Incredible Books About Faith And Churches

If you've never heard the name Aimee Semple McPherson, you're not alone—but Claire Hoffman's Sister, Sinner will ensure you never forget her name again as America's first mega-preacher.

This riveting biography opens with the astonishing true story of Aimee, who shaped modern evangelicalism, vanished into the ocean for 35 days, and returned with a kidnapping tale so wild it led to two sensational trials.

Hoffman meticulously documents Aimee's childhood and attraction to Pentecostalism, a movement historians have described as a "cyclone" that struck the early 1900s like a storm.

Aimee was an early adopter of new mediums, such as creating her print magazine to spread the word, giving radio a spin, and later being excited about how television could bring new people to Jesus.

What makes this story unique is that Hoffman was the first researcher granted access to the complete court records of Aimee's grand jury trial—records that, for more than a century, the Foursquare Church has refused to share with the outside world.

Hoffman's approach is refreshingly secular, embracing Aimee's contradictions—faith healer and showman, sinner and saint, feminist and fundamentalist. I could not put this book down!

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In her first book, the host of the From the Front Porch podcast and independent bookstore owner inspires her readers that adventure can be found in the ordinary.

Annie Jones imagined adulthood as an exciting path—a high-powered career, vibrant city life, and travels to far-off destinations. Instead, she embraced her life in a small town, running a bookstore—the kind that would make Nora Ephron proud.

While this story is focused on staying for small-town adventures, the author reminds readers that choosing to leave can also be courageous and transformative. She explores her decision to walk away from the church she grew up in through two personal essays.

Jessica boldly recounts her journey of reinventing her adult life after her husband came out as gay, resulting in their divorce after sixteen years of marriage.

This book serves as both a memoir and a self-help guide, empowering readers who face disappointment or feel that life should be more fulfilling than the hand they were dealt.

Determined to seize control of her new beginning, she offers readers an opportunity to go on the adventure of rebuilding her life with her. In part workbook and part personal revelations, the author narrates the audiobook, adding another layer of emotion to this personal excavation, including navigating the tricky landscape of their faith journey as Christian writers.

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This Boy We Made is a medical mystery memoir with thriller pacing that Harris expertly unwinds in an unforgettable narrative that I could not put down.

As Harris has struggled with a lifetime of anxiety, she faces one of the most anxious scenarios a mother could face: a child with life-threatening health problems that no one can seem to diagnose or solve.

Interspersed throughout our story, she shares the places in her own life where her anxiety and the world of her son, Tophs, collide. This story effectively shares this through the lens of being a Black mother with a child with disabilities.

As a pastor's wife, Harris's faith plays a large part in this story. It was such an honor to hear Taylor's story and share tears with her as I asked her how she held steadfastly to her faith through this experience as we uncovered more behind her story for our book club.

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Moving to Shanghai and newly married, Amber finds herself thrown into a world she never thought she would be part of. A third-generation Jehovah's Witness, Amber has devoted her entire life to the ministry. Although she had freedom in the States to share about God, in Shanghai, she finds herself in a secret society where her preaching is illegal and punishable.

Amber becomes aware of how many ways one can find God through a blossoming friendship with someone outside her faith. However, the decision to explore this comes with serious consequences, including being shunned by her own church community, the one place where she finds her identity. 

I learned so much about customs and culture in China that I couldn't put this one down. Amber's story of finding herself was gorgeous and made me reflect on my time growing up in church in a completely different way.

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In this captivating historical narrative, Goodman boldly recounts the story of Marguerite de La Rocque de Roberval, who is marooned on an island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence by her ruthless cousin, Jean-François.

Orphaned at thirteen and exploited for her inheritance, Marguerite and her loyal nurse, Damienne, are forced to join Jean-François on a naval expedition to New France after her property is unjustly sold.

Amidst the journey, Marguerite courageously seeks love in a forbidden romance with Auguste, Jean-François's secretary. When her cousin discovers their relationship, he reacts with fury and coldly abandons them on a remote island, leaving them to confront the brutal elements.

The story unfolds with the intensity of a gripping Survivor episode as they battle for survival, facing challenges from failed gardens to encounters with bears. As the harsh winter sets in, Marguerite taps into an unexpected faith in God, transforming her loss into a powerful feminist reclamation that I couldn't have loved more.

