Book Review: "The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman" by Deesha Philyaw

Can I get an “amen”? Deesha Philyaw’s first novel is deliciously gossipy, thought-provoking, steamy, and emotional. Having been an enormous fan of Philyaw’s debut story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, I’m not surprised how good this is. But it’s a lot of fun, too.

“And you know what? I own all the parts that are true. The lies and the lessons. The messes and the mistakes. Because they are the stones that forged the path leading from my difficult past to my beautiful present.”

Scharisse Freeman is the much-younger wife of Rev. David Freeman, pastor of the Hope in Christ Baptist Church, one of the largest Black megachurches in the U.S. Given the age difference and the fact that Scharisse had no real religious background before marrying her husband, it’s taken quite a while for some in the church to warm up to her as First Lady. But she hasn’t let that stop her from using her brand to make millions of dollars.

What she craves more than anything, however, is acceptance from the First Ladies of other churches. Yet a misstep when she was first married has made her a pariah. But when she finally gets an invitation to compete in the First Lady USA pageant, she believes that winning will be her ticket to acceptance.

However, she doesn’t anticipate being in the middle of a huge scandal, which calls her reputation into question. It also highlights the hypocrisy of many so-called devout people, as well as the double standard that exists between men and women where infidelity is concerned. She needs to find her own path and be her authentic self—no matter what.

Schar isn’t always the most sympathetic character, and when miscommunication occurs a few times, I wanted to shake her a bit. But she is a woman who wears her heart on her sleeve, and definitely doesn’t suffer fools! I really enjoyed this.

The book publishes 9/29.