At the Church of Fire and Brimstone and Gods Almighty Baptizing Wind, Grandpa Herman makes the rules for everyone, and everyone obeys, or else. Try as she might, Ninah can't resist her prayer partner, James, and finds herself pregnant. She fears the wrath of Grandpa Herman, the congregation and God Himself. But the events that follow show Ninah that God's ways are more mysterious than even Grandpa Herman understands.
I think it MIGHT have been an Oprah's book club selection--I can't recall.

Rena P. (
penelope) wrote on 6/12/2006...
Best Fiction book I have read in a long time. Here is the discription from the back of the book:
At the Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's Almighty Baptizing Wind, Grandpa Herman makes the rules for everyone, and everyone obeys, or else. But even in this isolated community where it seems nearly everything is forbidden, temtation occasionally touches the congregation...and for Ninah, temptation comes in the form of her prayer partner, James. Ninah is determined not to sin with James-so determined that she's willing to fill her shoes with shells to keep her mind on Jesus' pain. Nevertheless, she soon finds herself pregnant. She fears the wrath of Grandpa Herman, the church members, and God Himself. But the events that follow show Ninah that God's ways are more mysterious than even Grandpa Herman can understand.

Barbara C. (
kewl) wrote on 10/7/2005...
"At the Church of Fire and Brimstone and Go'd's Almighty Baptizing Wind, Grandpa Herman makes the rules for everyone, and everyone obeys, or else. But even in this isolated community where it seems nearly everything is forbidden, temptation occasionally touches the congregation . . . and for Ninah, temptation comes in the form of her prayer partner, James. Ninah is determined not to sin with James--so determined that she's willing to fill her shoes with shells to keep her mind on Jesus' pain. Nevertheless, she soon finds herself pregnant. She fears the wrath of Grandpa Herman, the church members, and God Himself. But the events that follow show Ninah that God's ways are more mysterious than even Grandpa Herman can understand . . .
"At the Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's Almighty Baptizing Wind, Grandpa Herman makes the rules for everyone, and everyone obeys, or else. But even in this isolated community where it seems nearly everything is forbidden, temptation comes in the form of her prayer partner, James. Ninah is determined not to sin with James - so determined that she's willing to fill her shoes with shells to keep her mind on Jesus' pain. Nevertheless, she soon finds herself pregnant. She fears the wrath of Grandpa Herman, the church members, and God Himself. But the events that follow show Ninah that God's ways are more mysterious than even Grandpa Herman can understand..."
"The story compels...Reynolds has an imagination that takes the reader into what feels like the world of a teen-age girl trying to make her peace with the world and with God." Highly recomend
Rapture of Canaan
ANNOTATION
This "assured, devastating" novel (Booklist), the story of a teenage girl growing up in an isolated religious community and daring to indulge a forbidden love, is "gracefully written" and "a worthy successor" to Sheri Reynolds' bestselling debut. From the author of Bitterroot Landing. A choice of the LG.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
At the Church of Fire and Brimstone and Gods Almighty Baptizing Wind, Grandpa Herman makes the rules for everyone, and everyone obeys, or else. Try as she might, Ninah can't resist her prayer partner, James, and finds herself pregnant. She fears the wrath of Grandpa Herman, the congregation and God Himself. But the events that follow show Ninah that God's ways are more mysterious than even Grandpa Herman understands.

Joey S. (
Joey) wrote on 7/13/2005...
Editorial Review Amazon.com
Oprah Book ClubŪ Selection, April 1997: Members of the Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's Almighty Baptizing Wind spend their days and nights serving the Lord and waiting for the Rapture--that moment just before the Second Coming of Christ when the saved will be lifted bodily to heaven...The Rapture of Canaan is a book about miracles, and in writing it, Reynolds has performed something of a miracle herself.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
At the Church of Fire and Brimstone and Gods Almighty Baptizing Wind, Grandpa Herman makes the rules for everyone, and everyone obeys, or else. Try as she might, Ninah can't resist her prayer partner, James, and finds herself pregnant. She fears the wrath of Grandpa Herman, the congregation and God Himself. But the events that follow show Ninah that God's ways are more mysterious than even Grandpa Herman understands.

Amy P. (
Ames) wrote on 1/28/2005...
At the Church of Fire and Brimstone and God\'s Almighty Baptizing Wind, Grandpa Herman makes the rules for everyone, and everyone obey\'s, or else. But even in this isolated community where it seems nearly everything is forbidden, temptation occasionally touches the congregation...and for Ninah, temptation comes in the form of her prayer partner, James. Ninah is determined not to sin with James-so determined that she\'s willing to fill her shoes with shells to keep her mind on Jesus pain. Nevertheless, she soon finds herself pregnant. She fears the wrath of Grandpa Herman, the church members, and God himself. But the events that follow show Ninah that God\'s ways are more mysterious than even Grandpa Herman can understand...