Helpful Score: 4
Great story, read it for a book club and it was highly rated. Great character development. People magazine says "As slice of life stories go, this is an extraordinary generous one: rich and satisfying
Helpful Score: 3
Moral of this book is be yourself....Don't change into something you aren't, or you risk losing the real of you. A great read.
Helpful Score: 3
A stunner, a page-turner of a story that's at the same time smart nd funny and alert to the nuances of the complicatesd South. Dean Lynch in the title role will absolutely steal your heart. - Josephine Humphreys
Helpful Score: 3
Finely drawn characters and complicated social intrigue make King's second novel (after Making Waves in Zion) a charming read. When Dean Lynchs ambitious preacher husband, Ben, is assigned to a pulpit in the small Florida town of Crystal Springs, Dean is resigned to the prospect of yet another church-owned house and the necessity of putting aside her own beloved music (she plays the piano and the dulcimer) in favor of the congregations choir. Orphaned as a child, the retiring Dean has spent 20 years of marriage in the shadow of her overbearing, charismatic husband, always feeling out of place. But when she befriends Augusta, a wealthy, well-born, caustic beauty whose attendance at the Crystal Springs Methodist Church would be Ben's greatest coup, Dean finds herself coming out of her shell and tangled up in secrets she is not prepared to handle. The only false note comes from the gay couple Augusta befriends, who border on stereotype. The rest of King's secondary cast, which includes a sympathetic psychic and the magnetic but sinister former preacher at Ben's church, is a captivating bunch. King has written a truly heartwarming story, a tale of turbulent emotions and the vagaries of public opinion in a small Southern town; she has a sure winner here.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW
Helpful Score: 2
The wife of a minister, newly relocated, must try to gain acceptance and some kind of personal fulfillment despite the bias of the church members, community and her own husband. For fans of Oprah Club books, this is a perfect read!
Helpful Score: 1
Married for twenty years to the Reverand Benjamin Lynch, a handsome, ambitious minister of a prestigious Methodist church, Dean Lynch has never quite adjusted her termperament to the demands of the role of a "Sunday Wife." When her husband is assigned to a larger church, Dean becomes fast friends with Augusta Holderfield, a woman with a secret past whose good looks and extravagant habits immediately entrance Dean, much to Ben's disgust.
As their relationship evolves, Dean begins to break free from the traditional role as the preacher's wife, shocking some of the members of the congreation. Just as Dean is questioning everything she has always valued, a tragedy occurs, providing the catalyst for change in ways she never could have imagined, and providing a climactic conclusion that resonates with emotional power.
Filled with unforgettable characters, The Sunday Wife is a captivating novel about one woman's journey towards independence, and the life-changing friendship that guides her there."
I could NOT put this book down! Absolutely LOVED IT!
As their relationship evolves, Dean begins to break free from the traditional role as the preacher's wife, shocking some of the members of the congreation. Just as Dean is questioning everything she has always valued, a tragedy occurs, providing the catalyst for change in ways she never could have imagined, and providing a climactic conclusion that resonates with emotional power.
Filled with unforgettable characters, The Sunday Wife is a captivating novel about one woman's journey towards independence, and the life-changing friendship that guides her there."
I could NOT put this book down! Absolutely LOVED IT!
Helpful Score: 1
As a minister's wife in the part of Florida where this book is set, I was excited to read this novel and relate to characters. Sadly, King is way off base with her characterization of those in the South. I found this book to be disappointing and even offensive.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed this book. I am a preacher's daughter and I must congratulate Cassandra King on her capture of what the life of a minister's wife is quite often like. Not all church congregations are like this but far too many are. I enjoyed the story. Dean, the preacher's wife, tried very hard to be a good wife, support her husband, treat the church people well. I liked her friend, Augusta. She challenges Dean to find herself and by the end I believe Dean does. You'll have to read the book to know what I'm talking about but it's worth the read. Her husband was unfortunately quite like a lot of minister's. Minister's quite often follow the mind frame that everything is about the church and God and toes must not be stepped on thus wives and children get pushed to the end of the preachers attention line unless of course they behave badly and embarrass him. Fortunately over the years preacher's have retrained their tho't processes and realized that their wives and children are not last but actually first. This is good. I believe I will remember this book. It keeps you interested to see what happens next with her varied characters. It is real to life I think. An easy read and entertaining. Again, I liked it.
Awesome book! Loved the twists in it! A great, fun, light read!
It was a "page turner". The author is the wife of Pat Conroy.
This book is a must read for anyone from NW Florida or who has visited this area.
