Customer Reviews

Heavenly Places

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
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Heavenly Places by Kimberly Cash Tate introduces an outwardly strong and confident African American woman, Treva Langston. We soon see that on the inside Treva is broken. That inside soon emerges when her family moves back to her hometown. Her hometown brings about memories of her childhood. Growing up she never felt like her mother loved her. Her husband assures her this is the best move but she has a hard time finding a job. Now she does not know what to do with her time and spending time with their three young daughters does not even cross her mind.

Treva's sister, Jillian, invites her to join in a bible study with a group of stay-at-home mothers. Treva at first refuses because she finds it hard to believe she no long has her high-powered job. Despite her hesitation, she joins in on the group and finds that this is exactly what she needs. The group helps her deal with being a better mother, wife, sister, and daughter.

Tate creates a great combination of a wonderful story and bible study. The main character seemed as if she would never come around. I found myself not liking her much. But as the story went on, Tate made sure that you understood Treva's point of view. You slowly began to love her and root for her to find that heavenly place. Entertaining, inspirational and abundantly filled with the truth of the Word, I definitely recommend this book for a pleasure read or even to read with your own bible study group.

Donnica Copeland
APOOO BookClub
Sista Talk Book Club

I heard good things about this book and knew I needed to check it out for myself - what I found blew me away. Here we have a cast of characters that focuses on Treva, a wife and mother but mainly a career lawyer, who has her world pulled out from underneath her when they make a move for her husband's sake and she can't get her career going again. She is "forced" into a Bible study by her sister with 4 other women who she can't stand, barely tolerates being a mom and resents (and rightfully so) her own mother. Throughout the course of the book we get to sit in on the Bible study of Ephesians (very insightful), deal with many cultural issues (abortion, incest, modesty, career vs. family, etc...) as well as many spiritual issues (forgiveness, our Father's love for us, forgiveness, power of prayer, forgiveness, importance of the Word of God, forgiveness, etc...) and oh, did I mention forgiveness? There are too many things to even point out in a little 'ol review, but I was blessed by reading this book. I highly suggest finding a copy of this for yourself as I will be re-reading this one over and over. It is labeled as "African American Fiction", but I fail to see how the themes of forgiveness and God's love don't speak to everyone. Excellent book!

God's power is utterly amazing, when we allow Him to direct our lives, all things are possible. Treva Langston was living her life to prove a point - that she was worthy. She was a high powered attorney with a prestigious law firm in Chicago. Treva is married to a God fearing professor at the university and mother of two beautiful girls. Against her better judgment, she follows her husband back to where she grew up so he could accept a new position. Moving back home unleashes a string of emotions, reveals self-doubt and forces her to connect with the one person that can turn her heart around - God.

After getting the home unpacked and ready for company, Treva continues her search for a new law firm. She also attempts to reconnect with her family, her mother Patsy who she despises, and her sister Jillian who wants to save her soul. The upheaval in her new world continues to spiral out of control while Hezekiah (her husband) and Darlene (her mother-in-law) remind her that a relationship with God and genuine interest in her family should be the center of her life.

Tate has mastered the craft of storytelling. She painstakingly develops characters, carefully describes settings and emotions while delicately connecting scriptures that will soften any heart. The storyline is engaging, poignant and filled with God's Holy Word. This is a must read for anyone looking for direction, inspiration and loves the Lord. Select this book for your book club, women's group or yourself - we all need God's divine intervention and you may find what you need between the covers of this book.

Deltareviewer
Reviewing for Real Page Turners

As someone who enjoys both bible study and fiction novels, "Heavenly Places" offered a winning combination that kept me wanting more.

The main character, Treva Langston, is beyond complex -- weak, strong, flawed, ideal, broken, whole. Whether you like her or not (at times I didn't), most women will surely relate to her on some level.

Meticulous character development, vivid settings, and intricately woven scripture all made me feel as though I had secretly crept into the world that Kimberly Cash Tate has created -- the proverbial fly on the wall.

If you're looking for a Christian novel that teaches, uplifts, inspires, strengthens and entertains without the forceful yoke of self-help and self-reflection, I would highly recommend "Heavenly Places".

You will be blessed by this novel.

This book was really good. It started a little slow for my personal taste, but once it got going. It was awesome. This is the first Christian fiction novel that made me pick up my bible to look of the scriptures. My book club members were all overwhelmed by the book. It made us want to study the lesson described in the book. I highly recommend this book. We are all waiting for your next book.

Treva Langston is a lot like me. No, I've never been a high-powered lawyer, owned a large ritzy home, purchased designer clothes or counted myself as one of the upper-middle class. No, I'm not a deeply coloured African American woman who struggles with deeply rooted issues concerning her self-worth. But still, I see parts of myself in Treva. Like Treva I experience times when I don't want to cook, don't want to clean, and focus more on my own interests than upon loving my husband and children, though I do all of these things daily. So despite our many differences I feel that Treva - and through her the author whose imagination she sprung from - are my bosom sisters in Christ.

Debut novelist Kimberly Cash Tate took me by surprise with her first entry into the Christian fiction market, Heavenly Places. Tate captured my heart with her richly executed characters and frank, introspective prose. The women she has created are beautiful, flawed, imperfect women of faith who depend upon God to carry them through and heal their wounds. When six of these ladies come together for a study of Ephesians, that's just what He does - shows up and takes control of the steering in each life. While each woman is impacted by God's love and guidance, the tale revolves around Treva who, once revolving only around herself, is experiencing a shift in orbit. God is about to become the center of her universe.

Throughout their time together in God's word and by lifting each other before the throne of grace, each woman experiences God at work in her life. There is no doubt - these women can pray! One of my favourite aspects of the book is the impassioned, authentic prayer that pours from the hearts of these women. After reading this title, women will be longing to find a vibrant, tightly knit women's Bible study modeled after the inspiring example presented. I'd be ready to sign up today!

