I ended up DNFing the book around half way through. I couldn't get into the story or characters. I feel like when I was reading it I wasn't in the right mood for it. I'll have to try again.

This is a collection of queer short stories. The stories are loosely connected. The characters are brilliant and it’s heartbreaking in places. A great collection

What does a white, South African woman find when she reads a book of short stories written by an African American woman, about African American women?

Herself. And importantly, not herself.

Reading The Secret Lives of Church Ladies is a weird kind of dissonance. One chapter contracts the heart in beats of identification. How has this author climbed right into my head? The next chapter forces me to acknowledge how different, and painful, the experiences of women I might call SISTER, but who aren’t.

And finally, the harsh truth:
THIS
IS
NOT
ABOUT
ME.

Because as an anthology, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies is a collection of many vastly different secret lives, connected by the single experience of being a black woman in America. That there is similarity to my life, is simply part of shared humanity, and this book offers me a secret glimpse into lives I can only imagine, and women I can but admire.

I adored Deesha Philyaw’s characters, and the prowess of her prose. This collection is a feat of storytelling, one deserving to be highlighted in its genre.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for providing an eARC.

A lovely collection of short stories. A great debut. A mix of styles and voices. Would definitely recommend.

I'm usually not one for short stories, but I absolutely loved The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, and I even shed a few tears reading through it.
Definitely would recommend this to everyone as a must read.

I have to start by saying I'm not a great lover of short stories... usually. This book changed my mind. Despite chronicling lives of characters that are geographically, religiously and racially different to me, the amount of relatability and nostalgia the author was able to conjure is nothing short of magical.

I've never read a short story collection before where every story is a favourite. Usually there are some I like more than others... not in this case! Every single story was a gem and I will absolutely be rereading this in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not a fan of short stories but I kept on hearing so much about this collection that my curiosity got the better of me. I'm so glad I went against my natural instincts and read these as I thoroughly enjoy them - to date the best short story collection I have read. The quality and theme of the stories remained consistent and explored the topic in exciting and different ways. Highly recommend this collection.

It’s rare that a short story collection contains hit after hit, but every single story in this book was a brilliant read. This is the sort of book where you can tell every single sentence has been carefully crafted for maximum effect. The writing is beautiful and immersive, without ever being overwhelming.

My stand-out favourites were ‘Peach Cobbler’ and ‘How to Make Love to a Physicist’, closely followed by ‘Instructions for Married Christian Husbands’. They each had different writing styles, suited to the story they were telling, and created a story not just in what was said but also what was unsaid. Although the characters themselves may not be honest with us as the reader, we can still see the depths and nuances of everyone in this book.

While the stories may not be explicitly interconnected, and they each stand out distinctively from each other, there is still a strong sense of cohesion across the whole book. There isn’t one story that stands out as ‘different’ from the others; they all fit together without any Love Actually-style cross-pollination.

I had heard only good things about this collection prior to reading it, and I can confirm that everything I’ve heard is true. This is one of the best short story collections out there, and is a must-read.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a copy for review. All opinions are my own.

I have to admit that I wanted to read this book for the cover and the title; what could be the relation between a peach and some church ladies? Spicy and intriguing, this is a book you’ll never forget.
Even though this book is called “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies” is a book about religious beliefs, how we try to fulfill some rules that we are not ready for and how it affects us. But it shouldn’t really doesn’t matter if we are religious or what colour is our skin, what should really matter is us and our story.
I have to say that I loved this book and all the stories inside; all of them are bitter sweet, but they are powerful and unforgettable.
I think this is one of the best short story books I’ve ever read; none of the stories are light or unimportant, they all have something special in them and make you feel connected to the characters.
I am not a religious person but I liked the duality of the stories in this book, all the characters are religious people, but they don’t plan to fit in the “catholic” standards. They all have secrets, but this doesn’t make them damaged or wrong, on the contrary, it makes them human, what’s not “normal” is having to fit other people’s rules, or rules that were written by a man a long time ago, don’t you think?
This is a must read; special and with a heart.
Ready to meet “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies”?

This is a collection of stories which focus on Black women, their inner selves and their lives. Ostensibly all women you might see at church, but not necessarily how you'd assume them to be from that fact alone. These women are sexual, know what they want (or don't want) and their lives are more than the stereotype.

I flew through this collection, and found it really cohesive and compelling. The characters are vivid and their situations are in turns funny and heartbreaking. The spectrum of lives represented in these stories is so rich, but what links them all is the strength of the characters. I think I'd gone into this collection expecting sex to be very much the focus, but it isn't. Or not always. Family and self-determination are also strong themes in these stories.

