Monica Harris-Day's perfect world begins a downward spiral the afternoon she comes home to find her husband in bed... with another man. After confronting Kevin, her husband of two years, Monica discovers he's had a lifelong struggle with homosexuality that began at the age of ten after he was molested by a deacon in the church. For years, Kevin has sought deliverance, crying out to God to make him straight. He explains his deceit by saying that he thought he had truly been delivered when he married Monica, but was afraid to share his past with her for fear she wouldn't marry him. Kevin begs Monica's forgiveness and wants to save their marriage. He is convinced that God has indeed delivered him from the spirit of homosexuality and that the one-time mistake was just his past coming back to haunt him. Their pastor offers them marital counseling, but Monica suspects he's really concerned about maintaining his mega-ministry. The church has grown to 10,000 members since Kevin became the minister of music. When the pastor swears them to secrecy and urges Monica to stay in the marriage, she thinks Bishop Walker isn't willing to risk the potential scandal and church split that would be caused if the truth were leaked to the congregation. My Soul Cries Out is a compassionate look at the issue of Christians struggling with homosexuality and the redemptive power of God to bring deliverance.
Oh my goodness! This book grabbed my attention and hooked me in the first chapter just like a great book should. I love Christian Fiction but Sherri L. Lewis exceeded my expectation. I love how she boldly addressed a topic that many people dare not approach.
She introduced supporting characters who had lives of their own that were interesting enough to enrich the story line yet respecting the main characters’ roles and allowing them to shine while carrying the reader on a journey filled with joy, pain, sadness, hurt and the quest for forgiveness. In addition to this, she let the love of God radiate throughout the entire story proving that true love for mankind does exist. She eloquently demonstrated that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above what we can ask or think.
What I loved the most was her ability to make me identify with her characters. There were even small lessons about health and entrepreneurship for all to behold. She did that! Great story! Great character development and great implementation of the element of restoration in the lives of God’s people. Five Stars!
Kevin and Monica met while in the church. They dated for two years and have been happily married for two years. They tell each other everything, well, not everything. Kevin has had a secret for years. One day Monica comes home unexpectedly and finds him in bed with another man! Secrets out!
Searching for help in dealing with her recent revelations, Monica reaches out to their minister, Bishop Walker. In talking to Bishop Walker, Monica learns that the minister wasn't SURPRISED by what happened, but he just wanted to know WHY it had it to come out now. Kevin was the minister of music. He brought in large crowds every Sunday. At a total lost, it seems as if everyone Monica's believed in has failed her.
"My Soul Cries Out" by Sherri Lewis is a quick and very funny read that deals with real life situations. There are situations for each and every one of us who say we are SAVED and how we react to a lot of things. Not just situations within the church, but in our everyday walk. I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it for all readers.
Excellent book. I learned about the struggles of homosexuals in the church. I learned not to judge, but to pray for these people. I learned that God can heal any situation in a marriage where there is love.
Monica had forgotten her stethoscope and went back home to get it, but once in the house she kept hearing a bumping noise and she went to investigate. She thought which one of her friends was with Kevin Day , buy when she opened the door she found out that it wasn't a she but a he, his closest friend Trey Hunter. She was devastated and started throwing any and everything she could get her hands on.. Kevin told Monica when he was ten he was molested by a deacon and later she found out a Pastor also but Bishop Walker knew about Trey and sent him away and Monica was told to keep it to her self, because if it got out it would destroy Kevin and his church. In college her friend tried to tell her not to marry him because he was gay. Alaysia talked her into moving to Atlanta and they ended up starting their own business. But what got me was when Kevin was in an accident the Bishop came to see him and Monica told him to tell him about what happened to him being molested and the Bishop said he would have to talk to them first to see what they had to say about the accusation. But he threatened Kevin if he told he would say he was messing with the boys,etc. But her and Kevin got back together and he moved to Atlanta. "YOU CAN'T TRUST EVERYBODY"
A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL Story......Miss Lewis Outdid herself with this Touching and Inspiring book.💜💜💜💜 The ONLY thing that I wasn't "fond of", was Monica (Monnie) making things ALWAYS about her, at times!🙄 I wish she would have showed Alaysia 'More' because it seemed that they Only became friends again because Monica was having problems and Trina (her best friend) was in Africa.......this was One thing that I didn't like about this book.😑 Otherwise, I TOTALLY & THOROUGHLY Enjoyed this read......showed just how REAL God's Love AND Favor, Grace & Mercy Is!!🙏🏼👊
I've been on the hunt for my top read of 2025 and this is IT!
I have no words for how real this book felt and how solidly spiritual it is. The lessons on faith, community are so salient and necessary for the modern day Christian.
