Let The Church Say Amen

ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Pocket Books – 2004

277 Pages - $13.00/US

ISBN: 0-7434-7714-6

Reviewed by:

Yolanda M. Johnson

Literary Wonders!

www.literarywonders.com

2/26/2005

            Let The Church Say Amen is the sophomore novel by author ReShonda Tate Billingsley.  This unpredictable, emotion riling novel takes its reader into the life of Reverend Simon Jackson.

Reverend Jackson is so pre-occupied with the building of the Kingdom of God via Zion Hill Baptist Church, that he can’t see the demise of his own family.  Rev. Jackson is keen on making Zion Hill the best church in Houston, Texas, all the while, not aware of the price he has to pay or the price he is making his family pay.

            Loretta Jackson is the wife of Simon Jackson and is the glue that keeps their family, which is dangling on the ledge, from falling completely apart.  Loretta dodges the insults of church members, especially the women folk who have taken their place in line to be the next first Lady of Zion Hill and the next wife of Rev. Jackson.  Loretta, who is dying inside for the gentle touch of a husband she lost long ago to the church, concentrates on being the perfect wife to her husband, the perfect first lady and the perfect mother to her children.

            Rachel, the only daughter of the union is loose in ever sense of the word, bearing two different children by two different fathers.  Rachel’s heart belongs to Bobby, but she is in denial that he wants her, going so low as to use their son, the only son fathered by Bobby, to get back in good with him.  Rachel’s immature antic, one after the other, finally set her up for the reality of her life.

            David, the oldest son of the union, used to be a star athlete, but turned to drugs when he sustained an injury.  David became a disappointment in his father’s eye, as Rev. Jackson washes his hands of him, causing David to delve deeper into drug use.  That is until he found himself knocking at death’s door.

            And then there’s Jonathan, the apple of Reverend Simon Jackson’s eye.  Simon is sure that Jonathan is destined to follow in his father’s footsteps, and preach the gospel of the Lord.  Little does Simon know, Jonathan’s aspirations are far from preaching the Word, as Jonathan harbors a secret of his own.  A secret that he cannot tell his father, for surely, he’d be disappointed and wash his hands of him like he had of his older brother.

            Enjoy the tales of family drama in Let The Church Say Amen, as the author shows us that first families are as much human as the rest of us and they struggled with their own families. Can this family stick together and make it through all that they endure?  Will Simon finally see

that he is killing his family?  Will Loretta finally stand up to Simon and to the church?  Will their three offspring get their acts together?  To find out, you have to read this literary work. 

Let The Church Say Amen is witty, down to earth, and a “real” tear jerking novel that will leave you cheering and tipping your hat to ReShonda Tate Billingsley.

Let The Church Say Amen was voted a Dallas Morning News bestseller and Essence bestseller.