
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $11.17
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Janina Edwards
-
By:
-
Deesha Philyaw
About this listen
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. The nine stories in this collection feature four generations of characters grappling with who they want to be in the world, caught as they are between the church's double standards and their own needs and passions.
There is 14-year-old Jael, who has a crush on the preacher's wife. At 42, 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.
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.
©2020 Deesha Philyaw (P)2020 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
-
Black Girl, Call Home
- By: Jasmine Mans
- Narrated by: Jasmine Mans
- Length: 1 hr and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From spoken word poet Jasmine Mans comes an unforgettable poetry collection about race, feminism, and queer identity. With echoes of Gwendolyn Brooks and Sonia Sanchez, Mans writes to call herself - and us - home. Each poem explores what it means to be a daughter of Newark, and America - and the painful, joyous path to adulthood as a young, queer Black woman. Black Girl, Call Home is a love letter to the wandering Black girl and a vital companion to any woman on a journey to find truth, belonging, and healing.
-
-
Brilliant Delicious
- By erica on 04-22-21
By: Jasmine Mans
-
The House of Eve
- By: Sadeqa Johnson
- Narrated by: Ariel Blake, Nicole Lewis, Sadeqa Johnson
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright. Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his parents don’t let just anyone into their fold.
-
-
This could've been good...
- By Speedreader on 10-13-23
By: Sadeqa Johnson
-
Before I Let Go
- By: Kennedy Ryan
- Narrated by: Wesleigh Siobhan, Jakobi Diem
- Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything. It couldn’t save their marriage. Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she’s finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.
-
-
Didn't Give What Everyone Said It Gave!!!
- By Annette Williams on 11-23-22
By: Kennedy Ryan
-
White Smoke
- By: Tiffany D. Jackson
- Narrated by: Marcella Cox
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Marigold is running from ghosts. The phantoms of her old life keep haunting her, but a move with her newly blended family from their small California beach town to the embattled Midwestern city of Cedarville might be the fresh start she needs. Her mom has accepted a new job with the Sterling Foundation that comes with a free house, one that Mari now has to share with her bratty 10-year-old stepsister, Piper.
-
-
So Much Potential
- By J. on 10-26-21
-
Black Cake
- A Novel
- By: Charmaine Wilkerson
- Narrated by: Lynnette R. Freeman, Simone Mcintyre
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves.
-
-
Wonderful Listen
- By Regina on 02-04-22
-
Black Girls Must Die Exhausted
- A Novel (Black Girls Must Die Exhausted, Book 1)
- By: Jayne Allen
- Narrated by: Marcella Cox
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tabitha Walker is a black woman with a plan to "have it all." At 33 years old, the checklist for the life of her dreams is well underway. Education? Check. Good job? Check. Down payment for a nice house? Check. Dating marriage material? Check, check, and check. With a coveted position as a local news reporter, a "paper-perfect" boyfriend, and even a standing Saturday morning appointment with a reliable hairstylist, everything seems to be falling into place. Then Tabby receives an unexpected diagnosis, jeopardizing the keystone she took for granted: having children.
-
-
Not What I Expected
- By R. Cartwright on 10-16-21
By: Jayne Allen
-
Black Girl, Call Home
- By: Jasmine Mans
- Narrated by: Jasmine Mans
- Length: 1 hr and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From spoken word poet Jasmine Mans comes an unforgettable poetry collection about race, feminism, and queer identity. With echoes of Gwendolyn Brooks and Sonia Sanchez, Mans writes to call herself - and us - home. Each poem explores what it means to be a daughter of Newark, and America - and the painful, joyous path to adulthood as a young, queer Black woman. Black Girl, Call Home is a love letter to the wandering Black girl and a vital companion to any woman on a journey to find truth, belonging, and healing.
-
-
Brilliant Delicious
- By erica on 04-22-21
By: Jasmine Mans
-
The House of Eve
- By: Sadeqa Johnson
- Narrated by: Ariel Blake, Nicole Lewis, Sadeqa Johnson
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright. Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his parents don’t let just anyone into their fold.
