By Megan Thomas
This debut short story collection by Deesha Philyaw came to me via the Books That Matter July box, ‘Girls Come First’ – a partnership with Bad Form, a fantastic booky magazine whose theme was ‘Bad Sex’ in this box (review of that to come soon). A fittingly fantastic addition to the theme, I devoured The Secret Lives of Church Ladies so fast that I expect I’ll read it again. (I say that, but I’ve never read a book twice. I’m far too greedy. Have you?)
These nine stories about Black women, church, and sexuality were a window into lives I have limited experience of, which is one of the primary reasons I adore fiction. There is so much sexual liberty I take for granted, and yet I was still empowered and charged to fight for more after reading these stories.
Tackling weighty themes with what seems like ease but is probably more like immense talent, Philyaw spotlights everything from patriarchal hypocrisy within not just the church but wider society, to homosexuality and the accompanying self-loathing that goes hand-in-hand with wider community judgment. How can church women be so morally regulated when their preacher feels no such obligation to meet these standards? Why does a loving and comforting bond somehow feel illegitimate when it is homosexual? All of the women in these stories are fighting for liberation while dealing with the complexity added by their relationship with the church, and the way in which it influences their relationships with themselves and their romantic partners.
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One response to “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies”
[…] I was not only primed for her novel which I’ve previously reviewed (and which came in the box), The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, but I also found myself manically Goodreads-ing every book she mentioned. This happened quite a […]
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