A good book about a Reverend's wife and the role she is expected to play. Meeting a woman friend changes her life forever and leads to a search for independence. Captivating characters.
My mother & I both really enjoyed this book. It has richly developed characters & an intriguing plot. I thought it started out a little slow (maybe just my mood?), but then it kicked into high gear and was hard for me to put it down!
Wonderful book with richly detailed and multi-layed characters.
In the tradition of Patricia Gaffney's Saving Graces -- a captivating novel about one woman's journey toward independence and the life-changing friendship that guides her there.
Married for 20 years to the Reverend Benjamin Lynch, a handsome, ambitious minister of the prestigious Methodist church, Dean Lynch has never quite adjusted her temperament to the demands of the role of a Sunday wife. When her husband is assigned to a larger and more demanding community in the Florida panhandle, Dean becomes fast friends with Augusta Holderfield, a woman whose good looks and extravagant habits immediately entrance her. As their friendship evolves, Augusta challenges Dean to break free from her traditional role as the preacher's wife. Just as Dean is questioning everything she has always valued, a tragedy occurs, providing the catalyst for change in ways she never could have imagined.
Married for 20 years to the Reverend Benjamin Lynch, a handsome, ambitious minister of the prestigious Methodist church, Dean Lynch has never quite adjusted her temperament to the demands of the role of a Sunday wife. When her husband is assigned to a larger and more demanding community in the Florida panhandle, Dean becomes fast friends with Augusta Holderfield, a woman whose good looks and extravagant habits immediately entrance her. As their friendship evolves, Augusta challenges Dean to break free from her traditional role as the preacher's wife. Just as Dean is questioning everything she has always valued, a tragedy occurs, providing the catalyst for change in ways she never could have imagined.
VERY enjoyable read!
Wonderful read. I could not put it down.
One woman's journey toward her independence.
A surprise, breaks typical storylines.
Woman marriet to a minister and has a secret past. Move to a larger church starts things in motion. Interesting read.
This was a good story, lots of things going on to keep you interested. I enjoyed reading it.
This book touched my heart; the author very poignantly told the tales of a southern gal's trials and triumphs, what married to a Methodist minister meant and entailed in a small southern town, what living in that small town meant with all the gossips and tongue wagglers; it's a story of friendship and love, romance and resolve, heartbreak and hope. It's a story that I will think about often in the days to come, as I wonder about Dean's choices, were they wrong, if she had done things differently, would the outcome be the same? A book full of complex emotions; an excellent story.
This book held my interest and I was able to identify with the main character on several levels. A very good read.
Married for twenty years to the Reverand Benjamin Lynch, a handsome, ambitious minister of a prestigiuos Methodist church, Dean Lynch has never quite adjusted her temperament to the demands of the role of a "Sunday wife". When her husband is assigned to a larger church, Dean becomes fast friends with Augusta Holderfield, a woman with a secret past whose goods looks and extravagant habits immediately entrance Dean - much to Ben's disgust. Filled with unforgettable characters, The Sunday Wife is a captivating novel about one woman's journey toward independence, and the life-changing friendship that guides her there.
This book was wonderful. A slice of life book. This is a book you won't want to put down. From the back....Filled with unforgetable characters, a captivating novel about one woman's journey toward independence, and the life-changing friendship that guides her there.
About the typical "preacher's wife" trying to have her own life and the trials and tribulations she has doing just that. This is a very good book and held my interest all the way to the end.
I liked this book. Want to read more of this author.
The Sunday Wife is the story of Dean, the dutiful preacher's wife. She went to all the church meetings and did everything her husband told her to do. She never felt worthy of him because she grew up white trash. This is something he never let her forget either. Then she met Augusta who didn't care what anyone thought. Can her marriage survive the influence of Augusta? Does Dean even want it to survive?
I was so pulled by this book that I had one sent to my friend when I was only half done with it. My favorite so far by Cassandra King.
I was so pulled by this book that I had one sent to my friend when I was only half done with it. My favorite so far by Cassandra King.
Really enjoyed this book. It's not fluff but neither is it so stark as to leave me seeking counseling as some of the book club books have.
The author is Pat Conroy's wife, so you know it is a southern novel. Not too bad, although the writing style is a little stilted. The stroy is interesting.
wonderful story of a preacher's wife, written by the wife of pat conroy, she also has a great ability to write about southern women
The story of a preacher's wife desperately trying to hold on to her own sense of self while doing justice to her husband and congregation's needs. I was surprised to find this at my local Methodist bookstore as most of the religious figures were quite unsympathetic. But I loved the main character and who she became over the months of the book.
