The Amen Sisters

A powerful, gripping story of betrayal and forgiveness, "The Amen Sisters" by Angela Benson is truly unforgettable. Five years ago, Francine Amen renounced her family and friends to follow Bishop Payne's ministry. That decision would leave her questioning her faith and would cost Francine her best friend, Toni. After three years in a mental institution to help Francine deal with her guilt over Toni's suicide, her sister, Dawn brings her back home to the place where it all began, to help her rebuild her life and make amends. As Francine deals with the repercussions of being led astray by a false man of God, Dawn is dealing with her own form of betrayal. Dawn's husband, Sylvester--Francine's ex-fiance--had an extramarital affair. Already insecure that Sylvester really loved her, Dawn struggles to forgive his transgression and work towards healing their marriage. Can the Amen sisters get past the betrayals and grasp the power of forgiveness to move on with their lives? Will Francine ever be accepted by the family and friends she turned away from? Can Dawn ever forget that Sylvester found love in the arms of another woman? And will Dawn and Francine allow God to help show them the way? I had never read one of Angela Benson's novels before "The Amen Sisters". Now, I want to own all of them. No wonder she has been called, "One of the most talented writers of fiction." This story drew me in right away with its well-developed characters and its all too realistic storyline. Benson is a master storyteller who creates, with "The Amen Sisters", two women you sympathize with and whose strength you admire. A tale of unforgettable characters, love, forgiveness, and faith, "The Amen Sisters" is an inspiring story of hope that all readers will enjoy.

I bought this book in October 2007. I put it in my book cover to carry around with me to read...and somehow forgot about it. While cleaning out my car in January, I saw it and put it aside because I was reading another book. But when I opened it...OH MY GOODNESS! A page turner like no other. You are absolutely HOOKED from the first page...and it's so close to home...you feel like you are in the action...there was NEVER a dull moment. I was disappointed when I finished the book....because there was nothing else to READ! :) It was quite an enjoyable read...and I love the way the author handled those situations...nothing was too farfetched....everything in it is a real situation that I could see happening....LOVED IT!

This book covered several different areas that one can relate to in everyday life. I like the fact that the author kept each situation real. I enjoyed reading about the marriages that were able to mend back together despite the break of trust. I think the lesson throughout the whole book was forgiveness, trusting and believing that God will work it out. I think some many people in the story relied on what they thought was right but in the end they all had to rely on God to heal, forgive, and mend back together. This was my first read by this author and the author did a great job with this book. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

THE AMEN SISTERS by Angela Benson is a story about an abuse that apparently has been kept secret for too long -- pastors who misuse their power and sexually abuse women in their congregation. Benson's novel offers insight into this hush-hush world and the lengths that women and pastors go through to keep these secrets. By offering several points of view on this issue from the betrayed women, THE AMEN SISTERS brings to life the fact that pastors are men, fallible and vulnerable, and not the gods that worshippers sometimes mistake them to be. The only points of view missing are those of the pastors, which would have made this a more in-depth read. However, the relationship between the two sisters, Francine and Dawn, and their relationships with the two men in their lives, Stuart and Sylvester, takes the story to a slightly higher level. THE AMEN SISTERS is an engaging, refreshing story of reaffirming love and faith packed with the drama that comes with church-life and the mortals who sometimes confuse the difference between God and man. Like the sexual abuse of children by priests, the sexual abuse of women by pastors must be confronted. So let the church say AMEN and more!

When Francine Amen does not respond to a friend's cry for help, the effects are devastating for the two of them. Months later after a hospital stay, with a heart still heavy with guilt, Francine moves in with fraternal twin sister Dawn and her husband Sylvester. The sisters' efforts to forge a closer sibling relationship is made more complicated by Francine's past relationship with Dawn's husband; especially since Dawn is already wrestling with resentment toward Sylvester because of his recent affair. It is amid this backdrop that sexual abuse inside the church is revealed in Angela Benson's newest release, The Amen Sisters. Benson effectively peels back the layers of secrecy surrounding this issue, ultimately disclosing its pervasiveness within the church structure. This story should be a requisite read for Christians, as it serves as a powerful wake-up call regarding transgression and the ministry. In The Amen Sisters, Benson reminds that church personnel are not immune from committing sins plaguing the secular world, prompting Christians to find refuge in God and His word, and not man.