The only low-point worth mentioning are the cathartic scenes of emotional healing that occur at each Bible study. While moving, the manner in which the women fly to each other in tears time and time again does become somewhat repetitive by the book's end. I would have appreciated a greater diversity of reactions and description, but this repetition does little to detract from the novel's merits.

Healing past wounds, reconciling family members, bringing people to Jesus and a good dose of personal conviction - God is all over this book. As He takes these situations in hand, readers experience joy, heartache, sorrow, regret, cozy familial love, freedom and the ecstasy of being in God's will. To think, Tate accomplished all this in the hours before her children rose in the morning and entered their busy homeschooling schedule. I'm impressed - Heavenly Places is the best women's fiction I've read this year. I highly recommend it. Kimberly Cash Tate is an author to watch. I hope she puts pen to paper time and time again, crafting more stories for God's glory.

Heavenly Places by Kimberly Cash Tate is a powerful novel of the lies that we can believe about howselves and how that separates us from God. Treva Langston looks like she has it all from the outside. Career as a high-priced attorney, married to a handsome college professor, Hezekiah, three beautiful daughters named Faith, Joy, and Hope. But when her husband gets a job near Washington DC, it means giving up the job she loves and returning to the place where she grew up. Treva's entire life and self-esteem is shaken when after moving to DC, she can't find a job and ends up home every day. Her sister, Jillian, invites her to participate in a Bible study with some other women, and while she initially fights it with every fiber of her stubborn being, she keeps attending class after class until the truth of God's love starts to sink into her soul. Treva's mother, Patsy, does all she can to shatter Treva's newfound sense of balance by reminding her that because of her dark skin, she is not beautiful, and therefore her only value is in having a career. Tate shines in her debut novel in portraying a woman who insists on living her life on her terms and ends up having to face God on His. Treva is a delicate character, so wrapped up in her own problems and hurt that she doesn't notice anyone else's pain, but Tate makes her sympathetic and entirely likeable. Her growth throughout the book is visible, though never forced. Much of the book focuses on a Bible study of the book of Ephesians, and Tate teaches an amazing class about the gifts that God has given us in His love, and the promises He's made. As Treva learns about God's love, the reader can't help but do the same. Inspiring, moving, and fascinating, it's a terrific first novel!

Treva Langston had the perfect life. That is until she loses her job and her husband informs her that they are moving. And unfortunately for Treva, the move is to a neighborhood that doesn't quite meet her bourgeois standards.

Feeling that her life really has no purpose now, Treva wallows in a vat of self-pity and it seems as if nothing will snap her out of her funk. Hoping to accomplish what seems like an insurmountable task, Treva's sister Jillian invites her to join her women's Bible study group. Even though she doesn't want to, Treva reluctantly joins in. As the group continues to meet and grow spiritually, so does Treva, preparing her to face some harsh truths that will test the limits of her faith.

I have read hundreds, if not thousands, of books during my lifetime. But never has a book, outside of the Bible, affected me as much as Heavenly Places did. I hated Treva's character at first, and almost gave up on reading this book. But I was convicted within my spirit to keep reading, and I am so glad I did. The message in this book is so powerful that I was moved to tears many times and compelled me to both reassess my priorities in life and immerse myself deeper into God's Word.

This novel, which quickly became one of top five all time favorite reads, is a must read for everyone. Whether your life is in shambles or it is going good and you have no complaints, there is a message, a vital message that you can take away from it.

Renee Williams, All the Buzz

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved; ) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2: 4-7 KJV)

Treva Langston is a woman who struggles with her self-image. She has difficulty grasping the fact that she is fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of Christ. Treva has believed the lies of racism taught to her by her own mother, and it has stolen the joy of her salvation - the joy of living period. But God, in His mercy, blessed Treva with a man who was strong in his own faith, and because he was a faithful witness and prayer warrior, God honored their marriage with three beautiful daughters. Again, Treva is blind to her blessings even though they surround her every single day.

It takes moving from Chicago to D.C. - back to her hometown where her sister, her mother and her in-laws live - losing her job, and meeting a group of strangers for a Bible study to start Treva down a path to healing and wholeness. Kimberly Cash Tate has written a book that chronicles the journey all of us take to understand how precious we are in the eyes of our Father. For some of us, the road is long and pain-filled. For others, their faith journey is one of confidence and intercession on others' behalf. Heavenly Places brings a host of very real people together to share many life-changing truths. I cannot recommend this book enough! This may be Kimberly Cash Tate's first novel, but I'm certain in won't be her last! Don't miss this incredible story!!

I've always been an avid reader, so once I began to explore my spirituality I turned to Christian fiction. I love stories that have a purpose and a connection to God. Lately, however, I've been yearning for something deeper than the standard Christian fare. That's why I'm so excited about Heavenly Places. This book went way beyond my expectations. From the first few lines in the "Foreword," I knew this book would be special. Once I began the story itself, it kept me glued to the pages as I first judged, then sympathized, then empathized with the main character, Treva. It made me laugh as I celebrated with the women's bible study group and cry as each layer of a character's past (and present) pain was unraveled. It also made me yearn to get into my bible more and have the intimate experience that was so superbly detailed in the book. It also connected me to some of the issues from my past relating to skin color and self-esteem while also allowing me to understand and accept how each person's Christian journey is different and designed just for them. It's amazing that one book could do so much - - but this book did. I encourage everyone to read it, think about it deeply, and share it with a friend. I guaranteed that you will be uplifted, enlightened, and blessed! Thank you Kim Cash Tate for sharing this story with the world. I can't wait to read your next novel!