-
-
This could've been good...
- By Speedreader on 10-13-23
By: Sadeqa Johnson
-
Before I Let Go
- By: Kennedy Ryan
- Narrated by: Wesleigh Siobhan, Jakobi Diem
- Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything. It couldn’t save their marriage. Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she’s finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.
-
-
Didn't Give What Everyone Said It Gave!!!
- By Annette Williams on 11-23-22
By: Kennedy Ryan
-
White Smoke
- By: Tiffany D. Jackson
- Narrated by: Marcella Cox
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Marigold is running from ghosts. The phantoms of her old life keep haunting her, but a move with her newly blended family from their small California beach town to the embattled Midwestern city of Cedarville might be the fresh start she needs. Her mom has accepted a new job with the Sterling Foundation that comes with a free house, one that Mari now has to share with her bratty 10-year-old stepsister, Piper.
-
-
So Much Potential
- By J. on 10-26-21
-
Black Cake
- A Novel
- By: Charmaine Wilkerson
- Narrated by: Lynnette R. Freeman, Simone Mcintyre
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves.
-
-
Wonderful Listen
- By Regina on 02-04-22
-
Black Girls Must Die Exhausted
- A Novel (Black Girls Must Die Exhausted, Book 1)
- By: Jayne Allen
- Narrated by: Marcella Cox
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tabitha Walker is a black woman with a plan to "have it all." At 33 years old, the checklist for the life of her dreams is well underway. Education? Check. Good job? Check. Down payment for a nice house? Check. Dating marriage material? Check, check, and check. With a coveted position as a local news reporter, a "paper-perfect" boyfriend, and even a standing Saturday morning appointment with a reliable hairstylist, everything seems to be falling into place. Then Tabby receives an unexpected diagnosis, jeopardizing the keystone she took for granted: having children.
-
-
Not What I Expected
- By R. Cartwright on 10-16-21
By: Jayne Allen
-
What's Mine and Yours
- By: Naima Coster
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A community in the Piedmont of North Carolina rises in outrage as a county initiative draws students from the largely Black east side of town into predominantly White high schools on the west. For two students, Gee and Noelle, the integration sets off a chain of events that will tie their two families together in unexpected ways over the span of the next 20 years.
-
-
Wonderful book!!
- By Susan 🎧Audible-a-holic🎧 Crowe on 03-15-21
By: Naima Coster
-
Butterfly 5
- By: Ashley Antoinette
- Narrated by: Nicole Small
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Morgan and Messiah share many things. Love, hate, lust, trauma, and children. They are bonded forever by the gift of parenthood, but Morgan's attachment to Messiah comes with immense pain. After the discovery of Messiah's condition, Morgan's conflict is intensified. She knows how healing the M&M bubble can be, but she also knows that Messiah has the ability to ruin her. Will Morgan finally take her second chance with her first love? Or will she make the hardest decision of all and let go of the past?
-
-
Sunshine Anderson
- By sheila king on 10-02-23
-
The Vanishing Half
- A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel)
- By: Brit Bennett
- Narrated by: Shayna Small
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, Southern Black community and running away at age 16, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: Their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her Black daughter in the same Southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for White, and her White husband knows nothing of her past.
-
-
Soap opera material
- By Sheila S on 06-06-20
By: Brit Bennett
-
Seven Days in June
- By: Tia Williams
- Narrated by: Mela Lee
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eva Mercy is a single mom and bestselling erotica writer who is feeling pressed from all sides. Shane Hall is a reclusive, enigmatic, award‑winning novelist, who, to everyone's surprise, shows up in New York. When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their buried traumas, but the eyebrows of the Black literati. What no one knows is that 15 years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love.
