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A review by cjeanne99
Lay Your Body Down by Amy Suiter Clarke
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
What happens when the leader of a fundamentalist Christian congregation in a mid size town in Minnesota sees his empire being challenged? Pastor Rick Franklin comes to Brauer, Minnesota with his preaching style rooted in patriarchy and submissive women. He grows the Messiah Church into a cult-like entity that controls much of what happens in the town.
The story is told by two narrators; Del (Delilah) Walker who left town six years ago after her growing up best friend married the man Del had met at college and believed would be her husband. Del’s chapters are in the present time - when she returns to town after Lars, the love of her life and husband to her friend Eve, was killed in a tragic hunting accident. Our second narrator, Eve, mostly tells her story through her blog - “The Noble Wife”, a project she started as a teenager when Pastor Rick and his wife taught the girls of the Messiah Church to be good Christian women, modest in dress and demeanor and submissive to whatever their boyfriend/husband wants.
Delilah thinks she will come to the funeral and leave town - but - she sees Eve in an embrace with the associate pastor after the funeral, and, Lars’ parents, who always thought she (Delilah) would be their daughter-in-law, ask her to investigate Lars’ death. They are asking questions and not getting answers.
OK - so why Del would get answers when everyone at the church and in the town are closed mouthed and avoiding the truth - doesn’t make a lot of sense - but - I kept listening/reading.
In the end - it comes down to challenging the patriarchy. Book was published in the summer of 2023. Barbie challenged the patriarchy also - but without murder, fake suicides, and attempted murder.The ending was a bit of a disconnect for me. Del wondering how Finn was able to find her in Minneapolis - almost implying that she was afraid of him. And then - she tells of she and Finn going to Pastor Rick’s house - and Del videotaping the pastor while he confesses to killing Lars for finding out about the financial irregularities at the Messiah Church - and then Finn kills him.
The story is told by two narrators; Del (Delilah) Walker who left town six years ago after her growing up best friend married the man Del had met at college and believed would be her husband. Del’s chapters are in the present time - when she returns to town after Lars, the love of her life and husband to her friend Eve, was killed in a tragic hunting accident. Our second narrator, Eve, mostly tells her story through her blog - “The Noble Wife”, a project she started as a teenager when Pastor Rick and his wife taught the girls of the Messiah Church to be good Christian women, modest in dress and demeanor and submissive to whatever their boyfriend/husband wants.
Delilah thinks she will come to the funeral and leave town - but - she sees Eve in an embrace with the associate pastor after the funeral, and, Lars’ parents, who always thought she (Delilah) would be their daughter-in-law, ask her to investigate Lars’ death. They are asking questions and not getting answers.
OK - so why Del would get answers when everyone at the church and in the town are closed mouthed and avoiding the truth - doesn’t make a lot of sense - but - I kept listening/reading.
In the end - it comes down to challenging the patriarchy. Book was published in the summer of 2023. Barbie challenged the patriarchy also - but without murder, fake suicides, and attempted murder.