Customer Reviews

Keeping Misery Company (Urban Christian)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ruth Wilcox has just ushered her youngest child off to college and is now ready to focus on her life and marriage. Her husband, Daniel, has been keeping long work hours and staying out late at night hanging with his single brother. She hates to think the worst, until the evidence of an affair is too strong to ignore. Being the daughter of the pastor of one of the most prominent churches in Chicago, the embarrassment of a divorce is something she wants to avoid, but Daniel has moved on with his life and is not open to reconciling.

Another reason for Ruth's reluctance to divorce Daniel is her mother's reaction to the drama it will bring to the church and the first family. Queen Esther Clayton has ruled the lives of her husband and children for the sake of keeping up appearances. She turned her back on her son, Ezra's homosexual lifestyle and addiction to drugs, and she encouraged her husband to do the same. Now, Ezra is dying and Ruth has invited him to her home to live out his final days. The results are the revelation of long-held secrets, the purging of past hurts, and the strengthening of familial love.

KEEPING MISERY COMPANY is a touching, spiritual and intimate look into the heart of family. While coming together in times of crisis, the family was reminded of their loves, their losses and their lives. Restoration and redemption is the overall theme of the book. Falling in the category of Christian fiction, the tone was more liberal than most books in the Christian fiction genre and the issues are very real ones with which Christians often struggle. KEEPING MISERY COMPANY comes highly recommended.

Reviewed by Paula Henderson
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

This has got to be one of the best Christian Urban fiction novels I have ever read. Keeping Misery Company by Michelle Larks is mind-blowing, compelling and a gripping tale, reaching such levels of intensity that I could actually feel the characters in this novel.

The storyline is great, the character development is on point, and the scenes feel like something from a Tyler Perry movie. Bishop and Queen Clayton are trying to raise a well-bred Christian family. They are running a well-founded ministry and trying to keep their families secrets just that, a secret. But it seems like time has run out for them when the prodigal son reappears, with a deadly secret of his own.

Ruth Wilcox, the daughter of the Claytons', has run into some family problems of her own, mainly the demise of her thirty-five year old marriage. Trying to keep up with the times, and not allowing menopause to slow her down, Ruth is in for a surprise when Daniel decides he has other things on his mind than reconciliation. Can this family pull together and face their adversaries? Will the walls come crumbling down on this well-loved Christian family?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about this family, their struggles with their faith, love and guidance. The love that was shared throughout this story was very real, and touching, with twists and turns that made me forget it was a Christian fiction book. There is scandal in the pulpit! It did not take away from the storyline, but I would be remiss if I did not mention that I read from an advanced reading copy, and there were a few missed words, and some misspellings that I hope the editor or author catches before the book goes to final print. I would recommend this book to everyone, not just Christian fiction readers, but readers who believe in faith, praying, and blessings.

Reviewed by: Cheryl H
APOOO BookClub

God never put more on you than you can bear and Ruth is holding God to His Word. Ruth has lived her entire life in the shadow of her parents, Bishop and Queen Esther, as the poster child of Preachers kids. After over 30 years of marriage, she realizes that her husband was stepping out on her. Ruth woke up from the haze that had become her life to realize that life threw her a drastic curve ball.

Keep Misery Company is an exceptional read. The storyline is full of twists and turns while dealing with everyday issues - homosexuality/AIDS, forgiveness, teen pregnancy, adultery, homelessness, and drama in the church. The character development is on point as the reader can easily relate with the realistic characters. Keeping Misery Company was a combination of The Color Purple and Diary of a Mad Black Women - running the emotional gamut while illustrating God's ultimate sacrifice. Definitely one of the BEST and ORGINAL CHRISTIAN FICTION books this year!

Deltareviewer
Reviewing for Real Page Turners

Ruth and Daniel Wilcox were your typical married couple. They were married for 35 years and had three children. Unbeknownst to Ruth, Daniel had a wondering "eye" for the ladies. He had been seeing someone else for years. When things started to dwindle between him and Ruth, he started to hang out more with his brother Fred, who was a womanizer. One night, Daniel didn't come home until the next day. All hell broke loose because he had another woman's scent on him. Daniel did not hide the fact that he wasn't happily married anymore. Things started to move quickly in Ruth's life. She was a minister's daughter and she was firmly placed in the church. But her life was spinning out of control. Her estranged brother Ezra had came back into her life, but only for a short time. Ezra had AIDS, and he lived an alternative lifestyle which his parents did not approve of. It was time for Ruth to gain the strength that God had given her. She had reconciled with her brother in his last days and everything was going well until a dark secret came to light.

Meanwhile, Daniel had it made. He was in love with his mistress Lenora who had plans of her own. Once Ruth and Daniel's divorce was finalized, Lenora thought it was time for her to become the next Mrs. Wilcox and she did....THE NEXT DAY!!! This information crushed Ruth and her children, because not only was Daniel married, but he had became a father again to his and Lenora's son. As Ezra's time on earth became shorter and shorter, he made peace with his family including his parents. When Daniel finally had the courage to talk to Ruth about the events that had happened in his life, she only made one comment. "What goes around comes around, and Daniel, your time is coming." Daniel will soon learn that you reap what you sow, and he will pay the ultimate price. Ruth will learn that God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.

Michelle Larks did an outstanding job when she created Keeping Misery Company. I enjoyed how she tied the plot in with the day to day family drama. The novel was free flowing, never missing a step. You could feel the pain and suffering that each character had to endure. There was never a time while reading this book that you would lose your way or get confused about anything. This is the first Christian fiction book Ms. Larks has written, and she's done an exceptional job. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone that loves Christian Fiction.