-
-
Better than the Reviews Say
- By Akuba on 09-26-21
By: Tia Williams
-
Marriage Be Hard
- 12 Conversations to Keep You Laughing, Loving, and Learning with Your Partner
- By: Kevin Fredericks, Melissa Fredericks
- Narrated by: Kevin Fredericks, Melissa Fredericks
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Growing up in the church, Kevin and Melissa Fredericks were taught endless rules and expectations around dating, sex, and marriage, but not a lot about what actually makes a relationship work. There were conversations that they didn’t know they needed to have, deep-rooted fears that affected how they communicated, and seasons of change that put their marriage to the test.
-
-
Vulnerability Matters
- By A on 09-19-22
By: Kevin Fredericks, and others
-
The Davenports
- By: Krystal Marquis
- Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Davenports are one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States, their fortune made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago. Now it's 1910, and the Davenports live surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, and endless parties, finding their way and finding love—even where they’re not supposed to.
-
-
Giving Bridgerton Vibes
- By Danni B. on 03-11-23
By: Krystal Marquis
-
Mrs. Wiggins
- By: Mary Monroe
- Narrated by: Shari Peele
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The daughter of a prostitute mother and an alcoholic father, Maggie Franklin knew her only way out was to marry someone upstanding and church-going. Someone like Hubert Wiggins, the most eligible man in Lexington, Alabama - and the son of its most revered preacher. Proper and prosperous, Hubert is glad to finally have a wife, even one with Maggie's background. For Hubert has a secret he desperately needs to stay hidden. And Maggie's unexpected charm, elegance, and religious devotion makes her the perfect partner in lies....
-
-
Really enjoyed
- By avidreader on 04-07-21
By: Mary Monroe
-
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
- An Oprah’s Book Club Novel
- By: Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
- Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo, Karen Chilton, Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 29 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The great scholar, W. E. B. Du Bois, once wrote about the problem of race in America, and what he called “Double Consciousness,” a sensitivity that every African American possesses in order to survive. Since childhood, Ailey Pearl Garfield has understood Du Bois’s words all too well. Bearing the names of two formidable Black Americans—the revered choreographer Alvin Ailey and her great grandmother Pearl, the descendant of enslaved Georgians and tenant farmers—Ailey carries Du Bois’s problem on her shoulders.
-
-
The Great American Novel is finally inclusive.
- By Margaret on 12-28-21
-
The Color Purple
- By: Alice Walker
- Narrated by: Alice Walker
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Celie has grown up poor in rural Georgia, despised by society and abused by her own family. She strives to protect her sister, Nettie, from a similar fate, and while Nettie escapes to a new life as a missionary in Africa, Celie is left behind without her best friend and confidante, married off to an older suitor, and sentenced to a life alone with a harsh and brutal husband. In an attempt to transcend a life that often seems too much to bear, Celie begins writing letters to God. The letters, spanning 20 years, record a journey of self-discovery and empowerment guided by the light of a few strong women.
-
-
way better than the movie
- By Ms. Blacq on 10-13-19
By: Alice Walker
-
It's Not All Downhill from Here
- A Novel
- By: Terry McMillan
- Narrated by: Terry McMillan
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Loretha Curry’s life is full. A little crowded sometimes, but full indeed. On the eve of her 68th birthday, she has a booming beauty-supply empire, a gaggle of lifelong friends, and a husband whose moves still surprise. True, she’s carrying a few more pounds than she should be, but Loretha is not one of those women who think her best days are behind her - and she’s determined to prove wrong her mother, her twin sister, and everyone else with that outdated view of aging wrong. It’s not all downhill from here.
-
-
terry McMillan is in her own way
- By Jestina M Spaine on 04-12-20
By: Terry McMillan
-
Bring on the Blessings
- A Novel
- By: Beverly Jenkins
- Narrated by: Lynnette R. Freeman
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bernadine Brown is a woman with money to spend. Henry Adams is a town in desperate need of cash. But after Bernadine puts up the money, she has some ideas about how the town should be run. Will the townspeople be willing to shake up their comfortable lives to share the gift they’ve been given with others who really need it?
