Rating: 
Summary: Evocative and tragic but climax is cobbled. . .
Review: Sherri Reynolds has depicted the longing and passion of the southern religious girl's first love, and has delicately painted a picture Neneh and her young lover James. In the context of her grandfather's abusive and prohibitive semi-baptist cult, we are helped to love those who perpetrate and collaborate with his crimes, seeing their confusion and weakness. There is a death here, which amounts almost to murder, yet there is no truth-telling in The Church of Fire and Brimstone. Neneh weaves tapestries of her thoughts, loves and hates, yet nowhere does Reynolds address the fundamental immorality of her favored characters, including Neneh's grandmother. If Ms. Reynolds were to reflect on the tragedy of the burying of truth, the novel would be deep, and relevant to our times. Instead, she cobbles together a climax and denoument designed to anesthetize and provoke us to forgive, as if the grandmother's loyalty to her husband excuses all. The novel, craftily done and passionately rendered, nevertheless fails to live up to the promise of its beginnings, with its masterful renderings of the tragic love affair between Neneh and James. At the end, blood cries out from the soil for judgment and truth, and Ms. Reynolds takes us to a dreamy never never land. I cried for the loss of one so innocent as the plot progressed, and was dismayed to find the novel falling short of the standards of Nuremburg, even while these same moral issues had self-consciously been raised
Rating: 
Summary: The Rapture of Canaan is a spiritual adventure.
Review: The Rapture of Canaan was a difficult book for me to start reading because it is a novel about religion. That is a subject I have tried to stay away from since growing up down South. In the South, there is a church on almost every corner. The Rapture of Canaan reminds me of some of the churches my parents forced me to go to as a child. At the Queen St. Baptist Church, my brother and I sang in the choir and were constantly reminded that God was going to get us. The Church of Fire and Brimstone was like Queen St. Baptist Church. Everyone praises the pastor and tries to live up to his standards rather than God's. The novel is well written and Sheri Reynolds'
characters are so life-like they are like old friends and enemies. If it weren't for my macho man attitude, I would have cried for Canaan who was born with his hands together as if he were praying
Rating:
Summary: A touching story, incredible writing!
Review: I finished "The Rapture of Canaan" in a span of only 24 hours - between chasing after and playing with my 12-month old daughter and nine hours of work. I absolutely could not put this book down! Sheri Reynolds successfully, in her second novel no less, weaves these characters into your heart; the way Ninah could weave her despair and her joys into her loomed rugs. "The Rapture of Canaan" is a refreshing, reaffirming and touching novel which I highly recommend to everyone
Rating:
Summary: A very unique tale, beautifully woven...
Review: As Sheri Reynolds weaves her story I found myself getting very intensly involved in the plot, at times not knowing which way it was going to turn. She left me, feeling angry, sad, full of tears and laughter at the events that took place in the little corner of life she exposes. She definately put together a wonderful piece of fiction. It's the first time I have read a book by her and will look into others
Rating:
Summary: Rapture in more ways than one
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Sheri Reynolds' first book Bitteroot Landing and so I was extremely excited to find her second novel. I was not one bit disappointed. While teh rapture disclosed in the final pages of the novel strays far from the rapture I experienced, the reading entranced me--I could not put the book down. Anyone interested in contemporary fiction or Southern issues should eat this up
Rating:
Summary: A vivid and engaging read
Review: There aren't enough good words to describe The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds. This is the story of Ninah, grandchild to the founder of a radical church called "The Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's Almighty Baptizing Wind." The church strictly forbids fornication, lying, or any other type of sin, real or imagined, that you can think of. Some of Grandpa Herman's punishments for sin include hefty donations to the church, putting nettles in one's bed, or even sleeping in an open grave. For young Ninah all these punishments and threats of damnation are terrifying for a girl who is coming of age and discovering feelings for the opposite sex. The object of her desire takes the shape of her prayer partner, James. The events that follow will change Ninah's life, as well as the lives of those around her. Reynolds' portrayal of James and Ninah is charming, warm, witty, and tragic, all rolled into one. The southern flavor of the book only adds to the delicious atmosphere. I found all of the characters to be very believable and important to the overall story. Great characterization and a thick plot can be hard to come by at times, yet Reynolds executes it perfectly. Sheri Reynolds has me hooked with The Rapture of Canaan and I can't wait to read more of her work. This book will capture your heart.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfull!
Review: Some have called this book "unrealistic" in its portrayal of the "Fire and Brimstone" religious community. But those who have have not experienced that type of community, for they do exist. This book richly captured that atmosphere and the turmoil that occurs while living within it, especially for a growing young girl. The rediscovery of the true heart of religion and God, and the importance of understanding His unconditional grace and mercy. This book gave me a greater appreciation and understanding for the love and forgiveness I have and the life that is behind. It is a wonderfully captivating read and, if you have an open and willing heart, you will not go away unchanged.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful story of a girl raised within a cult-like lifestyle
Review: The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds is a powerful and startling novel about cult-like lifestyle and the naivety that goes with the minds of the people within. The story is interwoven with fanatical faith, religion, fear, sadness, life and death - all the makings of a cult-like lifestyle and how it affects those in which it governs. Mesmerizing, intriguing, and a true page-turner, this "realistic" tale expresses the all-encompassing love for Jesus and the trials of a girl finding her place in life. A must read, Fantastic story! Compares to: "Memoriors of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden, "I Know This Much is True" by Wally Lamb, "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood: A Novel" by Rebecca Wells; "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb, and "When It Rains" by Marjorie Spoto. "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Tracy Chevalier, and "Mystic River" by Dennis Lehane. A Must Read.
Rating: 
Summary: what happened to the ending?
Review: The picture that Reynolds painted of religious tabacco country was pleasing to read. While the characters were not very deep, they underscored the righteous fury they must have contained within themselves. I wish there would have been more to the ending. The book's symbolism (Ninah's Mary and Canaan's Christ) were thought-provoking, but the ending just...hung. What about the predictable power struggle? How would Laura feel about Ninah's promise to Canaan? How does Nanna handle her husband's inevitable demise? I just did not feel this story had a satisfactory climax.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping read!
Review: The beginning of the story begins in a way that will bring you into the community in which the young character lives. The story continues with beautiful substance including consistent, beautiful metaphors. It's the kind of book that you definitely find yourself reading again and again.
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