Customer Reviews

Saved Folk in the House

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

"Saved Folks in the House" by Sonnie Beverly is three-story compilation/novel based on a very strong story concept of following three women's lives who are all connected to the same set of family and friends in their extended village as they learn to draw on faith and spiritual strength. The execution of the story, however, was inconsistent for this reader. Generally a very fast reader, it took me a while to get through this book due to the underdeveloped characters and dialogue. After reading the reviews and synopsis of this novel, I was really excited about receiving this book and eagerly delving into reading it. This was squelched quickly, however, as the writing was extremely simplistic and less than fulfilling.

The first of the three stories centers on Zakia, who despite having attained success in family and marriage, still feels emotionally empty. She searches for fulfillment in many things including travel and redecorating her home until she finds solace in a new church. Her solace, however, wreaks havoc in her relationships and career. Zakia is faced with balancing her new found spirituality with her daily life.

In the second story, Nikki moves away from everyone she knows after finding spiritual fulfillment in a television ministry. After relocating to the city where the church is located, everything starts to fall in place for Nikki and her children. In this section we see where faith in action leads.

The final story is described as focusing on LaKisha, a young member of the village who is living with her grandmother as her Mom ran into legal trouble and has been incarcerated. LaKisha shows all the knocks that come from a challenging upbringing. Although this is advertised as LaKisha's story, it is really the story of the children of all of the different "village" members including Zakia and Nikki introduced earlier in the book.

The three stories conclude with a bit of a perplexing and rapid conclusion.

This was one of those I just wanted to finish. Good thing because the author had a great story going then, all of a sudden, everything wrapped up nice and tidy in a paragraph. I never felt like I got to know the characters.

I was disappointed as I enjoy Christ-based authors and their characters. This was not an interesting book.

I picked up this book b/c of the Christian aspect, but this was not a good book. I felt the book did not flow well. Everything had a "see Jane run. See Jane feed dog" elementary style to it.

The way the author went through periods of the characters' lives made the book seem rushed. On this page, Zakia is in high school...next page, graduating from college. Just too rushed and everything was in a place.

On to the Christian aspects, I'm a Christian and I love the Lord, but I never felt that the book contained the message of Jesus Christ. Sure, there was a lot of church references and things in there, but I never got behind the author and said "tell it! or Amen!" The speaking in tongues situation was just crazy. As a reviewer below states, there is a time and place for everything and if Ms. Zakia attended my church and went around bragging that speaking in tongues got her out of a ticket, she would get a talking to.

The way the main character neglected her family and didn't work on her marriage, etc, just seemed so contradictory. She didn't shed a tear about her marriage, she didn't have conversations with her kids about it, she selfishly didn't introduce her firstborn to his father til near the end, etc.

The stories were weak and one-dimensional. Oh, and the out of left field middle section of the book--with a whole new character that I didn't know existed? I SKIPPED THAT ENTIRE SECTION...WHICH HAD TO BE 100 PAGES.

The first half of Saved Folks in the House is wonderful. It tells Zakia's story. Zakia is a young black woman in a modern world who grew up in a part of Richmond, Virginia called The Village. Her mother has very high expectations and accepts no excuses.

In high school, Zakia had good grades and was popular. Friends of her twin brother Zachary helped her steer through understanding boyfriends. In college, life was different, with temptations of all kinds: drugs, alcohol and sex. This part of the book looks into all the peer pressure, challenges and decisions that everyone faces.

Zakia hung tough for as long as she could but then she fell in love with Malik. She ended up pregnant but graduated with honors. She moved back home to raise her son without Malik. Life was full of challenges but then she marries. After years of a great life, she started to feel a hole in her life--an emptiness.

Then she discovers a church that answers all her spiritual needs. She is reborn and becomes consumed with church life and converting the world. Her enthusiasm and pushing her beliefs alienate everyone. After her husband leaves, she eventually she learns to balance her faith in her life.

The second half of the book is Nikki's story. This part seems very unrealistic. Nikki and her children have a strong faith in God, which is admirable. Because of this faith, she has no real challenges, problems, or hardships. She moves to Atlanta with her children and finds a wonderful apartment. She seems to have no problem affording anything while being unemployed and a single mother.

Everyone and everything is wonderful. She wants to get a job at her new church so she gets it. No temptations or hardships are presented, and life is wonderful. The "If you believe everything is perfect" just a little too unbelievable.

Maybe the author should have stopped with Zakia. It was very inspirational and demonstrated with life's challenges and temptations, that there are consequences and then how to deal with those consequences as well as how faith can help get us through these events in our life.

Armchair Interviews says: Zaki's character was real; her inspiration and how she dealt with life's challenges were well written in Saved Folks in the House.

Okay. Here we go again with someone's opinion about what it takes to be "saved." Saved from what??? The message that the author threw out about why she didn't get the speeding ticket was that because she was speaking in tongues. However, the Bible says to obey the laws of the land. When we disobey the laws of the land, we disobey the word of God. So please don't speed. There's a time and place for tongues. The life you save might be your own. Okay. With that said, I'll move on.