-
-
Not my idea of a Christian story
- By DJ Stevenson on 04-12-21
By: Beverly Jenkins
-
Gone with the Wind
- By: Margaret Mitchell
- Narrated by: Linda Stephens
- Length: 49 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, Margaret Mitchell's great novel of the South is one of the most popular books ever written. Within six months of its publication in 1936, Gone With the Wind had sold a million copies. To date, it has been translated into 25 languages, and more than 28 million copies have been sold. Here are the characters that have become symbols of passion and desire....
-
-
Got the Accents Right
- By Noel on 04-27-10
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
The Great Fire
- A Novel
- By: Shirley Hazzard
- Narrated by: Virginia Leishman
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This mesmerizing, poetic novel won the 2003 National Book Award for fiction and has earned universal acclaim. Set against the beautiful but tragic landscape of post-World War II Asia, The Great Fire tells a sweeping tale of the search for new beginnings in a world ravaged by tragedy.
-
-
Always found something else to do
- By Margarita on 02-11-04
By: Shirley Hazzard
-
What I Know About You
- By: Éric Chacour, Pablo Strauss - translator
- Narrated by: Nabil Traboulsi
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a tight-knit Levantine Christian family in 1960s Cairo, Tarek’s entire life is written in advance. He’ll be a doctor like his father, marry, and have children. Under the watchful eye of the family’s strong women, he starts to do just that–until a patient’s son, Ali, enters his life and turns it upside down. The two men’s unsayable relationship sparks a series of events as dramatic as the Six-Day War and assassination of President Anwar Sadat playing out in the background.
-
-
Great story.
- By Amazon Customer on 02-19-25
By: Éric Chacour, and others
-
The Coast Road
- A Novel
- By: Alan Murrin
- Narrated by: Jessica Regan
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Set in 1994, The Coast Road tells the story of two women—Izzy Keaveney, a housewife, and Colette Crowley, a poet. Colette has left her husband and sons for a married man in Dublin. When she returns to her home in County Donegal to try to pick up the pieces of her old life, her husband, Shaun, a successful businessman, denies her access to her children.
-
-
Fabulous
- By Suzanna on 06-13-24
By: Alan Murrin
-
Love's Divine
- By: Ava Freeman
- Narrated by: Tenieka Mone't
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a whim, Genesis Malone decides to book a solo trip to the island of Barbados. A sunny beach vacation sounds like the perfect way to renew her spirit after a heartbreaking divorce. The trip takes an unexpected turn when she meets a woman who could be just what she needs to move on. That is if her heart, and the universe, will let her.
-
-
Our kind of love
- By Tiffany on 03-14-25
By: Ava Freeman
-
Home Fire
- A Novel
- By: Kamila Shamsie
- Narrated by: Tania Rodrigues
- Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Isma is free. After years of watching out for her younger siblings in the wake of their mother's death, she's accepted an invitation from a mentor in America that allows her to resume a dream long deferred. But she can't stop worrying about Aneeka, her beautiful, headstrong sister back in London, or their brother, Parvaiz, who's disappeared in pursuit of his own dream, to prove himself to the dark legacy of the jihadist father he never knew. When he resurfaces half a globe away, Isma's worst fears are confirmed.
-
-
one of most important books of this time
- By N. D. Warren on 11-24-17
By: Kamila Shamsie
-
Lakewood
- A Novel
- By: Megan Giddings
- Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Lena Johnson’s beloved grandmother dies, and the full extent of the family debt is revealed, the Black millennial drops out of college to support her family and takes a job in the mysterious and remote town of Lakewood, Michigan. On paper, her new job is too good to be true. High paying. No out of pocket medical expenses. A free place to live. All Lena has to do is participate in a secret program - and lie to her friends and family about the research being done in Lakewood.
-
-
Fact or Fiction
- By Penda K on 06-09-20
By: Megan Giddings
-
The Great Fire
- A Novel
- By: Shirley Hazzard
- Narrated by: Virginia Leishman
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This mesmerizing, poetic novel won the 2003 National Book Award for fiction and has earned universal acclaim. Set against the beautiful but tragic landscape of post-World War II Asia, The Great Fire tells a sweeping tale of the search for new beginnings in a world ravaged by tragedy.
