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One Sunday
In this humorous and heartfelt novel, a beleaguered young woman must shed her career, identity, and power persona to learn how to love and forgive herself, others, and God.At age thirty-seven, Alice Ferguson has everything an ambitious, intellectual, self-made woman could want. She has captured a career as an editor of a tabloid magazine, launched her own website full of Hollywood gossip, and even clawed her way into a second-hand pair of Prada shoes. She has also finally landed a husband—no small feat, as it required getting pregnant with his baby.
But when Alice becomes pregnant and experiences health problems, her world is turned upside down. To save her life and the life of her unborn child, she must leave Los Angeles and the stress of her bicoastal career, exchanging the late-night parties of sunny California for the suburbs of Nashville. With a weak smile and an even weaker heart, she soon finds herself living with a husband she barely knows, ensconced in a gated community brimming with perky, plastic, pony-tailed housewives. And then, at the gentle urging of a new friend, she agrees to attend church one Sunday afternoon.
What begins as an experiment beyond her comfort zone sparks something much bigger, as Alice begins to look deep within herself only to find insecurity, fear, and loneliness. One Sunday charts an endearing character’s journey from moral ambiguity through madness, tears, laughter, and heartbreak to a connection with the only One who can help heal her.
But when Alice becomes pregnant and experiences health problems, her world is turned upside down. To save her life and the life of her unborn child, she must leave Los Angeles and the stress of her bicoastal career, exchanging the late-night parties of sunny California for the suburbs of Nashville. With a weak smile and an even weaker heart, she soon finds herself living with a husband she barely knows, ensconced in a gated community brimming with perky, plastic, pony-tailed housewives. And then, at the gentle urging of a new friend, she agrees to attend church one Sunday afternoon.
What begins as an experiment beyond her comfort zone sparks something much bigger, as Alice begins to look deep within herself only to find insecurity, fear, and loneliness. One Sunday charts an endearing character’s journey from moral ambiguity through madness, tears, laughter, and heartbreak to a connection with the only One who can help heal her.
288 pages, Paperback
First published February 12, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 9, 2013
To say that this book wasn't for me would be putting it nicely. I had some issues ranging from minor to deal-breaking serious. Starting with the minor ones, towards the end of the novel the perspective switched from first person to third person. I understand why this happened (or at least I have my own reasons for it happening) but the transition was neither smooth nor consistent. Since this was not something that was done throughout the entire novel it is jarring at times.
Despite the misinformation that is perpetually passed on- you do not hold a person down when they have a seizure. You make the environment around them safe (by removing objects as necessary, getting them out of the way or sliding the person to the floor if they are standing). Also you don’t do anything to the tongue-you don’t hold it, you don’t put anything in their mouth. First of all, the person’s mouth may be clamped shut. Secondly, they will not swallow their tongue. For me this was more than a writer not knowing any better, the mistake became even more apparent since it was a doctor who made it. The final minor issue was the fact that Alice constantly referred to herself as fat or some variation. She’s pregnant and she gained it, but there was no need to pound that point into annoyance.
Now the deal-breaking issue, if this had not happened I believe that all of my other complaints could have been overlooked. But I did not connect to Alice at all. Her memories jumped all over the place; while they weren't random they often felt chaotic. Anything I say beyond this point would not be beneficial. I think that if I had connected with the character(s) things would have turned out a lot differently.
This story was beautifully written, don’t get me wrong. Cecil has a wonderful way with words. But for me, it read like a biography of someone who, in the end, wasn't that interesting. I really wanted to like this story, but in the end I didn't.
2 Stars **
A copy of this novel was given to me, free, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Always Shine,
Starr K
Despite the misinformation that is perpetually passed on- you do not hold a person down when they have a seizure. You make the environment around them safe (by removing objects as necessary, getting them out of the way or sliding the person to the floor if they are standing). Also you don’t do anything to the tongue-you don’t hold it, you don’t put anything in their mouth. First of all, the person’s mouth may be clamped shut. Secondly, they will not swallow their tongue. For me this was more than a writer not knowing any better, the mistake became even more apparent since it was a doctor who made it. The final minor issue was the fact that Alice constantly referred to herself as fat or some variation. She’s pregnant and she gained it, but there was no need to pound that point into annoyance.
