The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

An irresistible literary debut about the hidden desires of church-going Black women ‘Left me wanting more. Masterfully written’ Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie ‘Beautifully crafted’ Stylist , Book of the Week ‘Joyous… It’s a book in love with life’ The Times The Secret Lives of Church Ladies explores the raw and tender places where Black women and girls dare to follow their desires, and pursue a momentary reprieve from being good. There is fourteen-year-old Jael, who nurses a crush on the preacher’s wife, the mother who bakes a sublime peach cobbler every Monday for her date with the married Pastor, and Eula and Caroletta, single childhood friends who seek solace in each other’s arms every New Year’s Eve. With their secret longings, new love, and forbidden affairs, these church ladies are as seductive as they want to be, as vulnerable as they need to be, as unfaithful and unrepentant as they care to be – and as free as they deserve to be. ‘It’s impossible to pick a standout from this collection… a tender and rich look at all the complexities and layers of female sexuality.’ – Red magazine ‘Wonderful… as wise as it is tender… beautiful and honest’ Caleb Azumah Nelson ‘Beautifully crafted’ Roxane Gay ‘Startlingly fresh and flavoursome’ Emma Donoghue