DNF ( )

Review: Prayers and Lies by Sherri Wood Emmons.

This was quite an emotional rollercoaster story. It was such a riveting tale that I could not put it down. There are very few mild moments throughout the book as one tragedy follows another not giving the reader time to catch their breath to embrace what just happened. It’s about a dysfunctional family that endures a lot of tragic events because of years of secrets, lies and what they call bad blood.

The story starts off with two eleven year old girls Bethany and her cousin Reana Mae who are really like soul sisters. Bethany was childlike and innocent. Reana Mae was completely the opposite. As the girls got older one of them always seemed to get in trouble more then the other. They would spend their summers together and than one day Bethany noticed a change in Reana Mae but Bethany wasn’t giving up her friendship with Reane. They both grew up in different environments, had different family values and life styles. Their characters were so different but they were also good for each other (most of the time). Then their lives started changing and Bethany’s whole life started crashing down around her while Reane Mae took everything in stride.

Did I mention Bethany had a sister a few years older then her and Reane? Well, you’re going to meet Tracy who has a behavior problem……

Sherri Emmons created a mastermind of well developed characters. The plot was well thought out and the city and back woods setting brings out the different characters behaviors and relates the time span through generations with an easy explanation near the end of the story of when the bad blood started and how it got so out of hand by holding back family secrets until one day a horrible tragedy traumatized the family to finally unveil those years of secrets and lies….
( )

Oh I loved this book. What an amazing tale. This book immediately became one of my favorites. I would highly recommend. ( )

I really enjoyed this story. It wasn't as predictable as I thought it was going to be. I wish that the author had portrayed Bethy and Reana Mae
as a year or two older which I would have found more believable. This was a five star read for me until the convoluted ending explaining family ties. It just seemed silly to me. Other than a couple of pages near the end a well written book I would recommend. ( )

This is a very appropriate, thought-provoking title for this book. Sherri Wood Emmons is a new voice in fiction, and one well-worth listening to.

Most families are held together with ties that bind, and often are prayers and lies. Such is the family of this narrator, Bethany and her cousin Reana Mae.

Every summer, Bethany's family goes home to the Coal River Valley of West Virginia. She and her cousin Reana Mae, both "misfits" develop a "sisterhood". As they grow through adolescence, the shocking realities of family secrets, lies, and "bad blood" brings them closer, yet threatens to tear the entire family apart.

Bethany's own sheltered life "up north" eventually becomes jeopardized by Reana Mae's everyday life and the devastating horror of it, down in Coal River.

The sister-cousins cling to each other through it all, as they learn about life, the different kinds of love, family, and their rightful place in the world.

This is an excellent book from an excellent author. ( )