Now the deal-breaking issue, if this had not happened I believe that all of my other complaints could have been overlooked. But I did not connect to Alice at all. Her memories jumped all over the place; while they weren't random they often felt chaotic. Anything I say beyond this point would not be beneficial. I think that if I had connected with the character(s) things would have turned out a lot differently.
This story was beautifully written, don’t get me wrong. Cecil has a wonderful way with words. But for me, it read like a biography of someone who, in the end, wasn't that interesting. I really wanted to like this story, but in the end I didn't.
2 Stars **
A copy of this novel was given to me, free, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Always Shine,
Starr K
February 22, 2013
I lived my first twenty-nine years as an unbeliever. A person can make a lot of mistakes and do a lot of stupid things during that time. Not that becoming a Christian makes a person perfect, not even close, but it does change a person’s perspective on a variety of things and that’s putting it mildly. I like to read novels about people who are every bit as imperfect as me. I can already hear it, there will be people who find certain things about this book offensive, but those very offensive things are exactly the things that the author has used to make the biggest impact. This book was not a light, fluffy read, but it was also not too heavy. There was a good balance of heart and drama. There are things that were difficult to digest, but the overall message of the profound love and forgiveness of Jesus is the whole point of the story and Carrie delivered it very well.
A lot of Alice’s story is told in flashbacks. At first I found this distracting, but the more I read this book and the more I thought about my own life, I found it appropriate. Since getting saved myself, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on things in the past that led me to Jesus. Much of that reflection has taken place from a church pew. As I thought about this, the flashbacks and the way this story was told, became much more meaningful. I wouldn’t want to read a book like this all the time because it does deal with some difficult topics, but I did like the way Carrie inserted some humor at just right moments.
I highly recommend One Sunday if you are looking for a novel that portrays the powerful love and forgiveness of Jesus.
A lot of Alice’s story is told in flashbacks. At first I found this distracting, but the more I read this book and the more I thought about my own life, I found it appropriate. Since getting saved myself, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on things in the past that led me to Jesus. Much of that reflection has taken place from a church pew. As I thought about this, the flashbacks and the way this story was told, became much more meaningful. I wouldn’t want to read a book like this all the time because it does deal with some difficult topics, but I did like the way Carrie inserted some humor at just right moments.
I highly recommend One Sunday if you are looking for a novel that portrays the powerful love and forgiveness of Jesus.
March 10, 2017
The story is that of a catty A-list tabloid editor from L.A. who gets pregnant during a one-night stand with a southern gentlemen. She decides to move to Nashville to have the baby and marry the guy she barely knows (who's a doctor, obviously). It's your classic fish out of water situation, except that there's an added element of her being surrounded by Christians and then eventually being born again.
I wouldn't have pegged myself as a fan of born again fiction, but in fact most of the writing was pretty fun. I liked the main character more before she turned into a "nice person," but I found the whole thing to be much better than I was expecting - with a few exceptions.
The author is a white woman and she wrote in a few black characters. So, first of all, thank you for doing that, author - as you have likely noticed reading this blog, representation matters to me and I'm glad that a book set in Nashville, which is relatively diverse, has some diversity in it.
That said, damn, Gina, do you know any black people? There's just a lot of clueless, annoying stuff like when the main character sees her hand against a black woman's hand and thinks, "It's funny; her hand is so much darker and softer than mine. It's the first time that I've really noticed that we are very different colors." Right, okay, that whole "I don't see race!" thing that is not actually helping, and then the part where the main character is sitting between the black couple and she says, "We look like an Oreo cookie," and then her black friends just totes crack up because SO FUNNY and I'm sure they've never heard that before!
And then there's the part where she talks about the abortion she had years before, and how she regrets it, "I have chosen to destroy my own child. Our child. There is no way to ever tell him. Honestly, I don't even kill bugs on the sidewalk. I step over them. I'm not political and I've always advocated my womanly right to do whatever I want with my own body. But it wasn't my body."