Reviewed by Jackie
for Urban Reviews

Keeping Misery Company is an accurate account of everyday life both inside and outside of the church. At first glance, the Claytons appear to be the perfect first family, but readers will soon find out things aren't always as they appear.

Ruth, Daniel, Bishop, and Queen as well as the other characters, all have real stories and secrets everyone can identify with. I found myself evaluating my own life and how I respond to the dark spots in my family.

Michelle Larks has penned a powerful story of forgiveness, reconcilation, and redemption as well as reaping what one has sown. I strongly recommend this book to everyone struggling with forgiveness, especially Christians.

I literally read this book in one day, I had to find out what happened at the end. Ruth and Daniel are in a marriage falling apart, they even sleep in different rooms. Daniel has had affairs throughout the marriage but finds what he thinks is someone that he can't get enough in his much younger mistress (Lenora).

What I liked about this book is how the author dealt with adultery, reaping what you sow, breaking out of traditional religion, forgiving and loving others no matter what. She deals with homosexuality in the church, hypocrisy, lying, judging, gossping, etc. You root for Ruth throughout the book, the only thing I wish is that Ruth would have found a man who is willing to love her for her. I also liked how she tackled all of these delicate issues an a way to keep you interested and she didn't appear preachy it was real.

It is an excellent read and overall inspiring. It will force you to check your own walk with Christ to make sure you are on track.

Daniel, what can I say? The PLAYER got played. He thought the grass was greener on the other side. Lenora played her cards right to rope him in. Daniel fail for it, in the end he paid dearly. This was a good read because I was on an emotional roller right along with it. Ruth, was hurt in the beginning but I noticed the divorced EMPOWERED her. She loved helping people and she did get caught up! Daniel shoud've stuck by her side, he would've been alot happier in the end. He went and started a new life at 57 with a women 29 younger than him, and 4 yrs younger than his eldest child. Did he really think he could keep her happy? Did he really think they had alot in common? He noticed early on the only thing Lenora had on Ruth was sex. The book was very touching! I liked how the family came together in the midst of all the drama. The death of Ezra really touched me. In the end that's what messed everything up. Like my grandmother always say "There no fool, like an old fool."

This was a great read. This book showed how a Christian family has secrets just as any other family and how they struggled to deal with their own family issues. Just because you are of Christ does not mean that you are not challenged. In this book it shows that sometimes Christians are challenged just as much or if not more than the average person. The author touched on many subjects that go in all families....secrets,Divorce, church, molestation, how family can turn their back on you when you do not conform to what they believe in, and struggles with personal identity. This book also revealed that sometimes what we think may be better for us isn't and that very thing can cause us more harm than good. This was a great book.

Keeping Misery Company- opened with a wife "Ruth Wilcox" who appeared to be a housewife who was going through a rough time with menopause. Ruth husband removed his self from the couple's bedroom, two years prior to his own room. The introduction of the story introduced "Bishop" Reverend Isaiah Clayton" and his wife "Queen Esther" who was Ruth's parents, they were also main characters of the book.

The great tale of this story is where Daniel Wilcox, leave his wife for a younger woman. Lenora the eye candy he so desperately desire and threw away over 30 years of marriage, turns his world inside out. Leaving him wondering on what he could have possibly been thinking leaving his wife, a woman who dedicated her life to him and raised their children.

Ruth being the honorable wife wanted her marriage to continue forth. The only thing she would not allow was the idea of her husband staying away all night and coming home smelling of sex from another woman. Terrible as it was Ruth dismiss her husband from their home.

The couple's children, who were now grown, were torn with the break up of their parents. Daniel Jr. being of sound mind- knew his father was being unfaithful. Sarah and Naomi later confronted their father, however he refuse to admit that was the cause for the end of his marriage, which they will learn later learn in a dramatic way as the story unfold.

Ruth childhood consist of a brother who engaged in sexual activities within his own sex, as the truth came to light to his parents where were all about the Church, they turned their backs on their son and allowed him, to go out in the world to fulfill his desire. They were deeply ashamed of anything that tarnished the family name.

With Ruth going through all she was going through she decided she wanted to go find the brother she stopped interacting with and found out news that added to the tragedy that was already unfolding. Ruth being the child of God, and the Saint she was born to be, decided she wanted to extend her hand to her brother, regardless of the family name.

With confiding in her brother Ruth reveal a well hidden family secret, that becomes a great turmoil in everyone's life. The latest development compiles with the other miserable news, however the ironic thing about this secret that was shared amongst 4 people, unfolded where the secret holders were keeping secrets about the secret from each other.



The Author Michelle Larks- introduce her readers to topics that have concerned many women for years. The awful curse of menopause that women go through and dealing with the family life as though nothing is wrong. Keeping up your appearance, trying to control the weight gain along with trying to remain attractive in the eyes of a man who clearly don't have anymore interest. Keeping the family going through one disaster after another.

The Author introduces the subject of AIDS and dying. The transition from life to death between the patient and the family amongst many other topics that will be of great interest.

Recommendation:

The Book Swop- Book Review would like to recommend this book as a best seller. The book has the best chances of becoming a great screen play, or better yet a great movie. The Author did justice, from the time she started the story to the way the story unfold with the many twist and turns. Granted news of Naomi was a bit much for how can one get past that, it was still a great twist.

As the story unfolds, you can not resist feeling like "the fly on the wall". You will be in suspense after reading this book



Review by: Feleshia R. Mahoney-Thomas

This book was a great read, recommended it to several friends and colleagues, male and female and all love it. About the middle of the book you will find it hard to put done.