I did not like the way the story was written -- junior high style. Editing was poor. Tenses were changing -- sometimes in the same sentence. Things went from one extreme to another without detailed explanation. Zakia and Jay could have been a beautiful story if written by a seasoned author. Nikki's testimony should have been kept as a separate book, but her life was too neatly packaged, void of passion (struggle). To say the least, I was really disappointed with this read.

I did like what the author stated on page 99, "sold-out-for-Jesus . . . tolerant of others." Also, it takes more than repeating the so-called "sinner's prayer" to make it in the kingdom of God. You have to live a Holy life. There aren't gonna be as many people as the church world thinks that gonna make it in.

If this story had stayed focused throughout on Zakia and Jay and with better writing, flow and editing, this could've been an entertaining read. The SmithScale gives this a 1.9.

There are three interesting stories filled with characters that you won't be able to forget. She cleverly mixes characters from one section to the next. By the time you get to part three, you feel like you're part of a family reunion.

Part One "Saved Babies' Daddies" tells Zakia Wilke's story. We watch her grow from a young child to a woman who aspires to be a virtuous woman. When she accepts Christ in her life, she feels a new zeal for life. Although spiritually she's found what she's looking for, she neglects other areas of her life. Her story shows the growth of a new born Christian to one that fully understands God's plans for ones life.

Part Two "Real Saved Folk" main setting is Georgia. Nikki Riley, Zakia's childhood friend, relocates there with her children. Divorced and needing a change of scenery, Nikki feels that the move was what she needed. She immediately finds her a church home. She befriends several people, but one of the friends becomes jealous of her without her knowing. Nikki's life reflects the results of being dedicated and obedient to God.

The last story "Out of the Mouth of Saved Babes" shows that being a Christian is not limited to adults. LaKisha has gone through many things for such a young age. Growing up in her grandparents household and having other young Christians around her help LaKisha make smarter decisions in her life.

this book is defintely a page turner... this is an awesome work of God... keep up the good work and im hoping that i will be blessed by this author again!!!!!!!

SAVED FOLK IN THE HOUSE by Sonnie Beverly is a compilation of three stories about faith in a small Richmond, Virginia community that supports the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child." In Part One, "Saved Babies' Daddies," Zakia Wilkes has a child from a previous relationship, a great career, a new husband and a huge void in her life. That void is
instantly filled when she finds solace in the church; however, this new found salvation threatens to undermine her marriage. In Part Two, "RealSaved Folks," Nikki Riley, a saved, newly divorced mother of three moves her entire family from Virginia to Atlanta. While in Atlanta, Nikki races to a church she's seen only on television and into a new life that presents many challenges and conflicts that will test her faith. In Part Three, "Out of the Mouths of Saved Babes," God works through the younger children in the community to show that His saving grace and strength is not just for adults only.

Sonnie Beverly has put together an outstanding collage of stories that really display how God's blessings can have far-reaching and cleansing effects on a community. Ms. Beverly also showed how a good godly foundation and faith can support a family throughout many generations. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and I was particularly impressed with her demonstrating how God can even work through and with children. While I would have preferred one complete novel versus the short story format, each story had a distinctly different message, but were tied together through the many recurring characters who served as the common thread for all three stories. Although I was reading an advance reading copy, there were a few grammatical and typographical errors that I hope went through further editing before publishing.

Reviewed by Brenda M. Lisbon
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Once you are saved you allow the Spirit to indwell in you. I have never heard of such nonsense as a person get saved and then goes to a back room to receive utterance. Also speaking tongues is useless if it is not understood by another person, it doesn't do anything to build up the body of Christ if no one interprets it and tells others what the person is saying. The first time I read this book I was impressed and disappointed at the abrupt ending...however, the second go round after much meditation and prayer, I realize that this process isn't something that is based off of biblical knowledge. In 1 Corinthians 14:6-12 states "Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 7) Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how eill anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8) Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9) So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will be speaking into the air. 10) Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11) If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. 12) So it is with you since you are eager to have spirtual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

In this same chapeter it goes on to say that if anyone who does speak tongue they shoud pray for interpretation so their mind will be fruitful. Therefore, the author states that this is Zakia's power, but this is not true...a person praying in any language to God can release power in their prayer simply through their belief and fervency. I too have been pulled over by cops and I didn't have to utter tongues to pray to God. He heard me just as I was because I was speaking to him with an open heart. This author needs to study the word before confusing masses of people with unsaid truths. Study and show thyself approved!

This book was not good. The writing and the story was all over the place. It was rather boring and felt a bit preachy. I enjoy reading Christian Fiction ( in fact thats all i read), however, the dialouge felt unrealistic and preachy, as did the characters. I never felt a connection to them.

I tried so hard to finish this for my book club, but I had to put it down- it was to painful