Right, you're not political and you think women should be able to do what they want with their bodies, but also you say things like, "I paid someone to execute my child . . . I have slaughtered a piece of me today." That doesn't sound political at all!
As you can see, when I say this book was better than I expected, my standards were low. Extremely low.
I wouldn't have pegged myself as a fan of born again fiction, but in fact most of the writing was pretty fun. I liked the main character more before she turned into a "nice person," but I found the whole thing to be much better than I was expecting - with a few exceptions.
The author is a white woman and she wrote in a few black characters. So, first of all, thank you for doing that, author - as you have likely noticed reading this blog, representation matters to me and I'm glad that a book set in Nashville, which is relatively diverse, has some diversity in it.
That said, damn, Gina, do you know any black people? There's just a lot of clueless, annoying stuff like when the main character sees her hand against a black woman's hand and thinks, "It's funny; her hand is so much darker and softer than mine. It's the first time that I've really noticed that we are very different colors." Right, okay, that whole "I don't see race!" thing that is not actually helping, and then the part where the main character is sitting between the black couple and she says, "We look like an Oreo cookie," and then her black friends just totes crack up because SO FUNNY and I'm sure they've never heard that before!
And then there's the part where she talks about the abortion she had years before, and how she regrets it, "I have chosen to destroy my own child. Our child. There is no way to ever tell him. Honestly, I don't even kill bugs on the sidewalk. I step over them. I'm not political and I've always advocated my womanly right to do whatever I want with my own body. But it wasn't my body."
Right, you're not political and you think women should be able to do what they want with their bodies, but also you say things like, "I paid someone to execute my child . . . I have slaughtered a piece of me today." That doesn't sound political at all!
As you can see, when I say this book was better than I expected, my standards were low. Extremely low.
May 26, 2013
The book is about the life of a thirty-seven year old editor for a tabloid magazine named
Alice Ferguson. Alice’s tells her story from her point of view in this book.
Alice reflects on the journey that life has taken her through and flashbacks that she remembers as well.
Alice tells us she had a happy childhood up until her mother died from cancer when she was very young.
In her teens she was in a lot of pain, so much of anger in losing her mother and shame on how she’d lived a reckless teenaged life and sin.
Alice visits Los Angeles California and attends many high profile celebrity parties.
In one party she met Burton Banister at a party in Bel Air in the summer in California.
A costume party with many pro athletes and celebrities in attendance.
Alice consumes many types of hard liquor and Vicodin pills .
That night ended in a one nightstand as Alice later takes a blood test to confirm her carrying Burton Banister baby.
Both careless and not wearing a condom is how this all happened.
Alice really never wanted to have a baby, as Alice thinks of her sinful behavior of her one nightstand.
When Alice returns home and tells her father she’s carrying a baby and slowly wants to change her life.
Now Alice is married to a sports doctor Burton Banister.
Alice searches for forgiveness for her sins and attends church every Sunday bring all those painful memories to surface.
Pastor Tim says,”: Today were honoring , celebrating, and loving our mother’s.”
Days like this Alice really needed her mother, even after she died.
This was a great novel to sit back and relax to and read. I recommend this great book to readers.
March 29, 2019
There's a lot going on in this story about Alice. She finds herself pregnant, in her late 30s, and in danger of her health. That compels her to be in touch with the one-night-stand who fathered the child. The saving grace for Alice are the new neighbors in Nashville who love her unconditionally.
July 23, 2025
A real life like story of someone who is transformed from the craziness of life to a peace and joy in God.
June 15, 2019
This book was a fairly good read. The characters were relatable and felt pretty genuine. Her bluntness as a non-Christian was very true to life. The story was compelling but took some time to get into it. Then when you finally did there was this quick dramatic ending and it was over. It has a few theological holes but not enough to make me dislike the book. It's worth reading once anyway.
May 6, 2013
It was only after I had requested to read this book for review did I realise it was about one woman’s troubled that lead her to rediscover her faith in God. I am not a Christian, I do not believe in God at all. I really didn’t think I would enjoy any part of this book, but I challenged myself to read it and expected it to be just awful.