Fantastic book---------Makes me want to read more by this author
Very good read.Keeps you guessing.
enjoyable and easy read. Not so mundane plot as romances tend to follow.
I really enjoyed this book!
This book will speak to so many women. The characters have depth and consistency ... so much so that you feel you are a part of their lives. I highly recommend this book.
From Publishers Weekly
Finely drawn characters and complicated social intrigue make King's second novel (after Making Waves in Zion) a charming read. When Dean Lynchs ambitious preacher husband, Ben, is assigned to a pulpit in the small Florida town of Crystal Springs, Dean is resigned to the prospect of yet another church-owned house and the necessity of putting aside her own beloved music (she plays the piano and the dulcimer) in favor of the congregations choir. Orphaned as a child, the retiring Dean has spent 20 years of marriage in the shadow of her overbearing, charismatic husband, always feeling out of place. But when she befriends Augusta, a wealthy, well-born, caustic beauty whose attendance at the Crystal Springs Methodist Church would be Ben's greatest coup, Dean finds herself coming out of her shell and tangled up in secrets she is not prepared to handle. The only false note comes from the gay couple Augusta befriends, who border on stereotype. The rest of King's secondary cast, which includes a sympathetic psychic and the magnetic but sinister former preacher at Ben's church, is a captivating bunch. King has written a truly heartwarming story, a tale of turbulent emotions and the vagaries of public opinion in a small Southern town; she has a sure winner here.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Finely drawn characters and complicated social intrigue make King's second novel (after Making Waves in Zion) a charming read. When Dean Lynchs ambitious preacher husband, Ben, is assigned to a pulpit in the small Florida town of Crystal Springs, Dean is resigned to the prospect of yet another church-owned house and the necessity of putting aside her own beloved music (she plays the piano and the dulcimer) in favor of the congregations choir. Orphaned as a child, the retiring Dean has spent 20 years of marriage in the shadow of her overbearing, charismatic husband, always feeling out of place. But when she befriends Augusta, a wealthy, well-born, caustic beauty whose attendance at the Crystal Springs Methodist Church would be Ben's greatest coup, Dean finds herself coming out of her shell and tangled up in secrets she is not prepared to handle. The only false note comes from the gay couple Augusta befriends, who border on stereotype. The rest of King's secondary cast, which includes a sympathetic psychic and the magnetic but sinister former preacher at Ben's church, is a captivating bunch. King has written a truly heartwarming story, a tale of turbulent emotions and the vagaries of public opinion in a small Southern town; she has a sure winner here.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From the inside jacket: "Married for twenty years to the Reverend Benjamin Lynch, a handsome, ambitious minister of the prestigious Methodist church, Dean Lynch has never quite adjusted her temperament to the demands of the role of a 'Sunday wife.' When her husband is assigned to a larger and more demanding community in the Florida panhandle, Dean becomes fast friends with Augusta Holderfield, a woman with a secret past whose good looks and extravagant habits immediately entrance Dean - much to Ben's disgust."
"Augusta encourages Dean to perform publicly on her treasured dulcimer, a passion that Ben has always smirked at; and pushes her to break out of the confining strictures that Ben has laid down over the years. As their relationship evolves, Dean begins to break free from her traditional role as the preacher's wife - shocking some of the more staid members of the congregation. Just as Dean is questioning everything she has always valued, a tragedy occurs, providing the catalyst for change in ways she never could have imagined - and leading to a climactic conclusion that resonates with emotional power."
"Augusta encourages Dean to perform publicly on her treasured dulcimer, a passion that Ben has always smirked at; and pushes her to break out of the confining strictures that Ben has laid down over the years. As their relationship evolves, Dean begins to break free from her traditional role as the preacher's wife - shocking some of the more staid members of the congregation. Just as Dean is questioning everything she has always valued, a tragedy occurs, providing the catalyst for change in ways she never could have imagined - and leading to a climactic conclusion that resonates with emotional power."
I really enjoyed this book about a not-so-typical preacher's wife.
I liked this book, not being what I normally read. Dean Lynch is married to a minister and has never quite fit into the traditional minister wives shoes, she questions everything she has always believed to gain her independence. The story makes you want to see her follow her heart.
Deann Lynch was married for 20 years to a controlling Methodist minister and thanks to a woman she meets and befriends, Dean starts evaluating her life and what she wants, rather than living for what her husband wants.
started it, about 50 pages in put it down, didn't hold my interest and print very small
Enjoyable, good sunday read.