-
-
Always found something else to do
- By Margarita on 02-11-04
By: Shirley Hazzard
-
What I Know About You
- By: Éric Chacour, Pablo Strauss - translator
- Narrated by: Nabil Traboulsi
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a tight-knit Levantine Christian family in 1960s Cairo, Tarek’s entire life is written in advance. He’ll be a doctor like his father, marry, and have children. Under the watchful eye of the family’s strong women, he starts to do just that–until a patient’s son, Ali, enters his life and turns it upside down. The two men’s unsayable relationship sparks a series of events as dramatic as the Six-Day War and assassination of President Anwar Sadat playing out in the background.
-
-
Great story.
- By Amazon Customer on 02-19-25
By: Éric Chacour, and others
-
The Coast Road
- A Novel
- By: Alan Murrin
- Narrated by: Jessica Regan
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Set in 1994, The Coast Road tells the story of two women—Izzy Keaveney, a housewife, and Colette Crowley, a poet. Colette has left her husband and sons for a married man in Dublin. When she returns to her home in County Donegal to try to pick up the pieces of her old life, her husband, Shaun, a successful businessman, denies her access to her children.
-
-
Fabulous
- By Suzanna on 06-13-24
By: Alan Murrin
-
Love's Divine
- By: Ava Freeman
- Narrated by: Tenieka Mone't
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a whim, Genesis Malone decides to book a solo trip to the island of Barbados. A sunny beach vacation sounds like the perfect way to renew her spirit after a heartbreaking divorce. The trip takes an unexpected turn when she meets a woman who could be just what she needs to move on. That is if her heart, and the universe, will let her.
-
-
Our kind of love
- By Tiffany on 03-14-25
By: Ava Freeman
-
Home Fire
- A Novel
- By: Kamila Shamsie
- Narrated by: Tania Rodrigues
- Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Isma is free. After years of watching out for her younger siblings in the wake of their mother's death, she's accepted an invitation from a mentor in America that allows her to resume a dream long deferred. But she can't stop worrying about Aneeka, her beautiful, headstrong sister back in London, or their brother, Parvaiz, who's disappeared in pursuit of his own dream, to prove himself to the dark legacy of the jihadist father he never knew. When he resurfaces half a globe away, Isma's worst fears are confirmed.
-
-
one of most important books of this time
- By N. D. Warren on 11-24-17
By: Kamila Shamsie
-
Lakewood
- A Novel
- By: Megan Giddings
- Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Lena Johnson’s beloved grandmother dies, and the full extent of the family debt is revealed, the Black millennial drops out of college to support her family and takes a job in the mysterious and remote town of Lakewood, Michigan. On paper, her new job is too good to be true. High paying. No out of pocket medical expenses. A free place to live. All Lena has to do is participate in a secret program - and lie to her friends and family about the research being done in Lakewood.
-
-
Fact or Fiction
- By Penda K on 06-09-20
By: Megan Giddings
-
Miss Pearly's Girls
- By: ReShonda Tate Billingsley
- Narrated by: Patricia R. Floyd
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raising four very different daughters on her own in rural Arkansas wasn't easy for Miss Pearly Bell. And she's always regretted that the sisters went their separate ways for good - and never wanted to see each other again. But when Pearly is stricken with a terminal illness, she summons them all home - determined to somehow help them get right with each other and forgive.... But that means dealing with past secrets and lies first.
-
-
Felt like family
- By Gregory Cody on 04-16-22
-
The Jigsaw Man
- A Novel
- By: Nadine Matheson
- Narrated by: Davine Henry
- Length: 14 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the day she returns to active duty with the Serial Crimes Unit, Detective Inspector Anjelica Henley is called to a crime scene. Dismembered body parts from two victims have been found by the river. The modus operandi bears a striking resemblance to Peter Olivier, the notorious Jigsaw Killer, who has spent the past two years behind bars. When he learns that someone is co-opting his grisly signature - the arrangement of victims’ limbs in puzzle-piece shapes - he decides to take matters into his own hands.