However, the main bulk of the book is very enjoyable – if you believe in god etc you will probably enjoy all of this book – it is fun, witty, entertaining and well written. It jumps back and forth telling us the story of the life of Alice Ferguson. It is pretty gripping in quite a few parts and you do forget that it is leading up to the grand finale of the main character being born again.
I, as a non believer, have a huge problem accepting what is being said about Jesus and God. I do not accept that as the truth, but I do accept that people who believe in Jesus and God will accept this as the truth and for me that is what makes the story more believable. I believe that people do experience situations like that when they rediscover their faith and that is their personal choice.
Overall I enjoyed the book, reading about Alice’s struggles with herself after the death of her mother and then her father. It is easy to see why her life spirals out of control and it is easy to see why she feels she needs salvation. The very end of the book, the bit where there is so much God preaching going on, spoiled my overall enjoyment of the book. It did feel totally over the top, but perhaps for a believer it may feel just right.
3 star rating *** but I will say only read it if you can swallow the intense religious message that overtakes the story right at the end.
However, the main bulk of the book is very enjoyable – if you believe in god etc you will probably enjoy all of this book – it is fun, witty, entertaining and well written. It jumps back and forth telling us the story of the life of Alice Ferguson. It is pretty gripping in quite a few parts and you do forget that it is leading up to the grand finale of the main character being born again.
I, as a non believer, have a huge problem accepting what is being said about Jesus and God. I do not accept that as the truth, but I do accept that people who believe in Jesus and God will accept this as the truth and for me that is what makes the story more believable. I believe that people do experience situations like that when they rediscover their faith and that is their personal choice.
Overall I enjoyed the book, reading about Alice’s struggles with herself after the death of her mother and then her father. It is easy to see why her life spirals out of control and it is easy to see why she feels she needs salvation. The very end of the book, the bit where there is so much God preaching going on, spoiled my overall enjoyment of the book. It did feel totally over the top, but perhaps for a believer it may feel just right.
3 star rating *** but I will say only read it if you can swallow the intense religious message that overtakes the story right at the end.
February 15, 2013
Alice is a hard-boiled tabloid reporter who runs a website called ‘Trashville’. She has just married Dr Burton Banister III in a 2005 version of a shotgun wedding due to her pregnancy after a one-night stand. His family is visibly displeased with the match – her family isn’t even in the picture. Having moved from LA to Nashville to marry Burton, her only friends are the African-American couple next door, Pastor Tim Jackson and his wife, LeChelle, who try to model the love and truth of God to a resistant Alice. Their friendship and her pregnancy force her to re-evaluate her own personal history, with some poignant scenes from her teenage years in particular.
One Sunday tells the story of her marriage, pregnancy and ... interspersed with flashbacks that show us how Alice got where she is. The story is told by Alice in the first person and in the present tense, which makes it feel like a stream-of-consciousness narrative, yet with an open and compelling voice with a high level of self-awareness and no sign of subterfuge or dishonesty.
There is an underlying humour and a sparseness of narrative that makes the less savoury parts of Alice’s personal history easy to read. Cecil doesn’t feel the need to bash the reader over the head with the gospel message, preferring a more subtle approach which is even more effective. Stormie Omartian says “I couldn’t put this book down”. I’m a bit jaded about celebrity endorsements, even in the Christian realm, but in this case, the celebrity is not overstating anything. One Sunday really is that good. Recommended.
Thanks to Howard Books and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
One Sunday tells the story of her marriage, pregnancy and ... interspersed with flashbacks that show us how Alice got where she is. The story is told by Alice in the first person and in the present tense, which makes it feel like a stream-of-consciousness narrative, yet with an open and compelling voice with a high level of self-awareness and no sign of subterfuge or dishonesty.
There is an underlying humour and a sparseness of narrative that makes the less savoury parts of Alice’s personal history easy to read. Cecil doesn’t feel the need to bash the reader over the head with the gospel message, preferring a more subtle approach which is even more effective. Stormie Omartian says “I couldn’t put this book down”. I’m a bit jaded about celebrity endorsements, even in the Christian realm, but in this case, the celebrity is not overstating anything. One Sunday really is that good. Recommended.
