Deesha Philyaw

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 fourteen-year-old Jael, who has a crush on the preacher's wife. At forty-two, 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.

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

An intimate, irresistible collection of stories about the hidden desires of generations of church-going Black women, soon to be an HBO TV series.

Secret Lives of Church Ladies

Sekretne życie pobożnych kobiet

Die Debüt-Sensation aus den USA! Die neun Geschichten dieses sensationellen Erzählbands umspannen vier Generationen schwarzer Frauen und Mädchen, die für ihren Platz in der Welt kämpfen, die mit dem moralischen Korsett hadern, in das sie gesteckt wurden, die wenigstens für kurze Zeit ihren Leidenschaften folgen und nach Freiheit streben. Da ist die vierzehnjährige Jael, die sich in die Frau des Priesters verliebt; Lyra, deren Unwohlsein im eigenen Körper zwischen ihr und ihrer neuen Liebe steht; da sind Rhonda und Leelee, die aus dem Süden an die Kalte Norostküste entflohen sind, um der sozialen Kälte der Heimat zu entfliehen; da sind die trauernden Fremden, die sich in den dunklen Schatten des Hospizparkplatzes Trost spenden. Sie alle leben ein zweites Leben im Verborgenen, haben Affären, sind verführerisch und verletzlich, mutig und ängstlich. Neun Geschichten, die mit einem neuen, erfrischenden Sound von der Liebe im 21. Jahrhundert erzählen.

Erzählungen

Church Ladies (eBook)

Church Ladies

Magda Pecsenye

Here's the thing: If you've discovered (or were told) that your spouse had an affair, you've probably already lost your sh*t. Or you're going to, but it just hasn't happened yet. This book is a survival guide for women who have ultimately decided (or whose spouse has decided) to divorce, after their partner's affair. We offer the writing exercises in this workbook as a pathway toward healing and regrouping.

Writing to Keep from Losing Your Sh*t

So S/He Had an Affair

The irresistible literary debut about the hidden desires of church-going Black women 'Left me wanting more. Masterfully written' Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie 'Joyous... It's a book in love with life' The Times 'Exquisite... delicious' Bolu Babalola, author of Love in Colour 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.

Yona Harvey

Wayne Wise

Rachel Masilamani

CHUTZ-POW! Superheroes of the Holocaust, Volume Three: "The Young Survivors" focuses on the ordelas

The Young Survivors: Volume Three

CHUTZ-POW! Superheroes of the Holocaust

Michael D. Thomas

A successful co-parenting relationship is as vital to your child's well-being and health as nutritious food or proper exercise. Research, anecdotal evidence, and plain common sense all point to the fact that children are happier, healthier, and better adjusted when both of their parents play an active role in their lives. Studies also show that the trauma children experience in the wake of a divorce or separation can be lessened when they see their parents getting along. Kids whose parents successfully co-parent feel more secure than those who have limited or no connection to one of their parents post divorce. Co-Parenting 101 is based on the premise that co-parenting is a must, not an option. The involvement of both parents—not just the primary guardian—is the cornerstone of successful co-parenting. This is the first book written by a formerly married couple for whom co parenting is central to their day to day lives, and it offers a comprehensive, personal, and upfront look at how to effectively raise kids with an ex-spouse. Authors Deesha Philyaw and Michael D. Thomas, the creators of the popular co-parenting website, co-parenting101.org, share their own experiences raising their children together, as well as provide professional advice from co-parenting experts. Through practical tips combined with expert parental strategies, this book a great resource for divorced parents with children. For parents, less time stressed out about legal wrangling means more time to be fully present and engaged with the children. By learning to put their animosity aside, parents can focus on putting their kids first.

Helping Your Kids Thrive in Two Households after Divorce

Co-parenting 101

vanessa german

This collection of poetry, prose and art by 19 Black womxn and femmes in Pittsburgh grew out of a longing for connection and comfort in a city and a world that is not always tender toward them. The book is a balm they made for themselves. Co-edited and co-published by artist vanessa german and writer/editor Deesha Philyaw, TENDER is brought to you by late-night conversations among Black womxn and femmes telling our stories, talking about us, loving on us. Conversations of reckoning and consideration of the heart and the soul and how we are living with ourselves, friends, family and lovers, through times of stress and social media and false media. This book is brought to you by healing hands, prayers, loud laughter, and freestyles.

Deesha Philyaw

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