I totally recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with same sex attraction or has a spouse who is.
I can't wait to read this with a group of friends and yap about it. I will also be checking out more Sherri L Lewis books!
This book is a must read! I could not put it down. It's very realistic and isn't scared to address the issues that are really happening in the world today. It was beautiful how all of it came together!
This book is a Christian novel. It goes through the life of a women as she rebuild and find her walk with the lord when she face a trying situation with her husband and his sexuality. She find her husband in the bed with another man...A page turner for sure
This story had my emotions all over the place. Monica is such a strong wife. It made say, 'What if this happened to me'? How would I react? An excellent story. The author really got in depth with the main characters. I liked the storyline. Very believable.
3.5 stars. "The worst day of my life was the day I caught my husband cheating on me."
That alone would be enough to throw even a strong woman into a tailspin. But the fact that Monica Harris-Day finds her worship-leader husband cheating with another man is an even greater shock. How could she have been so blind and not seen the signs? Should she divorce him on the spot? And why is their mega-church pastor so quick to look the other way?
Monica faces an emotional tempest in My Soul Cries Out. As a Christian woman she wants to do the right thing in God's eyes, but it's hard to know what that is in an age when Christians either pretend homosexuality doesn't exist or cast the first stone. Just how are we supposed to react to situations like Monica's? Should we make those caught in this sin leave our churches? Should we pretend we don't know?
This is an edgy novel that compassionately deals with the issue of homosexuality in the church. There are no easy answers here, but by following Monica's journey readers will start asking themselves the right questions. And that's the first step toward understanding God's point of view. Why is it that some sins are treated worse than others in the church? Why do we condemn gays to hell but allow gossip and envy? A relevant topic indeed.
Ms. Lewis doesn't condone homosexuality in this novel. Sin is sin, and she makes sure we realize that. However, we're also shown both sides of the issue through the pain of Monica's husband.
Granted, there are scenes and phrases in the book you probably won't find in your Mom's Christian fiction. Sex is talked about openly several times. But even in those few eyebrow raising moments, you can tell Lewis took care not to push the envelope just because she could. Let's be honest. Homosexuality DOES stretch the limits as a topic for Christian fiction.
It's a heavy subject, but there are many lighter moments too, like Monica's initial obsession with "Ben & Larry's" ice cream and her subsequent health and fitness makeover, something all females will relate to. Monica is the woman next door dealing with some very real issues. She struggles. She falls. She gets back up again because she wants to please God.
In the vein of Claudia Mair Burney and Marilynn Griffith, My Soul Cries Out will be a breath of fresh air to those longing for a little more grit in their stories. Lewis is a talented new author who's breaking ground that's needed breaking for quite some time.
My Soul Cries Out is a powerful redemption story about Monica and Kevin that on more than one occasion moved me to tears. I loved how the author wasn't afraid to tell it like it is when it came to internal thoughts, especially the skank ho references to certain women. Hilarious! The author masterfully wrote about Monica's rage the way it might really happen and didn't soften the issues for fear of offending the reader. This is real life trauma and heartache! Monica was a very flawed character but the author did such a fantastic job of growing her in her relationship with the Lord and with others that I couldn't help but love her. I just can't say enough good things about this book.
Kevin's characterization was so well done that I can honestly say I haven't read any novel highlighting the pain that comes from childhood abuse that was better at showing it than this one. And I've read a lot of them. You can't help but have compassion on Kevin when he reveals his struggles and you see how even the church had betrayed him by not protecting him. The way Kevin and Monica's relationship developed throughout the story is proof that God can use anything--even the most horrible sin or mistake--to make us more like Him.
In addition to the main story, there were several subplots regarding redemption that were both believable and moving. The story of Alaysia's quest for peace and redemption was perfectly done and complimented the main theme of My Soul Cries Out. True-to-life, the comments made by an unbeliever can often be used to turn the struggling Christian's life around. Oh, and the ending gave me the happy shivers. I SO loved this story and can't wait to read the next book from this author, who is even more beautiful than the model on the cover.
My very first Christian fiction novel and boy, did Sherri bring it! I thought it would be the typical husband-caught-cheating-with-wife's-best-friend drama but OMG...a dude?!? LOL. Didn't see that coming.
The raw emotional reactions of the characters was authentic. Monica smashing the house up and wanting to obliterate Kevin depicts the extent of how hurt she was. Despite being the Christian woman she was, she was also human. Cussing Kevin out then calling on God to help her , I thought kept her real.