Thanks to Howard Books and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
May 29, 2013
One Sunday is not a book I planned on reviewing. I’d heard about it in passing. It sounded interesting, but I already had many books on my list to review. I borrowed it from the local library because I wanted something other than review books to read. But our plans don’t often match His. So here I am, sharing this novel with you. This is a book I read in less than 24 hours and one that left me with tears in my eyes at the end.
I’ll be blunt. One Sunday is not a pretty little Christian romance. It is raw, it is gritty, and sometimes the pain is masked with humor. It talks of things that many of us wish didn’t exist, such as drugs, casual sex and abortion. But it is real and that’s one of the reasons I fell in love with this book. It is the story of a woman who made her way from being a lonely, drug-addicted adolescent to being a loving wife and mother, via a superficial existence as a trashy tabloid editor with few morals. And yes, some might consider it “preachy,” but half of the book is set during the church service Alice attends and includes the sermon she hears.
One Sunday is semi-autobiographical. Carrie Gerlach Cecil stated that she “wouldn’t classify this book as either fiction or non-fiction,” and described Alice as “a grittier, more morally bankrupt version” of herself. I believe there are elements of Alice in most of us. I think we’ve all done things we’re not proud of but that have shaped us into who we are today. But One Sunday is a story of hope and a reminder that there’s one who loves us no matter what we’ve done.
I’ll be blunt. One Sunday is not a pretty little Christian romance. It is raw, it is gritty, and sometimes the pain is masked with humor. It talks of things that many of us wish didn’t exist, such as drugs, casual sex and abortion. But it is real and that’s one of the reasons I fell in love with this book. It is the story of a woman who made her way from being a lonely, drug-addicted adolescent to being a loving wife and mother, via a superficial existence as a trashy tabloid editor with few morals. And yes, some might consider it “preachy,” but half of the book is set during the church service Alice attends and includes the sermon she hears.
One Sunday is semi-autobiographical. Carrie Gerlach Cecil stated that she “wouldn’t classify this book as either fiction or non-fiction,” and described Alice as “a grittier, more morally bankrupt version” of herself. I believe there are elements of Alice in most of us. I think we’ve all done things we’re not proud of but that have shaped us into who we are today. But One Sunday is a story of hope and a reminder that there’s one who loves us no matter what we’ve done.
April 17, 2013
Saw this novel in BookPage and decided to try it out. At first, I found the author's writing style and habit of jumping back and forth in time unusual and somewhat confusing. Some of her references and methods of description were also kind of odd to me, but once I got over this, I found the story intriguing and wanted to see what would happen. The story centers around Alice Ferguson, a celebrity gossip author who winds up pregnant after a one night stand with a Southern doctor. Deciding to keep the baby, she leaves behind her wild and posh LA lifestyle for health reasons and joins Burton, the father, in Tennessee, and they eventually marry. There, Alice is "adopted" by her neighbors, the Jacksons, who keep inviting her to church. One Sunday, Alice finally agrees to go.
Most of the story takes place on that one Sunday, but readers get taken back to memories of Alice's childhood and past as she struggles to face the pain and hurt heaped upon her by her parents and herself. As I got further into the novel, I was totally enveloped in Alice's story and felt for her to the point of tears. The end is very gripping.
This book takes a raw, nitty-gritty, honest look at life with hope for the hopeless.
(It is inspirational fiction, but there is some language.)
Most of the story takes place on that one Sunday, but readers get taken back to memories of Alice's childhood and past as she struggles to face the pain and hurt heaped upon her by her parents and herself. As I got further into the novel, I was totally enveloped in Alice's story and felt for her to the point of tears. The end is very gripping.
This book takes a raw, nitty-gritty, honest look at life with hope for the hopeless.
(It is inspirational fiction, but there is some language.)