-
-
This had so much potential
- By Janice P. Yates on 03-29-21
By: Nadine Matheson
-
Bliss Montage
- Stories
- By: Ling Ma
- Narrated by: Katharine Chin
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Bliss Montage, Ling Ma brings us eight wildly different tales of people making their way through the madness and reality of our collective delusions: love and loneliness, connection and possession, friendship, motherhood, the idea of home. A woman lives in a house with all her ex-boyfriends. A toxic friendship grows up around a drug that makes you invisible. An ancient ritual might heal you of anything—if you bury yourself alive.
-
-
Audiobook is defective
- By ᵔᴥᵔ on 09-22-22
By: Ling Ma
-
Cherished
- By: Kim Cash Tate
- Narrated by: LaQuita James, Machelle Williams
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before healing can begin for Kelli and Heather, they need to believe they are worth cherishing. As Kelli and Heather awaken to their true worth, they find the freedom to pursue their dreams - and relationships - based on the security of knowing God's unconditional love.
-
-
Wow!!
- By Katherine Barber on 04-13-25
By: Kim Cash Tate
-
Can't Let Her Go
- By: Kianna Alexander
- Narrated by: Tamara Austin
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Peaches Monroe and Jamie Hunt are core members of their Texas friend squad and have so much in common. They’re successful at their careers in personal care. They take Austin’s “Keep It Weird” vibe to heart, each leaning into their own unique talents and sense of style. And they’re both ready to go on to even bigger things. Is pushing past the boundaries of friendship into something deeper one of them? The red-hot fantasy is there…but so is real life.
-
-
Can't Let Her Go
- By MLTU on 08-22-24
By: Kianna Alexander
-
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them
- By: Junauda Petrus
- Narrated by: Junauda Petrus, Bahni Turpin, J. D. Jackson
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Told in two distinct and irresistible voices, Junauda Petrus' bold and lyrical debut is the story of two black girls from very different backgrounds finding love and happiness in a world that seems determined to deny them both. Junauda Petrus' debut brilliantly captures the distinctly lush and lyrical voices of Mabel and Audre as they conjure a love that is stronger than hatred, prison, and death and as vast as the blackness between the stars.
-
-
My Gawd
- By AmazonCustomer on 09-21-19
By: Junauda Petrus
-
One of the Good Guys
- A Novel
- By: Araminta Hall
- Narrated by: Elliot Fitzpatrick, Olivia Vinall, Helen Keeley
- Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Desperate to escape the ghosts of his failed marriage, Cole leaves London behind for a remote stretch of coast, relishing the respite from the noise, drama, and relentless careerism that curdled his relationship and mental health. Leonora has made the same move for similar reasons. Though Cole still can’t figure out what went wrong with his marriage, and Leonora is having trouble acclimating to the hostile landscape, the pair forges a connection on the eroding bluff they call home. Then, two young women activists raising awareness about gendered violence disappear while passing through.
-
-
meh.
- By Amazon Customer on 09-17-24
By: Araminta Hall
-
The Attic Child
- A Novel
- By: Lola Jaye
- Narrated by: Lola Jaye, Lucian Msamati, Nneka Okoye
- Length: 14 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Early 1900s London: Taken from his homeland, twelve-year-old Celestine spends most of the time locked away in the attic of a large house by the sea. The only time Celestine isn’t bound by confines of the small space is when he is acting as an unpaid servant to English explorer Sir Richard Babbington, As the years pass, he desperately clings on to memories of his family in Africa, even as he struggles to remember his mother’s face, and sometimes his real name . . .
-
-
Read/ listen to this book!
- By KH on 10-01-22
By: Lola Jaye
-
Honey Girl
- By: Morgan Rogers
- Narrated by: York Whitaker
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With her newly completed PhD in astronomy in hand, twenty-eight-year-old Grace Porter goes on a girls' trip to Vegas to celebrate. She's a straight A, work-through-the-summer certified high achiever. She is not the kind of person who goes to Vegas and gets drunkenly married to a woman whose name she doesn't know…until she does exactly that. Staggering under the weight of her parents' expectations, a struggling job market and feelings of burnout, Grace flees her home in Portland for a summer in New York with the wife she barely knows.
