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God Spare the Girls
God Spare the Girls: A Novel | Kelsey McKinney
15 posts | 12 read | 17 to read
A mesmerizing debut novel set in northern Texas about two sisters who discover a dark secret about their father, the head pastor of an evangelical megachurch, that upends their lives and community--a coming-of-age story of family, identity, and the delicate line between faith and deception. Luke Nolan has led The Hope congregation for over a decade, while his wife and daughters patiently uphold what it means to live righteously. Made famous by a viral sermon on purity co-written with his eldest daughter, Abigail, Luke is the prototype of a modern preacher: tall, handsome, a spellbinding speaker. But his youngest daughter Caroline has started to notice the cracks in their comfortable life. She is certain that her perfect, pristine sister is about to marry the wrong man--and Caroline has slid into sin with a boy she's known her entire life, wondering why God would care so much about her virginity anyway. When it comes to light, six weeks before Abigail's wedding, that Luke has been having an affair with another woman, the entire Nolan family falls into a tailspin. Caroline seizes the opportunity to be alone with her sister. The two girls flee to the ranch they inherited from their maternal grandmother, far removed from the embarrassing drama of their parents and the prying eyes of the community. But with the date of Abigail's wedding fast approaching, the sisters will have to make a hard decision about which familial bonds are worth protecting. An intimate coming-of-age story and a modern woman's read, God Spare the Girls lays bare the rabid love of sisterhood and asks what we owe our communities, our families, and ourselves.
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melissajayne
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I heard about this book through Kaytee on Currently Reading and was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed it. #12booksof2022

Andrew65 This one sounds good. 2y
28 likes1 comment
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Amie
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Mehso-so

I was interested in seeing an interrogation of the evangelical and purity culture, but this just didn't dig deep enough and lacked character development. Extremely unsatisfying ending.

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jdiehr
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Pickpick

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was fantastic.

This is the story of two sisters whose father is the pastor of a mega church.

Things go sideways after an extramarital affair and the youngest daughter begins to question everything she's ever known - including her faith.

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melissajayne
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Pickpick

4⭐️ Wow what a book. I know these sort of books are hit and miss for me, but this one for some reason just really grabbed me; I think it was because I understand North American “church culture”, having been a part of for the better part of 40+ years. And I think it was also because the relationship between Caroline and Abbie seems pretty true to form. I can see this being a contender for the favourites list for 2022

30 likes1 stack add3 comments
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melissajayne
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I can attest to this being true. I have been to one church service since the start of Covid (that was over 6 months ago) and the ritual in my church was exactly the same as it was before Covid.

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melissajayne
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1. God Spare the Girls, Hot Six, A Promised Land, Sense & Sensibility, Wuthering Heights

2. 75 books

3. Haven‘t finished one yet

#weekendreads

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laurrose
Pickpick

In a word: outstanding. This novel ruminates on what it means to be a woman in a community built for men; on sisterhood; on self discovery; and on grief. I was deeply moved by this story and these characters. I‘ll carry this with me for awhile.

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BekaReid
Pickpick

After hearing about this book and the story behind it, I was curious but approached with caution. The world Kelsey McKinney deftly describes is all too real, and I could have done without reading it, but I may be too close to it to give an objective review. Leaving evangelical Christianity is stark; a world of clear rules disappears and you're left adrift often with a divided life - trying to be part of a new culture while the old one clings.

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callielafleur
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Mehso-so

I thought this was totally fine. Way more religious than I was expecting going in, which wasn't a bad thing, just surprising. The audio was pretty good and went by quickly. I'm looking forward to reading what comes next from Kelsey McKinney.

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MaggieCarr
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Mehso-so

This one came highly recommended and while for a debut I was very, very impressed with the flow and depiction of such strong (and varied) emotions. I could relate to both Abigail & Caroline's perspectives of their father, the pastor of a mega church who is discovered having an affair and lying about, well a lot of stuff. Very well written but definitely not a favorite. May have been my intense desire to hit Jack Nolan and go viral with my aim.

29 likes1 stack add
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sharread
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Pickpick

4 stars 💫💫💫💫 This novel is about a religious family, the father is a pastor with secret sins, and the 2 daughters have their own challenges. I enjoyed this easy to read novel with fascinating family dynamics. #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks #fiction

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 3y
40 likes1 stack add1 comment
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FelinesAndFelonies
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I know dinner and flowers are a great date. But, has he, like, ever taken you out to Dunkin and the book store? 😏🤭😆 #dateday #booknerdsdoitbetter #sexyandyouknowit

tracey38 👌 3y
tanya1512 Great date indeed 3y
wanderinglynn That‘s an excellent date! 👍🏻 3y
ShelleyBooksie That's hot stuff! 3y
Aims42 That‘s a great date night!!! 😍 3y
55 likes5 comments
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abookishbutterfly
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Pickpick

There really isn‘t anything shocking in this story. It felt very true to life, showcasing people as they are, both as facades and as the reality underneath that shiny surface. It hurt my heart so many times because of this. I think the author did a fantastic job illustrating a powerful message while never telling the reader how they should think or feel.

My full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3799849410

melissajayne Read your review on Goodreads and in it you were wondering about the author‘s background and in my hardcover copy I got from the library, it mentions that she was raised evangelical in North Texas. I have an inkling that she was also a pastor‘s kid and that she modeled Caroline on herself. 3y
abookishbutterfly @melissajayne I actually mentioned in the add on at the bottom of my review that I had the answer to my question. She talks more about religion in this interview: https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/debut-novelist-kelsey-mckinney-l... She does mention that her dad is a great guy and not at all like the dad of the story, but I imagine some of Caroline‘s observations & emotions are similar to her own. (edited) 3y
53 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Bibliotekate
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I‘m 100pp in and I cannot recommend this book enough. Especially if you grew up in The Church in the 90s/early aughts.

7 likes1 stack add