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April 18, 2013Saw this novel in BookPage and decided to try it out. At first, I found the author's writing style and habit of jumping back and forth in time unusual and somewhat confusing. Some of her references and methods of description were also kind of odd to me, but once I got over this, I found the story intriguing and wanted to see what would happen. The story centers around Alice Ferguson, a celebrity gossip author who winds up pregnant after a one night stand with a Southern doctor. Deciding to keep the baby, she leaves behind her wild and posh LA lifestyle for health reasons and joins Burton, the father, in Tennessee, and they eventually marry. There, Alice is "adopted" by her neighbors, the Jacksons, who keep inviting her to church. One Sunday, Alice finally agrees to go.
Most of the story takes place on that one Sunday, but readers get taken back to memories of Alice's childhood and past as she struggles to face the pain and hurt heaped upon her by her parents and herself. As I got further into the novel, I was totally enveloped in Alice's story and felt for her to the point of tears. The end is very gripping.
This book takes a raw, nitty-gritty, honest look at life with hope for the hopeless.
(It is inspirational fiction, but there is some language.)
Most of the story takes place on that one Sunday, but readers get taken back to memories of Alice's childhood and past as she struggles to face the pain and hurt heaped upon her by her parents and herself. As I got further into the novel, I was totally enveloped in Alice's story and felt for her to the point of tears. The end is very gripping.
This book takes a raw, nitty-gritty, honest look at life with hope for the hopeless.
(It is inspirational fiction, but there is some language.)
February 3, 2013
A clear message comes forth in this compelling page turner. No sin is to great for forgiveness. Alice has had a hard life and has rebounded.
She lost her Mom as a young girl, she took care of her, as she died of cancer. In a way she had already lost her Dad, he is physically there, but no longer there as a parent.
We travel with Alice and her rather destructive life pattern. She lives on the edge, and in the end starts making a living doing so. She is a smart cookie, but does end up pregnant with a one night stand.
Do you think it is by chance she met Burton? Moved to Nashville, and lives next door to the Pastor Tim, his wife Lachelle, and their wonderful family?
Is it by chance she is witnessed to many times, in a wonderful and understanding way? I don't think so.
The question then becomes will Alice accept what she is being shown? Or will she reject it all and return to her life at the shady magazine in LA?
I found myself being pulled into this story and really enjoying it! Getting a lot out of this story, and wishing there was more.
I received this book from the Published Howard Books and Net Galley, and was not required to give a positive review.
She lost her Mom as a young girl, she took care of her, as she died of cancer. In a way she had already lost her Dad, he is physically there, but no longer there as a parent.
We travel with Alice and her rather destructive life pattern. She lives on the edge, and in the end starts making a living doing so. She is a smart cookie, but does end up pregnant with a one night stand.
Do you think it is by chance she met Burton? Moved to Nashville, and lives next door to the Pastor Tim, his wife Lachelle, and their wonderful family?
Is it by chance she is witnessed to many times, in a wonderful and understanding way? I don't think so.
The question then becomes will Alice accept what she is being shown? Or will she reject it all and return to her life at the shady magazine in LA?
I found myself being pulled into this story and really enjoying it! Getting a lot out of this story, and wishing there was more.
I received this book from the Published Howard Books and Net Galley, and was not required to give a positive review.
February 9, 2013
I received this book free from Howard Books for a honest and fair review. The opinions below are mine and mine alone.
Alice finds herself waking up pregnant and living with her new husband in Nashville as a health scare brought him to the father of her baby. After a one night stand thinking she wouldn't see him again and least of all finding herself pregnant she tells him that she doesn't need any financial assistance but when her health and that of her baby she finds herself having to give in and live with him.
In Nashville she is friends with a neighbor and their family and he is a preacher who with the help of his family request that Alice attend service for it might help her. Alice makes no promises but does agree to attend the one service, not that there is much else for her to do in Nashville when her life is in California.
Through Alice's friends Tim and his wife she learns that sometimes God isn't about doing so much wrong that can't be forgiven that he sacrificed for everyone with his son. It was a great emotional ride to go on!!
