... juicy goodness bursts from every page ... While continually acknowledging the importance of the church in the Black community, Philyaw sees the contradictions it creates with clarity, sometimes painful, sometimes hilarious ... This collection marks the emergence of a bona fide literary treasure. As one of Philyaw’s characters might say, praise the Lord.

Like many characters in this compelling story collection, the gifts that women possess don’t pay off in the ways that they should. This is one source of their sadness and loneliness, which are some of the main themes within the book. And it rings true about the lives of contemporary Black women ... The flatter characters serve the purpose of the satire and its message ... Philyaw writes the scenes of caregiving without sentimentality. Her characters create intimacy and have hope, not despite their ugly odds but because of them. It’s why, in the midst of her dementia and pain, Mama’s singing voice is 'strong and certain'—the last words of the final story and an apt description for this collection.

Most of the stories deal with heterosexuality, but Jael, Snowfall, and, Eula approach same-sex relationships with nuance and without judgment ... Philyaw’s portrayal of Southern conservatism may be unoriginal, but her ode to black female Southern culture sings from the page ... What happens when Black women give the church their everything? What happens to those of us who don’t, who find more secular ways to cope with life, who find God without losing ourselves? What secrets are we not sharing with each other and with ourselves that could move us a little closer to freedom? It is these questions Philyaw coaxes us to ask, and this little book on a Sunday afternoon is possibly the most comfortable way in the world to get the conversation started.

Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour. https://www.ft.com/content/1f5cb8d5-ef3e-4e16-8b46-b8aac906b584 By turns darkly funny and tragic, the stories provide an intimate — at times voyeuristic — perspective on the desires, romances and fears of a complex cast of black female characters. The collection has also been a resounding success for Philyaw, winning a number of awards, and it is currently being adapted into a television series for HBO Max ... Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour. https://www.ft.com/content/1f5cb8d5-ef3e-4e16-8b46-b8aac906b584 Philyaw’s frank, lyrical prose is a thing of beauty, deftly capturing whatever she turns her hand to, be it fractured mother-daughter relationships or burgeoning romances. These short stories offer an arresting view on the inner lives of black women, and the nourishment they find in their spirituality and each other.

... a collection of luminous stories populated by deeply moving and multifaceted characters ... No saints exist in these pages, just full-throated, flesh-and-blood women who embrace and redefine love, and their own selves, in powerfully imperfect renditions. Tender, fierce, proudly Black and beautiful, these stories will sneak inside you and take root.

... [a] triumphant debut collection ... While Philyaw occasionally gets ahead of herself...for the most part she soars ... Philyaw’s stories inform and build on one another, turning her characters’ private struggles into a beautiful chorus.