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I haven't met a Jess Kidd book that I haven't loved. This new cozy mystery is the first in the Nora Breen Investigates series and a fun new writerly direction for Jess Kidd fans to follow.

In 1954, Sister Nora Breen's quiet world is upended when her former novice, Frieda Brogan, suddenly stops writing.

Concerned for her friend's safety, Nora leaves her monastery after 30 years and follows Frieda's last known trail to Gull's Nest, a fading seaside boarding house in Gore-on-Sea. Masquerading as a guest, she settles among the eccentric residents, quickly realizing she's not the only one harboring secrets.

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Cast out of the royal court by Eleanor of Aquitaine for being deemed too coarse for marriage, 17-year-old Marie de France is dispatched to England as the new prioress of a struggling abbey, where the nuns are on the brink of starvation and struggling with disease.

Initially stunned by the harsh realities of her new life, Marie quickly finds her purpose and passion among her extraordinary sisters.

As the last in a proud line of women warriors, she is resolute in her mission to carve out a bold and transformative path for the women she leads. In a world that refuses to accept her fully, Marie's vision will be the force that drives them forward.

A restaurant critic joins a search committee to hire the next minister at her Unitarian Universalist church—only to find that faith, like food, is riddled with politics, preference, and personal drama.

Huneven's sly, satirical novel explores what we worship, why, and whether a truly "good" leader can ever please everyone.

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Two Irish sisters—one a nun, the other a mother—are bound by decades-spanning secrets.

This story powerfully details the lives of two sisters who arrived in America in the late fifties. The adventurous sister Theresa fully embraces her newfound freedom, while Nora is promised to a boy she doesn't love.

So, when Theresa unexpectedly becomes pregnant, Nora dutifully takes decisive action to protect her sister's reputation and ensure her nephew is loved and secure.

The narrative boldly explores the past and present, showcasing how each sister's choices lead them down distinct, life-altering paths. As a sudden death pulls the sisters back together, a torrent of family secrets are unleashed.

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Odran's start in the priesthood comes from a devastating and jarring loss when he is young. As his mom leans into her faith, she says God has chosen him for the priesthood and sends him to a seminary, which begins his four-decade journey in the church.

As the Catholic church finds itself embroiled in a sexual abuse scandal, Odran begins to confront haunting memories within his past that force him to ponder in what ways he was a victim or an accomplice.

While the reader waits for the inevitable reveals, Boyne showcases how we may not reckon with our memories until many years later. It's what so many survivors share, and Boyne masterfully examines how those who did nothing are just as guilty as those involved.

This story moved me to tears and ignited a profound anger within me. I firmly consider it one of Boyne's most impactful works.

This book is endlessly discussable and a favorite of our longtime MomAdvice Book Club members.

In the 1980s, Brian confronts fear and discrimination following his AIDS diagnosis, and his return to a conservative Appalachian hometown which Carter paints in an unforgettable portrait of a family in crisis.

This compassionate exploration offers shifting viewpoints in their family, including Brian's mother who is a deeply religious woman struggling to reconcile her faith with Brian's life.

The audiobook experience is exquisite, with a multi-cast narration that perfectly enapsulates this small-town story.

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This soapy drama features Essie a seventeen-year-old daughter of an evangelical preacher navigating a secret pregnancy that threatens to unravel their TV world.

To control the narrative, the family agrees to quickly marry Essie to pass the pregnancy off as a product of their union. As another family is desperately strapped for cash and wants their son to further his education, this large sum is pivotal to their livelihood.

As the readers uncover the mystery behind this pregnancy, they wrestle with how reality TV and a seemingly perfect family can harbor such dark secrets. As Essie isn't the only one hiding a few secrets, I can promise a few reveals to uncover from her betrothed.

This young adult novel powerfully explores the lives of three unlikely friends growing up in the rural South, each battling their own significant challenges.

Dill's father, a Pentecostal preacher renowned for his snake-charming church, becomes embroiled in a town scandal that leaves his family under extreme scrutiny and struggling financially. Travis, fixated on the Bloodfall book series, uses it as an escape from the brutal reality of his abusive father. Lydia, a blogger determined to launch a new life in New York, wrestles with the difficulty of leaving behind the familiar and the people she cares about.

As these three misfits form a bond, they inevitably confront challenges they never anticipated together.