I always struggle when reviewing short story collections, as I don't like to go into individual stories. But this is definitely joining my favourites, this is a special collection.

The secret lives of black women belonging to different generations and to Church communities, negotiating between acceptance, expectations, social norms, respectability and their own passions, desires, ambitions. I am not a short story lover but this collection was nominated for a number of awards and caught my attention. I have always been fascinated by the way church communities provide a sense of identity and belonging and at the same time can signify strictures, and the books delves into this complexity with a series of stories that delve into the illicit and are set to intrigue readers. Nuanced portraits, good writing, a bit repetitive maybe.

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw is heartbreaking, thought provoking, and emotional, as well as being a really enjoyable and easy read. She balances the stories so well, even in the order they appear, that they all work separately but together paint a picture of a particular kind of womanhood among black people in or from religious communities in the American South.

On one hand, some of her stories are incredibly sad and boarder on hopeless, about daughters who are either still children or stuck in a stunted childlike and powerless existence. "Not-Daniel" is about a woman who finds solace in a casual sexual relationship with a man who also visits his sick mother in a care hospice, because he reminds her of someone from her yet youth. Similarly, "When Eddie Levert Comes", a woman who is only referred to as Daughter despite being middle aged, cannot commit fully to a fulfilling romantic relationship with a man who cares for her as she is left to care for her previously abusive mother who now has dementia. A further, but in ways even more developed example sees the child from "Peach Cobbler" resent her mother who is having an affair with the preacher, but by the end of the story we see in her teenage years perhaps to follow her mother's footsteps. It's possible that she is the same protagonist in the darkly funny but strangely more hopeful "Instructions For Married Christian Husbands"- the document or pamphlet style story coaching men through affairs with her, the baker of the best peach cobbler in town.

There are of course happier or more hopefully stories, but even then they feel like similar characters to these downtrodden girls who instead of being resigned have escaped the families and communities holding them back. In
"How to Make Love to a Physicist" a happier ending is found through real connection away from the characters home and upbringing, and she's come through earlier trauma through work and art and therapy and eventually can find a fulfilling relationship with a man she loves. In "Snowfall", we see two gay woman try to navigate all that they have lost, as well as found, from running away from home while still longing for it.
They might have found love in each other but still aren't able to shake off the ghosts of their pasts and how they were hurt by their families, and it isn't as simple as loving the city they escaped to and condemning the south.

I feel that any review or exploration of these stories would being up different themes and ideas and techniques, and while I'm sad to have finished this collection I'm eager to discuss and read more about it.

I am not a big reader of short story collections but after reading so many fantastic reviews about The Secret Lives of Church Ladies I couldn’t resist checking it out. I started with the first story and couldn’t stop reading until I finished the last story. What a compelling, poignant and fun collection this is about the conflicts Black women face between Church, love and sexuality.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I'm not normally a fan of short stories but whizzed through this and did not struggle too much with one story ending and another beginning. The first half of this book was definitely stronger. I particularly enjoyed the story about the young girl whose Mum regularly meets with the rector then goes to his house as a tutor.

“Don't ask me to repent because I regret nothing. You can't save me because I'm not in peril.”

To me, this line sums up the spirit and soul of Deesha Philyaw’s “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies” a book of nine powerful stories featuring Southern black women.

This compelling book gives a voice to many Black women, unabashedly, unashamedly. The stories are sort of interconnected, mirroring the inner lives of the women, as some characters feature in more than one story. What makes it doubly compelling is the setting within church and religion. The women choose individuality, desire, and self-acceptance over hypocrisy and upturn the table of societal expectations each time.

A teenaged girl has a crush on a preacher’s wife. A mistress lays down ground rules for married men. There’s lesbian love trembling with desire but struggling to be expressed.

And although this sounds like a heavy theme, it’s anything but. Philyaw writes with a fine hand that spins stories and characters full of strength, wit and humour.

I feel it’s stories like these that highlight the role of the pages of a book as a safe space. A space where hidden desires, untold thoughts, furtive whispers, and stolen glances can all spill out with abandon, sans judgement. For that reason, each one is as delicious as a slice of the peach cobbler that Olivia’s mother bakes.
Must read.

Thanks to Pushkin Press for the ARC.

It was a quick read but each story was wonderfully crafted with a good balance of dark subject points, humour and passion. It has a mixed bag and some stories may resonate more with people.

