Church Folk

Church Manners 101

Excellent book! If you have ever heard of any new pastors that are single and then get married. Boy, this is the book for you to read. The church folks are so true to the real life of all Baptist & Methodist church goers. Pick up a copy, It is really funny and shows you how weak the flesh can be at times.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Amen

I love this book. It reminded me so much of the churh of yester year growing up in a small town in Louisiana. It made me feel like i was right there saying amen along with the characters.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Church is in session

I really enjoyed this book. I felt like I was in the back row of the church looking at all the goings on of the church. Talking,laughing,and crying with all the characters. Michele did an excellent job of introducing the characters and she gives you outstanding descriptions to aid in your mental visuals. If you are looking for a book that is exciting like only church can be...this is it.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Really Well Written

I actually read this book in 3 days because it was so well written, that I could not put it down..

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Liked It

I really enjoyed this book. I recommend it for christian based book clubs.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Arreal, the peacemaker

OMG!! This book was so great! I couldn't put down. I would be up for hours reading this book. This book had me rolling. Now all my friends want to read it. Two thumbs up for the auther. Great Job!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazing

OMG. This is my favorite fiction book ever if you want to laugh from your gut, please read this book. I want to buy it for my friends and family I enjoyed it so much.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A wonderful read

The best book based on christian life that I have ever read. I enjoyed being apart of this book so much, that I was sorry I finished it so quickly.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Church Folk

I bought the book Thursday night and finished it Saturday. I could not put it down! It's the first time I read such a down to earth, keepin' it real, depiction of church people and church life in the 60's. It made me reminesce back to my teen years when the black church really had it goin' on. It's refreshing to read such a true to live depiction of the passion that exists in a real good Godly man for his wife and his boldness in expressing it. The best sex there is, exists between two people who have totally given themselves to each other and to God!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A wonderful, hilarious story

This book is a MUST read. It touches upon all the aspects of Christian living that are so often times restrained from in day-to-day talk, from 'lovin' with juice' to the abuse of power of men of God. All without degrading the Church we love. I can't wait to read what Ms. Bowen has in 'Second Sunday' and look forward to future releases from her.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Truly real life Church-folks!

This is one book I could not put down until the end. It is hilarious and funny keeps you laughing until the end. I am pretty sure someone can relate to or know of someone in a black church similiar to characters within this book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Smokin' historical mystery

In 1963, Reverend Theophilus Simmons decides to rest and recuperate in Charleston, Mississippi after a week of revival preaching. Theophilus needs some alone time and several helpings of the best rib tip sandwich anywhere in the Delta area before returning to his Memphis flock. At Pompey¿s Rib Joint, Theophilus meets cook Essie Lee Lane and feels a miracle has occurred.

Soon Theophilus and Essie Lee share a long distance relationship, fall in love, and marry. However, life as a Reverend and his wife is not made in heaven, as the social demands of the wealthier patrons put a squeeze on the couple¿s need to help the poor. Then there is his former lover Glodean to further disturb the mix.

CHURCH FOLK is an engaging, deep glimpse at the African-American Southern Churches during the early civil rights movement. The story line provides an amazing portrayal of the era, but also emphasize sexual promiscuity among religious leaders. The use of profanity might turn off some readers, but the words fit the vernacular of the tale. With strong lead characters being tested by their congregation, Michele Andrea Bowen paints a vivid picture of a bygone era only four decades ago.

Harriet Klausner

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Best!!!!!!

I read this book years ago, i still love this book

What can I say ... Reminds me of Church Today

This is one of the most accurate depictions of everyday life in a black church ... or any church for that matter. It has a great contrast of good vs corrupt foolishness with all the humor that goes with it. If you are looking for a book that deals with the real issues in the US from the early 60's, Jim Crow and racism, along with how black families coped with the era this is the book for you. A lot of reviews focus on Theophilus and his relationship with Essie but the book goes far beyond that. It talks about the diversity in the black community; demonstrating the positives living in the midst of the civil rights movement. It also gets into the idiosyncrasies of the church involving sex and interpersonal relationships between men and women. This is a great book for a mature High school student to read and would encourage it for a summer reading.

A wonderful, feel good novel

This novel is about a preacher, a young, handsome African Amercan Preacher in the south who is just starting out. He meets a young woman who is a cook in a "jook joint", a place where they serve wonderful spicy food and feature spicy entertainment such as blues singing. Church Folk spans a few years beginning in 1960 (that's the year I was born), Theophilus (handsome young preacher) and Essie (down to earth, fiery-tempered woman) are the two main characters. One of the strongest secondary characters is the church itself. Not just the building, but everything there is about church-going: the congregation, the singing, the music, the church politics, the sermons, the "amens" etc. Sprinkled throughout the book, are mentions and references to the Civil Rights Movement, which was going on during the time period this book is set in, although the main focus in the story is the love story and the machinations of some of the greedy preachers and the workings of the more upstanding "church folk".

One of the subplots is the ill-use of funds and the way that some deacons, preachers and bishops seemed to use the church as a way to enrich themselves materialistically rather than enriching their souls and parishioners souls. Church Folk is also a love story and one of the other subplots was the testing of Essie and Theophilis' marriage and love for each other, as well as the growth of their marriage.

While there certainly were no graphic sex scenes, it did feel as if most of the passages involving Theo and Essie were one long session of foreplay. Boy, were those two hot for each other. Another thing that really struck me, was the way that almost all the descriptions of skin color were food related. "Caramel colored", "Dark Chocolate", "light Chocolate", even "Dark Coffee without Cream". Kind of a nice way to compare skin colors. (I would probably be Dulce de Leche, or milky caramel. Yum, Yum. What I enjoyed about this, was the sense of happiness, the non-shame of loving and appreciating their bodies while loving and appreciating the bible and bible teachings.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. I loved the narration style. I loved the dialogue between all the characters, both mean and sweet. I loved reading about the singing and music and dancing in the aisles. If I were brought up with a church like that, I might still be going! Ms Bowen tells a great story here of the triumph of a preacher and his young wife, their flaws and good points and the persevere against the "devils work" in the church. This is one impulse buy that I'm glad I bought. I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you want a good book with a little bit of history for the POC Reading Challenge. Even though most of the events in this novel took place when I was around two or three years old, I still felt a sense of nostalgia when reading about the environment, the music, the cars and clothes. Those early 60's are a very dim memory in my mind. The late 60's and early 70's kind of exploded in my memories, that was a time of extreme change for a lot of people - I'm talking about changes in general - clothes, music, tv shows, etc.

Church folks???

I would have been totally disappointed if I purchased this book; thank God I borrowed it from a coworker. The book was okay but I have read much better books. It took me a while to get into the book. The exciting part of the book was towards the end of the book.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Church Folk

In regard to my January 19, 2004, the other book I recommend is My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due. The Immortal is a descriptive misnomer, not the title.

Preachers Know Better!!!!!

The preachers in this 5* book should know better. I recommend anyone who holds preachers/bishops at a high standard to read this book

wonderful story

i've read this bookover and over again. i just can't get enough of it. it seems that every time i reread the book i fall deeper in love with the characters. it's wonderfully written and beautifully broken down. i'll continue to enjoy this ook for years to come

A Must Read

This is absolutely the Best book I have read in years. I laughed on almost every page. I called my best friend to tell her where I was in the book and we laughed together. If you have ever been in a Black church you will be able to relate to this book. I strongly recommend this book to everyone.