The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

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EXCLUSIVE: Three Women and Hunters writer Tori Sampson will co-create HBO Max’s Tessa Thompson-produced adaptation of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. I know when I post about short stories, I hear from a lot of people that they either can’t get into them or have never read any before. Some say they don't want to get invested in characters for such a short amount of time. I used to feel the same way until I discovered that in the right hands, short stories can be just as powerful as full-length novels.

And you only believe that because of how another group of men interpret the first group of men. People say you're supposed to put your faith in God, not men.’” And you realize that if God were to welcome everyone into heaven, your mother would abandon Christianity immediately” At forty-two, Lyra realizes that her discomfort with her own body stands between her and a new love. As Y2K looms, Caroletta’s “same time next year” arrangement with her childhood best friend is tenuous. A serial mistress lays down the ground rules for her married lovers. In the dark shadows of a hospice parking lot, grieving strangers find comfort in each other. EXCLUSIVE: Tessa Thompson is moving into production in a major way with a new production company, a first-look deal at HBO and HBO Max and exec producing two big book adaptations – Who Fears Deathand The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. Triumphant. . . . Philyaw’s stories inform and build on one another, turning her characters’ private struggles into a beautiful chorus.”

White, Peter (2021-10-05). "Tori Sampson Boards Tessa Thompson & HBO Max's 'The Secret Lives Of Church Ladies', Will Write & EP With Deesha Philyaw". Deadline . Retrieved 2021-10-20.

This collection was such a pleasant surprise. More important, it was a pleasure to read. What a joyful experience. In Peach Cobbler, a bright high school senior named Olivia accepts a job tutoring a classmate, the athlete son of the town pastor. Olivia knows the pastor well, having come home for many years to find him eating the prized peach cobbler her hardened mother bakes and listening to her mother entertain the married pastor in bed. I need you to use your words, though,” he says. “If we’re going to do this, I need you to try. And I promise I won’t ever do anything to make you regret trying.” Sex, friendship, freedom, and agency are centered throughout this cheeky, insightful, and irresistible new book.”

Finalist, National Book Awards 2020 for Fiction

You deflate a little. You want him to be the one you’ve been waiting for, and you want him to feel the inevitability of you as well. You want to be his default, not an option. You want the promises of a new religion. The title refers to the catch-all term for church-going women that Philyaw learned growing up. [3] These women were prim, conservatively dressed, and those "who make[] sure not a hair is out of place, never speak[] out of line, and does all the right Godly things." [4]

White, Peter (2021-01-15). "Tessa Thompson Launches Production Company With First-Look Deal At HBO/HBO Max, Will EP 'Who Fears Death' & 'The Secret Lives Of Church Ladies' Adaptations". Deadline . Retrieved 2021-01-20. In The Secret Lives of Church Ladies we meet women and girls who are exploring their sexuality, while trying to be that “good girl”. We see where religion is ever present and how it is interpreted can lead to years of hurt. I think Philyaw did a superb job of exploring mother-daughter relationship in a nuanced way. These relationships are complex and never one dimensional. I love the theme of love and how it was executed, from those who are waiting for their love to arrive, to those not knowing what to do when they arrive. Breathtaking and heartbreaking. This book felt like a hot cup of tea and a warm bath after a long cold day. There are several women, however, who leap from that thin line of grace out to freedom in Deesha Philyaw's stunning first collection of stories, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. Women (& girls) who for better or worse, know exactly who they are & refuse to give even a penny less. In Eula, 40-year-old Caroletta rings in New Year’s Eve 1999 in a hotel two towns over with her childhood friend Eula, who definitely does not think of herself as gay and clings to the Christian ideal of saving herself for a good husband, a life goal Caroletta gave up on long ago, much to her lover’s surprise.

This is no mere collection of sappy romance stories. The love in Philyaw’s stories runs the gamut from sweet to bitter, sexy to sisterly, temporary to time tested, often with hidden aspects. The word secret in the title is earned, and some of the secrets are downright juicy.”

Williams, John (2020-10-06). "National Book Awards Finalists Announced". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-10-22.

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Deesha Philyaw is a stellar writer. Her characters are nuanced, funny, and insightful. Many of her protagonists could have easily filled a novel. She is a writer to watch. Highly recommend. They had led the poor unwed mother of three to the Living Water, as church folk referred to Jesus. But she wasn’t their kind of people.” I can highly recommend the audiobook. Janina Edwards performed this book like no other. It truly was a performance, not just a reading. It elevated the stories and brought me right into the characters’ worlds.