Rating: 
Summary: rush to the finish
Review: The first 80% of this novel is stellar. However, I felt that Ms. Reynolds rushed to tie up all of the loose ends in the last 20% of the book. The result is an end package that is not neatly tied. I was very disappointed by the ending.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Read
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It gave a glimpse of religious enthusiasm that I have never experienced before. I highly recommend it for those of you who are curious about this. It also offers a great coming-of-age story.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting read, but disappointing ending...
Review: This is the first book by Sheri Reynolds that I have read and I picked it up on a whim because a woman passing by me mentioned to her friend that she loved it. Although the metaphors and symbolism are entertaining, "The Rapture Of Canaan" did not leave me spell bound. The tale of a Christian cult somewhere in the Deep South with a typical evil minister/grandfather and the star crossed lovers Ninah and James was interesting enough but to be honest with you, I never really grew to care about these characters. When I came to the last page knowing that there was an afterword I was relieved because I thought the afterword would contain more about what happened. The ending left no sense of closure for me....
Rating:
Summary: Washed in the Blood
Review: You get caught up in Ninah's plight pretty quickly. You begin to understand her upsidedown world. Yes, there is a literary way to interpret this book, but read it for the sheer pleasure of getting to know people who do not share your view of God, whose views of God are so extreme as to seem barbaric or savage, certainly primitive. But they are as human as you or I, have the same dilemmas, pettiness, moral failings. A beautiful, beautiful book, and a great, great read. Oprah got it right this time.
Rating:
Summary: So good...
Review: This is such a good book. It's amazing how you can put yourself in someone elses shoes, even though they are so different from your own. This book does it. Oprah, be proud!
Rating: 
Summary: Life under a benevolent dictator
Review: I really like the way Sheri Reynolds imagines life in what amounts to a cult. Ninah and her extended family live and work and worship on vast fields owned by the Church of Fire and Brimstone in an un-named southern state. The Church of Fire and Brimstone is more than a religous right splinter group--it is an all out cult.The family weaves religion into every part of life, be it meal time, work time or even play time (what little there is of that.) Reynolds portrays endless praying and the endless seeking of signs in every event. If a couple experiences a stillbirth--it is the judgment of God upon their sins. If the larder is empty--God has chosen to punish the flock etc. The patriarch of Ninah's extended family is Grandpa Herman. What an interesting character. There are times when the reader feels the utmost contempt for the sanctimonious and hurtful ways of this man. Grandpa Herman apparently has the ear of God and gets direct messages. Therefore, it is for Grandpa Herman to determine the way the commune lives its collected and individual lives. Grandpa Herman metes out Biblical law and likewise metes out the daily sustanance (or lack thereof). Grandpa Herman can make a family member sleep in a recently dug freezing grave or he can have the whole community sit down to a dinner of empty plates. But Grandpa Herman loves his flock. He is a man who is dealing with inner turmoil himself. He does not wish for bad or hurtful things to torment his family. In fact, he erects all sorts of barriers to protect his flock from the outside world. Of course, folks will be folks and Grandpa Herman cannot just ban the temptations of mankind and make it stick. Like any other people, the congregation of the Church of Fire and Brimstone seek solace in sex, drink, laughter, music etc. As Grandpa Herman's health fails he loses control of his community. People stop showing up for the services. Women cut their hair. Ninah has a baby out of wedlock. In short all hell breaks loose--or so it seems to this community. The climax is pretty intense as the community believes that Grandpa Herman has been raptured and they have all been left behind due to their sinful nature. The reactions of the various members of the community show that religous convictions run deep and can manifest themselves in disturbing ways.
Rating:
Summary: Religious Background
Review: I just loved this book. Because of my very religious upbringing, I had a lot of hostility or resentment. I really connected with this story and after reading it was able to let a lot of negative energy go. I felt like I was not the only one.
This selection was great reading for enjoyment.
Rating:
Summary: Holy cow!
Review: Life in the Bible belt... Always seems to be some kind of curiosity emerging from it--- but none could possibly match the curiosity of The Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's Almighty Baptizing Wind. The Church was founded because the members of its community were seeking a wholesome, conservative group. More conservative than the Southern Baptists, or the Pentecostal church, The Church of Fire and Brimstone is a breed of ultra-conservative Protestantism. In a select and sequestered community, that is bound to cause some issue. Enter Ninah, a young woman in the community, born with the need to question and a strong will. Complicate things by making her the founder of the church's granddaughter, and you've got cause for some trouble. Enter into the warped world of the church. Reynolds creates a setting so real you truly feel as though you are inside the compound. Reynolds captures her characters in a striking manner. Each character is different, but you will form a bond of your own with them. Enjoy this very well-written novel. It is unconventional, saddening, uplifting, and so many things all at once.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I read it in about 3 days... I come a very religious family. As with this family they spent to much time being hypocrites... I really enjoyed this book and I will admit like anyone else Oprah picks some hard.... books. However, I realized she picks books that make me think.
Rating:
Summary: Wasted Potential
Review: At first glance, this book looks promising. The cover art is beautiful, and the exotic title seems to allude to the biblical homeland of Palestinians, Canaan, Land of Milk and Honey. The enticing blurb on the back cover hints that the novel contains themes of religious fanaticism (The Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's Almighty Baptizing Wind, what a mouthful!), masochism (Ninah inflicts pain on herself to ward off impure thoughts), teen pregnancy (Ninah gets pregnant during a forbidden relationship), and other taboo items. I expected a lot from this book, but was sorely disappointed. "The Rapture of Canaan" had vast potential and Reynolds had many interesting threads of ideas to weave into a complex story, but her childish prose made the tale dull and simple. The themes were not fully elaborated and expanded, and the plot remained narrow and flat. It is aggravating that a novel which deals with such deep, controversial issues such as religious cults has the literary value of a Danielle Steele paperback. Also, every character in the novel, even Ninah, the "heroine," is a one-dimensional cardboard cutout, much like the paperdolls Ninah's grandma used to play with when she was a girl. For instance, Ninah's grandfather is a zealot who uses religion to suit his own purposes, Ninah's grandma is the practical, story-telling type, Ninah's mother is domineering, Ninah's father is soft. The secondary characters are even worse, each with a single characteristic and one or two lines: the token rebel, the token ethnic classmate. And as for Ninah - how can she expect the reader to sympathize for her when she never bothers to share her feelings with us? Ninah rarely has an interesting thought, save a reflection or two about something her wise old grandma tells her. Ninah describes the world around her and its inhabitants in an offhand, disconnected manner. It is impossible to relate to her and understand the "Fire and Brimstone" world when the reader's single source of information about this world is vague. Perhaps Ninah's simple words and disconnected manner perfectly convey the mindset of a confused girl growing up in a strict, repressive community. Perhaps . . . but that doesn't make for interesting reading. Read this book only if you expect little from it - then you will be less disappointed than I am. However, if Judgement Day, or "Rapture," arrives soon, I must immediately repent for reading this boring piece of fluff. If I don't, I'll be sentenced to an eternity of pain and suffering - rereading this book over and over again.
| 
