Books › The hallelujah side
The hallelujah side
First published 1999 · 262 pages
A hilarious and heartfelt coming-of-age story where the fear of the Rapture battles the irresistible groove of rock and roll.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sitting in a sunlit, slightly stuffy church pew while secretly listening to a transistor radio. It is a brisk, uproarious, and deeply tender exploration of growing up inside a fervent Pentecostal bubble, filtered through the hyper-imaginative, anxious mind of a young girl. The narrative balances the heavy dread of imminent damnation with the buoyant, irresistible pull of secular pop culture, creating a mood that is both spiritually fraught and warmly nostalgic. The prose is sharp and vibrant, perfectly capturing the bizarre, insular vocabulary of mid-century evangelicalism without ever losing its affection for the characters. It will thoroughly delight readers who love quirky, character-driven stories about eccentric families, religious rebellion, and the saving grace of rock and roll.
- Mood
- spirited
- nostalgic
- anxious
- warm
- Tone
- wry
- tender
- uproarious
- earnest
- quirky
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- religious anxiety · coming of age · pop culture vs piety · finding one's voice · eccentric family dynamics
- The writing
- Vibrant and witty, capturing the idiosyncratic, hyper-spiritualized vocabulary of a Pentecostal childhood with sharp comedic timing.
- The arc
- Moves from a state of constant, comical fear of damnation to a liberating embrace of personal faith and worldly joy.
- Who it's for
- Readers who delight in quirky, tender coming-of-age tales where eccentric family dynamics collide with the irresistible pull of rock and roll.
Content notes
- religious anxiety
- childhood fear of damnation
About the book
""It had been a Second Coming sky all day, which meant they might be in heaven by this evening.""--BOOK JACKET.
"So begins the uproarious and tender tale of Roxanne Fish, daughter of Sister Zelda Fish and Pastor Winston Fish of the First Assembly of God Church of Ames, Iowa, who believe fervently in the imminent return of Jesus to take the Christians up to heaven. The Fishes' older daughter, Colleen, wants no part of their exuberant faith ("Where are you going, young lady?" "To find my real family!"), but Roxy longs to be saved even as she fears her sinful desires, such as marrying Elvis Presley when she grows up.
If she grows up."--BOOK JACKET. "Roxy lives in a world populated by angels with blue noses and demons who follow her around whispering "God doesn't like you." And sinners, sinners everywhere, easily identifiable by their makeup and capri pants and knowledge of television programs. Her soul's journey through this wicked world to her own particular salvation - with an assist from the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin - is unforgettable."--BOOK JACKET.
Description from Open Library.
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