Alice finds herself waking up pregnant and living with her new husband in Nashville as a health scare brought him to the father of her baby. After a one night stand thinking she wouldn't see him again and least of all finding herself pregnant she tells him that she doesn't need any financial assistance but when her health and that of her baby she finds herself having to give in and live with him.
In Nashville she is friends with a neighbor and their family and he is a preacher who with the help of his family request that Alice attend service for it might help her. Alice makes no promises but does agree to attend the one service, not that there is much else for her to do in Nashville when her life is in California.
Through Alice's friends Tim and his wife she learns that sometimes God isn't about doing so much wrong that can't be forgiven that he sacrificed for everyone with his son. It was a great emotional ride to go on!!
February 7, 2013
Alice is not a girl you would find attending church on a Sunday, she'd be in bed sleeping off a hang over. Yet she has found herself 3,000 miles away from California, pregnant from a one night stand, married to the baby's father, and living in Nashville. Her online tabloid rag is being managed by her best guy friend and she is trying to survive in a culture that is as unfamiliar as vinyl records are to our children. Next door to her and her husband, Burton, lives a young pastor and his wife. They invite her to church one Sunday and there begins the healing that Alice so needs. Was it a coincidence that she had a one night stand with Burton, moved across the country, and ended up living next door to Pastor Tim and his wife Lachelle?
This is a book that will make you think long after you have closed the last page.
I give this book a Lighthouse for pointing a path to God!
This is a book that will make you think long after you have closed the last page.
I give this book a Lighthouse for pointing a path to God!
September 16, 2013
This has a somewhat typical story line, Alice, a promiscuous girl meets Jesus. The construction of the novel was troublesome, with so many flashbacks. Sometimes its weeks, sometimes its years. I found it detracted from the flow of the novel. While there are no graphic descriptions of promiscuity, I do think there was some unnecessary scenes, such as the celebration of Alice with Amos. Also, there is no remorse when a fellow who is supposed to be a Christian, I think, has a one night stand with Alice. But there are good things about the novel, such as Jesus changing a life and a positive role for a pastor and his wife. See my full review at http://bit.ly/168CXme.
June 2, 2013
I wanted to like this book. It started with a quirky protagonist that was deemed lovable. By the end of the novel, I didn't care about any of the characters. The voice switched from being fun to being preachy. I get that it was supposed it be a story of redemption but it fell flat. The characters became a hollow shell rather than the interesting portraits painted in the beginning. This is an Okay read if you have nothing else to do. I read this on the plane which I why I finished it or else I wouldn't have bothered.
February 12, 2013
One Sunday is a beautifully written novel that will resonate with anyone who has ever had a crisis of faith. Carrie Gerlach Cecil has written a wonderful story of hope, love and acceptance that is quite moving and thought-provoking. An absolutely fascinating work of Christian fiction that I highly recommend. Please click HERE to read my review in its entirety.
March 31, 2013
This was a First read from Good Reads that I won. I loved this book. What a great testimony of God's love. The story centers around Alice a woman who has lived life her way and finds herself far from home married to a man she barely knows and surrounded by people who believe in God. I love how her neighbors testify to her without being preachy and help her come to terms with what she has always known deep down. Great writing easy read.
Love It
Love It
May 13, 2013
I picked this up at the library because the cover caught my eye (perhaps divine intervention). I sill attend the church at which I was baptized as an infant, so the idea of looking for a church home is out of my experience -- even more so is the idea of having to be persuaded to worship. BUT I loved this story and even cried at parts. Alice's journey & questioning are so relatable, because we've all had our "Why Me?" moments. This book makes you feel good
February 28, 2013
I so enjoyed this faith filled story. It brought tears to my eyes on multiple occasions.
June 20, 2013
The book jumps around in Alice's life so it was hard for me to follow Alice's journey. then it switches from first person to third person which felt strange.
December 2, 2013
Excellent! Highly recommend.
February 22, 2015
Alice is a 37 yr old trash magazine writer/owner when she finds herself pregnant. She moves cross country to move in with the baby's daddy and comes to find love, forgiveness and acceptance
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January 1, 2025I really enjoyed this. Redemption story that isn't cheesy.
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