Title: Let the church say amen
Description: Reverend Simon Jackson's dedication to the church that he has transformed into one of the most influential religious institutions in the South has left his family including his lonely wife Lorretta, rebellious daughter Rachel, troubled son David, and younger son Johnathan, who hides a secret that could destroy his father's beliefs, bereft and struggling. In her riveting second novel, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, winner of the Gold Pen Award for Best New Author for My Brother's Keeper, crafts a bold and heartwarming story of family and faith that will inspire readers everywhere. Reverend Simon Jackson has always felt destined to lead and he's done a good job of it, transforming his small Houston church into one of the most respected and renowned in the region. But while the good Reverend's been busy tending his flock, his family's gone astray. His nineteen-year-old daughter, Rachel, gives a new meaning to "baby mama drama." Crazy in love with her son's father, she's wreaking havoc on the man's life, even though he's about to marry another woman. David, Simon's oldest at twenty-seven, has been spiraling downward ever since a knee injury ended a promising football career. These days he's seeking solace in drugs, even feeding his habit by stealing church offerings. Blessedly, twenty three year old Jonathan, a college graduate and the apple of Simon's eye, is poised to take his father's side as associate pastor or so everyone thinks. Loretta has been a devoted wife to Simon, but she's beginning to realize that enabling him to give more to the church than to his children was her biggest mistake. As things begin to fall apart and secrets are revealed, will Loretta be able to help her husband reunite their tattered family before it's too late? Let the Church say amen is a powerful journey through one family's trials and a remarkable story of reconciliation and love.
Subjects: Fiction, Spouses of clergy, African American families, African American clergy, Children of clergy, Church membership, Fiction, sagas
Places: Houston (Tex.)