Their friendship story is, ultimately, what launched my love affair with Zentner's storytelling.

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A young nun finds herself reassigned to a halfway house in Rhode Island—and begins to wonder if her life of devotion is a life of avoidance.

Luchette's debut is a collection of quietly painted vignettes of daily life filled with profoundly tender moments and disarming humor. It's a coming-of-faith story as much as a coming-of-age one.

Krueger's beautiful coming-of-age story revolves around a small town and a mysterious series of murders. It was my first introduction to Krueger's storytelling, and I reveled in his finely crafted characters, which made this story read more like a memoir than a piece of fiction.

I was lucky enough to interview William Kent Krueger about this beloved novel. During the interview, he addressed why the spiritual themes were so prevalent in this story.

Krueger stated, "The question of the spiritual journey has been an important one my whole life. I've never felt comfortable about religion, and I've always felt as if I'm on a spiritual pilgrimage to a place that hasn't been revealed to me yet. But what I've seen in life is that we experience the divine every day, in the blessings and graces that we offer one another, in our ordinary kindnesses, in our habitual forgiving. And I wanted that outlook to be at the heart of Ordinary Grace."

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This short story collection explores Black women and girls' intimate and vulnerable experiences as they navigate their desires while seeking moments away from the pressures of being "good." This collection includes nine stories featuring four generations of characters contemplating their identities in the face of the church's double standards.

These church ladies embrace their secret longings, new loves, and forbidden affairs, navigating their vulnerabilities and unfaithfulness to pursue the freedom they deeply desire.

Faith is a masterpiece that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish.

The protagonist, Art, is the apple of his mother's eye and has been dedicated to a life of service to God since childhood. He takes great pride in his work as a priest and is devoted to his church.

Suddenly, he finds himself in the spotlight after being accused of molesting a child he has formed a close relationship with through his work. This accusation leaves him devastated as his life comes under intense scrutiny from the media, fellow church members, other priests, and even his own family.

While some family members support him, others do not. As shocking revelations emerge about his past and relationship with the young boy, readers must examine their own opinions and consider both perspectives as Art's family struggles to cope with the accusations.

Haigh's writing is always vibrant and engaging. The story offers a fresh perspective on the scandal we witnessed in the media, highlighting the idea that every story has two sides.

Sam Hill was born with a rare condition called ocular albinism, which makes him look different from his peers. His red pupils are the subject of ridicule at his Catholic school, and his classmates refer to him as the "Devil Boy" and "Sam Hell." Despite his differences, his mother believes that this is God's will and that this difference makes Sam so extraordinary.

She will stop at nothing to help Sam pave his path in the world and is thrilled when Sam finds his first friend in Ernie, the only African American kid at his school. The two form a fast friendship, and both find the same magnificent friendship in a little girl named Mickie, who is willing to stand up for Sam more than anyone.

The book is told from Sam's adult perspective, now working as an ophthalmologist, and his boyhood journey towards acceptance. Dugoni masterfully brings this coming-of-age story together so beautifully that I reveled in every word.

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Ruby King understands that her mother's story encompasses far more than what is immediately apparent, and her mother's tragic death has propelled Ruby into an even more perilous situation. Fortunately, she has her best friend, Layla, by her side, someone who truly grasps the weight of the events unfolding around them.

However, Layla's father, the church pastor, imposes strict measures, insisting that Layla distance herself from Ruby and her father. They not only refuse to support Ruby in her time of need, but they also willfully ignore the unsettling possibility that Ruby's father may be the murderer.

This troubling reality leads to a compelling question: what is the pastor willing to protect, and at what lengths will he go to shield a man like Ruby's father? It's such a page-turner!

The Red Tent draws inspiration from the Biblical story of Dinah, a character briefly mentioned in the Bible as the daughter of Jacob and sister to his twelve sons.

In the narrative, the red tent is a sacred gathering place for women during their cycles, for childbirth, and when seeking solace in times of illness. This intimate tent becomes a sisterhood where women come together to share their stories and sing songs, creating a safe haven amid their shared lives, represented by the four mothers and wives—Rachel, Leah, Zilpah, and Bilhah.

As we follow Dinah's journey from childhood to womanhood, we see her embrace her calling as a midwife while venturing into a foreign land. The story unfolds beautifully, capturing her evolving awareness of womanhood and the rich traditions that shape her identity.