Well worth a read and I enjoyed it.
full review on my blog

My favourite stories from this collection included ‘Peach Cobbler’, ‘Snowfall’ and ‘Instructions for Married Christian Husbands’, but my absolute favourite was ‘When Eddie Levert Comes’. This short story follows the unnamed protagonist as she cares for her elderly mother, who is suffering from dementia. This story really resonated with me as my own mother spent the past few years caring for my grandad, who passed away from dementia last year. I really appreciated the way the author depicts the relationship between the daughter and her mother, even when the mother cannot remember who her daughter is and unintentionally takes her care for granted. I felt that it was a very truthful and emotive representation of dementia and familial relations. Overall, I felt that the depictions of Black women were very unique and honest, and I appreciated the way in which they were shown to follow their desires. With thoughtful discussions on race, gender, sexuality, religion and family, this collection is not afraid to tackle taboo subjects. The only reason I didn’t rate this book higher is that I am unsure how I feel about short story collections; I liked the range of different lives we as the reader are allowed access to, but I also felt that I wanted some stories to be longer, and some would even have made brilliant novels. However, if you are a fan of short story collections, then I would highly recommend this book!

This is a quick read, I enjoyed most of my time with it, but will it stick with me?
I know the peach cobbler will and I am so excited it is featured in the cover of this new edition cause I find it extremely fitting.

As this is a short story collection, I feel I need to break it down to its respective stories to make this review justice, so here we go:

1. Eula : Accepting you are queer is not easy. especially if you it goes against your beliefs and relationship with God. What will prevail?

2. Not Daniel: People resorting to sex to avoid the harsh reality of hospitals and death

3. Dear Sister: being invited to a dysfunctional family, but family nonetheless (letter form)

4. Peach Cobbler : Opening line - ‘My mother’s peach cobbler was so good, it made God himself cheat on his wife,’ I think this was my favourite of them all. It is hard being around a mom who does not really see you but who suffered herself in her own way and has sex with the married reverant.. Ultimately a mother daughter story..

5. Snowfall: It is not easy relocating to a place whose climate and food you are not familar with especially when it is so culturally and emotionally tied to your roots. Sister miscommunication.

6. How to make Love to a Physicist: This one admittedly hit home as someone who struggles with body image. written in second person and with quite a lot of smut.

7. Instructions for Married Christian Husbands: written as an instruction manual. it got a bit repetitive.

8. When Eddie Levert Comes: featuring dementia and a musical group obsession. I did not care for that story.

Overall I enjoyed the tone and wit as well as the heavy topics being discussed in the Black women of the South queer community. I am glad I read it but next time I read a short story collection I will ry and slow down so I can take in the individual stories better and in a more meaningful way.

Real rating: 3,5

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an earc!

I really loved this book and by really loved it, I mean really, really, REALLY loved it!! I finished the book within a couple of days and when that happens, I know that it’s a favourite. I’ll be honest and say that this is my first book of short story’s and I now know, it certainly won’t be my last. For people like myself who have a history of a brain injury, I realised short story’s are a perfect way to read without the struggle of remembering plots and characters -therefore a perfect way to introduce reading after a brain injury or at times when brain fog is an issue.

This short stories collection shows snapshots of different women’s lives and their individual relationships and desires. The book includes 9 women’s lives through the generations, each highlighting the different standards and expectations between men and women within the church and beyond.

The book is so beautifully written and each character has their own individual power, strength and sensitivity. I know that by the end of each story, I was sat wanting more and wondering exactly what happened to each individual character.

I highly recommend that you read it!!

A collection of short stories that are sure to stay with you for many years to come.

Each of these stories is a jewel with many facets. I am amazed at how one author can write such varied and unique voices, and be so observant of differing human traits. If you are a people watcher you will definitely enjoy these stories.

I really enjoyed all of these stories so very much. Each one was just the right length and the writing was really rich and inviting. If I had to pick a favourite it would be Peach Cobbler. Told through the eyes of a young girl who thinks the Pastor is God himself. It was so full of humour but also with heart wrenching reasons why her Mother does what she does.

Another story that was full of humour for me was "Instruction for Married Christian Husbands" written in a totally different style, hard hitting and didn't keep anything back.

Perfect to dip in and out of or just read all in one go - as I did, just couldn't stop.

If I had one request it would be that the author had put a recipe for Peach Cobbler in this book. Two of the stories feature it, and it really made me want some.