The way Sherri addressed the issue of homosexuality was interesting. The fact that the church considers it the sin of sins and the coverups was on point. How Kevin could struggle with his past yet be heavily anointed to minister spoke of God's unwavering, undeserved grace and His power to use broken vessels that we are. The thing about Kevin was he realised his sin and wanted out of it. It took his wife finding out, leaving him, and confronting him about helping other boys in his sutuation to get him to act. I think he should have stepped down from his position earlier but, I guess that just contributed to the flawed bishop and his church storyline.
Monica's journey back to herself and the marriage was realistic. She didn't fake the happy couple act despite what the bishop told her. She was willing to forgive her husband but that didn't automatically mean all was good. She took the time to find healing for her insecurities before she could stand by her man.
The brotherhood between Kevin, David & Khalil was refreshing and needs to be the norm in the body of Christ. I questioned Khalil's relationship with Alaysia knowing her spiritual status. I think there are more apt ways he could have gone about the relationship but I guess the author intended it to be food for thought.
I really enjoyed this book. The author drew me in like I was part of the story- feeling the anger, resistance, laughter and pity for each of the characters. Each character was well developed yet did not take away from Monica, the main character and her husband, Kevin. This was a touchy subject to write about, yet it is modern day reality. I think the author did a great job in giving details but not making it trashy or disrespectful to heterosexuals or homosexuals. Even though the subject was about Kevin going to bed with another man and talking about his past, it brought out dysfunctions that any person can be going through right now. This is the first book that I have laughed out loud as I read it, yet had compassion for the things that Monica and Kevin were going through. The author was funny, sincere, thoughtful, and honest in her writing. It almost appeared as if this book hit very close to home with the author..................naw!
Loved this book. Like the other reviews it brought tears, laughs, smiles, anger. it was a well written book. It is a book of forgiveness, relationship, marriage, love, friendship, re-inventing yourself, trusting and faith. This book made me think. I found myself going from "there's no way I could do this" to " I wonder if I could do this?" It is symbolic of "The Church" today and "christians " today (in so many ways about so many things from homosexuality to witnessing and walking in Faith). My heart went out to Monica and Kevin, while I was so angry with the Pastor of Love and Faith I loved it!!
A brave effort by Sherri L. Lewis, My Soul Cries Out explores issues of the "self" in relation to the temptations of the flesh, emotions, business and marriage. This book dealt with bisexuality in African-American men from an Apostolic church view. Praying in the spirit, speaking in tongues, and prophesying were explored, not God's sovereignty and the Gospel. A lot of emphasis was placed on the importance of the Bible but the way the main character handled adversity read more like a non-Christian urban fiction or a Tyler Perry play.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I love this book. Sherri is an amazing writer. She is also a good friend of mine, so I am tremendously biased. She wrote a book with a controversial theme. She tackled it biblically and responsibly. Her characters are real. Their emotions are deep and at the end you are excited about the resolve. This is an amazing book. She is an amazing writer! Also, see DANCING WITH DESTINY! Love! Love. LOVE!! SHERRI LEWIS!
I have just found a new favorite Chritian writer! This book was so awesome, spiritual, heart-wrenching, funny and thought provoking. When I got to the last page I wanted to read it all over again! If you have had any struggles with why you believe what you believe and needed real answers this books offers a litany of answers. Definitely one of my favorites.
Two people coming together ask one, and then the most hurting happen, you catch your husband in the bed, witrh someone and you do what? Do you leave or stay? which one would you do? This novel jsut wasn't for me I couldnt get my soul into it something was left out? I understand you forgive but you don't forget.
I wasn't sure that I was going to like this b/c I honestly tend to ignore books that focus on this controversial topic. However after I read the first chapter excerpt online I decided to read it and.... I AM SO GLAD I MADE THAT DECISION. I smiled, I frowned, I laughed, I cried, and I read this book in one night!
This book had so many powerful themes; Love, forgiveness, trusting God, health, dealing with sexual sin...It was great to see how it all came together at the end. This book kept me engaged the entire time. I read it in two days.
I liked how she handled the situation with her husband. Instead of making a rush decision, she took some time out and removed herself from the situation to analyze everything and make a complete sound decision on her situation without anyone influencing her.
Awesome, yet heartwrenching story. The author does an excellent job of tapping into an issue that is normally addressed behing closed doors. Be careful because this story has the potential to take you on a very emotional journey.
The author did a good job of writing with an authentic voice. Talking about sexual things while keeping a book PG is a challenge. She did a wonderful job with character development, and there were a few moments where I really didn't know how things were going to end up.
I absolutely love this book!! I've read more than half of the book in 2 days and will finish it tonight so I can start on something else. Will write more when I'm done. I highly suggest this book.