In 1963, two men are hired to serve a Presbyterian congregation, but they could not be more different. Charles is a Harvard professor-to-be who falls in love with Lily, an intellectual who is firmly opposed to religion.

On the other hand, James has weathered a troubled past and finds hope and faith through Nan, who grew up with a devout minister father. Instead of fully embracing this comforting religious lifestyle, James is passionate about social issues and sees the injustice around him

The contrast between the two couples and the men in leadership creates a compelling narrative. Both are stepping into their roles during a challenging and turbulent time marked by racism and women's rights, which adds depth to the story as we follow the two couples over several decades. This novel, to me, is one of the best fictional books about faith and belonging!

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This story unspools a secret teenage pregnancy that reverberates through a tight-knit Black church community in Southern California.

Nadia enters a romantic relationship with the pastor's son, but their relationship ends when a secret they share becomes the main focus of their lives. Despite this, Nadia continues to hide the secret, even from her closest friend, Aubrey.

She decides to move away to start fresh somewhere new. However, when she returns home, she realizes that her feelings for the man she left still remain. To her surprise, he has moved on and is now in a relationship with her best friend, who is unaware of their past.

Narrated by a Greek chorus of church mothers, this novel explores what we hide, what we carry, and how the community both shelters and stifles.

As a 6-year Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience at Stanford, Gifty studies the neural circuits of depression and addiction in mice to try to understand her brother's addiction to heroin.

Believing in science collides wildly with Gifty's upbringing in an Evangelical Church as she ultimately feels these two journeys cannot coexist, and much of this novel is spent coming to terms with these two versions of herself and how they can work together.

It also offers the reader a critical response from churches in the face of a family's insurmountable grief around addiction. How do we show up for others when facing mental health and addiction challenges in our congregations? What role do therapy and resources play within a church structure? This conversation would be incredibly impactful for a book club.

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Growing up in a religious household, I found Margaret's faith journey so wildly intriguing because she grew up in a non-religious household but felt a personal connection to God. This revelation on faith leads her to explore different religious affiliations and ultimately question the very nature of faith.  

She has cultivated a very special relationship with God. She can talk to God about everything—family and friends, and even share details about her secret crush.

It was a joy to share a movie date with my daughter to watch this adaptation. She spilled a few revelations to me about some of those adolescent moments that became part of her formative memories as well. Judy Blume is doing the Lord's work.

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In this striking debut novel, a Palestinian American woman confronts a school shooter while navigating her faith and identity.

This story firmly centers on Afaf Rahman, the principal of Nurrideen School for Girls in suburban Chicago. When a shooter, radicalized by the online alt-right, attacks the school,she is thrust into a harrowing situation.

As she listens to the chaos unfold, Afaf reflects on her childhood filled with prejudice, her mother's unfulfilled dreams of returning to Palestine, and the devastating disappearance of her older sister.

Through compelling flashbacks, readers gain a profound understanding of the perceptions of Muslims in America and the enduring sense of alienation that many immigrants face, no matter how long they have lived in their adopted communities.

It's been many years since I read this gorgeous novel narrated by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who took his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959.

Kingsolver's narrative makes perfect sense as we uncover Nathan as a physically and emotionally abusive, misogynistic husband and father. Carrying everything they believe they will need from home, they soon discover that all of it—from garden seeds to Scripture—is transformed on African soil.

What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over three decades in postcolonial Africa.

This character-driven novel offers a retelling of the Jesus story from the perspective of a fictitious wife, Ana.

Raised in a wealthy family in Sepphoris, is a fiercely rebellious and ambitious woman with a brilliant mind and an adventurous spirit. Refusing to settle for a life defined by societal constraints, she boldly pursues secret scholarly endeavors and writes about the stories of neglected women.

When she crosses paths with the eighteen-year-old Jesus, their connection ignites a powerful intellectual and emotional awakening in both of them. Their marriage flourishes in Nazareth, where Ana shares a home with Jesus, his brothers James and Simon, and their mother, Mary.

Ana's daring nature often leads her into peril, and she decisively flees Nazareth just before Jesus begins his public ministry. With Yaltha by her side, she journeys to Alexandria, where she claims her refuge and purpose.

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