-
-
Not Quite What I Expected
- By Amazon Customer on 02-24-21
By: Morgan Rogers
-
Black Girl, Call Home
- By: Jasmine Mans
- Narrated by: Jasmine Mans
- Length: 1 hr and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From spoken word poet Jasmine Mans comes an unforgettable poetry collection about race, feminism, and queer identity. With echoes of Gwendolyn Brooks and Sonia Sanchez, Mans writes to call herself - and us - home. Each poem explores what it means to be a daughter of Newark, and America - and the painful, joyous path to adulthood as a young, queer Black woman. Black Girl, Call Home is a love letter to the wandering Black girl and a vital companion to any woman on a journey to find truth, belonging, and healing.
-
-
Brilliant Delicious
- By erica on 04-22-21
By: Jasmine Mans
-
Greek Lessons
- A Novel
- By: Han Kang, Deborah Smith - translator, Emily Yae Won - translator
- Narrated by: Greta Jung, Earl T. Kim
- Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight. Soon the two discover a deeper pain binds them together. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it's the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages, and the fear of losing his independence.
-
-
Deeply rewarding
- By Pedro on 04-07-25
By: Han Kang, and others
-
D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding
- By: Chencia C. Higgins
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lee
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Instant I Do could be Kris Zavala’s big break. She’s right on the cusp of really making it as an influencer, so a stint on reality TV is the perfect chance to elevate her brand. And $100,000 wouldn’t hurt either. D’Vaughn Miller is just trying to break out of her shell. She’s sort of neglected to come out to her mom for years, so a big splashy fake wedding is just the excuse she needs. All they have to do is convince their friends and family they’re getting married in six weeks. If anyone guesses they’re not for real, they’re out.
-
-
Amazing love story
- By Moon on 10-11-23
What listeners say about The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amy Castenell
- 06-01-21
a door ajar that you can’t resist
Beautiful portraits of lives fully lived. I was so sad when this book ended, I could have dipped into these stories for the rest of my days.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- karen C.
- 04-28-21
Real
Each story was told with feeling. Some will have you laughing out loud. All will give the listener visual pictures of events that are touching and thought provocative situations that give you a feeling of truth being expressed. it's like it is not how you would like it to be.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 11-04-21
Strong, Real
I didn't want the stories to end and the narration was superb. Peach Cobbler was one of the best stories I've ever had the pleasure of hearing.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Niki Gee
- 07-19-22
Each story kept me riveted
This book was well written and the narrator really brought al the stories to life. I'll definitely listen to it again. Treat yourself
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tatiana Pavlova-Coleman
- 12-06-21
I loved loved loved these short stories.
Amazing book. Stories are written in an amazing honest and real way. What a gift the writer has.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- George T. White
- 12-03-22
Diverse Collection of Stories
The narrator did an excellent job with the stories. There were a few stories that involved detailed sex (not erotica) and lot of stories that had no sex PG rated and few other PG13 stories.
it was a good read. I was able to finish it in one afternoon
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- maurice
- 12-06-22
Mansplaining
I’m so glad that I listened. This story was so real. I know these women, many from my own family.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- KK
- 04-08-23
Great stories
I highly recommend this book. Great varieties of love and challenges. Love comes in many forms and so does passion and dysfunctional behaviors.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- audrena
- 10-06-23
Nice
Enjoyed the book! Very interesting and a lot of truth to everything that was read
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DJAR
- 11-29-23
A gorgeous collection of stories
I'm not a fan of short fiction. I want series that never end. I enter worlds and never want to leave. And with all that, I adored this collection of short stories. So real and raw and heartbreaking and funny and I loved every person I met. And I want each to be a novel, so I can learn more about their thinking and feeling and lives and adventures and solitudes. Exquisitely written. I am a fan.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!