Search advanced search
 
Books
Search:
x dismiss this message

Did you know you can edit this page?

The Rapture of Canaan
  • Rated 0 stars
Read The Rapture of Canaan

The Rapture of Canaan (1995) (edit title/settings)

by Sheri Reynolds (Author) (edit contributors)

Share this book on:
see page history

Description edit see section history

From the author of Bitterroot Landing--hailed by the Richmond State as "a splendid contribution to Southern literature"--comes a stunning story woven around the themes of innocence and miracles in everyday life. When the granddaughter of the founder of an isolated religious community in South... read more

Summary edit see section history

Adolescent Ninah lives in a strict fundamentalist Christian community (The Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's Almighty Baptizing Wind) led by her grandfather Herman. The community is governed by a series of strict rules covering everything from drinking to speaking to people outside of the... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Adolescent Ninah lives in a strict fundamentalist Christian community (The Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's Almighty Baptizing Wind) led by her grandfather Herman. The community is governed by a series of strict rules covering everything from drinking to speaking to people outside of the community, with punishments ranging from sleeping on nettles to spending a night in a grave.
Despite the rules, Ninah cannot stop herself from falling in love with James, a boy her own age who is also her nephew by marriage. The community allows Ninah and James to become "prayer partners" in order that they can spend time with one another in the hopes of a future marriage. James and Ninah pray for Jesus to speak through them in order to help them defeat their attraction for one another, but eventually their physical attraction is too strong, and Ninah becomes pregnant, James, fearing punishment from the community, commits suicide. Ninah's insists that Jesus, rather than James, is the father of the baby.
During her pregnancy, Ninah mulls over her feelings toward God and decides that her experience of God's love is closer to her feelings toward James than to the attitude of her church. However, when the baby is born with its palms attached in an attitude of prayer, the entire community is convinced that baby Canaan is the new Messiah.

Popular Covers

Loading covers…

Choose your book’s cover

First Sentence edit see section history

I've spent a lot of time weaving, but you'd never know it from my hands.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 6 of 70 in Oprah's Book Club. (authoritative list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Sheri Reynolds (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Country: USA
Publication Date: 1995
ISBN: 978-0399141126
Page Count: 320

Classification edit see section history

We’re hiding the errata, movie connections, books that influenced this book, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.

© 2006-2013 Shelfari | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy

Close