romance can be best characterized by the word sweet. An interesting parallel story concerns scandals that abound within the fictionalized Gospel United Church denomination. Not one section of the denomination has been left without thorn: the person who contributes the most in tithes, the local mortician's distribution of fans amongst the pews, the church tramp, the young women who flock to the new young single pastor, the "high and mighty" bishop's widow and her granddaughter who must marry a preacher, the romance between bookkeeper and pastor are all explored. Especially wonderful are the descriptions of the fierce hat competition and the outrageous one-of-a-kind outfits called "church-going to meeting" clothes. You won't want to miss a single page of this book. Set in Mississippi in
the early 60's, Church Folk is hilarious. Even in 2002, it speaks volumes
and you recognize people you know. I especially like the paperback version
that contains the "Readers Group Guide." Although the story
is fiction, the discussion questions elicit thoughts relevant to today,
and helps us explore the themes of the book. Love does happen (read the
Song of Solomon), there are virtuous women (read Proverbs 31) and this
is put in proper perspective within the "Readers Group Guide."
If you call yourself "Church Folk" take this book to church,
get your girlfriends to read it, and then have a meaningful discussion.
I know I will. |
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