Reading this book is like stepping into a time machine and experiencing history through the eyes of a real family. Vivid storytelling and rich personal memories bring each page to life with humor, hardship, and triumph! After reading just one chapter, I was hooked. I found myself eager to continue the journey and look forward to reading this book from cover to cover.
This book truly took my breath away. I felt like I was back in Brownsville, Tennessee in the 1920 and was more than surprised.
Stephen’s writing is so descriptive that I could smell his mother’s fried chicken and collard greens and almost taste Big Mama’s poundcake with several ants being brushed off it.
His story is intriguing, brutally honest and truly draws you in, until you feel the emotions of each person. Please don’t read this book unless you have time to read through it, because you will not want to put it down. Thank you for sharing such insight about a large southern preacher’s family that moved to Boston… showing all the secrets, emotions, tears and drama that came with them.
Good luck with the launch. I’ll be looking for it on the New York Times best sellers book list.
My dearest Godfather. When I first heard of this book, the title alone sparked great interest. I Will Not Prayer In My Father’s House. After having read the chapter you sent as a sneak peak left me yearning for more. I’m so excited to read the book in its entirety. Thank you for the courage to put into published words the memories of your childhood. Your ability to recall and articulate your experiences is truely a gift. Not to mention your extraordinary writing style that’s draws the reader in as if they are watching it from a state of the art movie theater. This is truly a work of art inspired by God to bring light and healing to so many of us with similar experiences. Thank you once again for the courage to move forward on such a revealing work. It’s not just your story but it’s the story of so many of us who still suffer in silence. Thanks for have the courage to be that voice. I personally understand what one faces when being chosen for such a task as you have been chosen for. I pray the protection of God surround you and this book accomplishes the things it was ordained to do. Not just your story or our story, most importantly His-tory.
Waiting in anticipation to read the rest!!
Your Godson,
John Thomas Beeler
Wow if the rest of the Book can captivate me, like this, I am waiting with both curiosity, and excitement what,s comming next Look at God!!!!!!!
It is deeply painful when those close to you misinterpret a work that stems from your personal truth. When you pour your heart into a project—especially one as intimate as a memoir—you are offering a piece of your soul to the world. It is a vulnerable act, and it can feel like a personal betrayal when that offering is met with judgment or misunderstanding rather than empathy.
However, it’s important to remember a few things as you navigate these reactions:
The Nature of Truth
Art and memoir often act as a mirror. Sometimes, when people react negatively or “denigrate” the work, they aren’t actually reacting to your words—they are reacting to the discomfort your truth stirs up within their own lived experiences or beliefs. Their misinterpretation is often a reflection of their own boundaries, not a failure of your writing.
Your Intent is the Foundation
You wrote this for a reason. Whether it was to find healing, to document a legacy, or to give voice to a story that needed to be told, that intent remains valid regardless of how others receive it. Your primary responsibility is to the integrity of the story you lived, not to the comfort of the people reading it.
Forging Your Own Path
The journey of an author is rarely a smooth one, particularly when the subject matter is heavy or provocative. Many of the most impactful books in history were initially met with resistance or misunderstanding by the author’s immediate circle.
A Perspective to Hold Onto
"A book is not only the book that has been written, but also the book that has been read." — Marcel Proust
You can control the writing, but you cannot control the reading. If some friends choose to see the “wrong” message, that is their journey to take. Your work will eventually find the readers who truly need it—those who will see the message exactly as you intended and find strength in it.
Stay grounded in the work you have done. You have built something significant, and a few dissenting voices cannot dismantle the truth of your experience. Keep your head up; the launch is approaching, and there is a whole world of readers waiting to hear what you have to say.
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5 comments
Reading this book is like stepping into a time machine and experiencing history through the eyes of a real family. Vivid storytelling and rich personal memories bring each page to life with humor, hardship, and triumph! After reading just one chapter, I was hooked. I found myself eager to continue the journey and look forward to reading this book from cover to cover.
This book truly took my breath away. I felt like I was back in Brownsville, Tennessee in the 1920 and was more than surprised.
Stephen’s writing is so descriptive that I could smell his mother’s fried chicken and collard greens and almost taste Big Mama’s poundcake with several ants being brushed off it.
His story is intriguing, brutally honest and truly draws you in, until you feel the emotions of each person. Please don’t read this book unless you have time to read through it, because you will not want to put it down. Thank you for sharing such insight about a large southern preacher’s family that moved to Boston… showing all the secrets, emotions, tears and drama that came with them.
Good luck with the launch. I’ll be looking for it on the New York Times best sellers book list.
My dearest Godfather. When I first heard of this book, the title alone sparked great interest. I Will Not Prayer In My Father’s House. After having read the chapter you sent as a sneak peak left me yearning for more. I’m so excited to read the book in its entirety. Thank you for the courage to put into published words the memories of your childhood. Your ability to recall and articulate your experiences is truely a gift. Not to mention your extraordinary writing style that’s draws the reader in as if they are watching it from a state of the art movie theater. This is truly a work of art inspired by God to bring light and healing to so many of us with similar experiences. Thank you once again for the courage to move forward on such a revealing work. It’s not just your story but it’s the story of so many of us who still suffer in silence. Thanks for have the courage to be that voice. I personally understand what one faces when being chosen for such a task as you have been chosen for. I pray the protection of God surround you and this book accomplishes the things it was ordained to do. Not just your story or our story, most importantly His-tory.
Waiting in anticipation to read the rest!!
Your Godson,
John Thomas Beeler
Wow if the rest of the Book can captivate me, like this, I am waiting with both curiosity, and excitement what,s comming next Look at God!!!!!!!
It is deeply painful when those close to you misinterpret a work that stems from your personal truth. When you pour your heart into a project—especially one as intimate as a memoir—you are offering a piece of your soul to the world. It is a vulnerable act, and it can feel like a personal betrayal when that offering is met with judgment or misunderstanding rather than empathy.
However, it’s important to remember a few things as you navigate these reactions:
The Nature of Truth
Art and memoir often act as a mirror. Sometimes, when people react negatively or “denigrate” the work, they aren’t actually reacting to your words—they are reacting to the discomfort your truth stirs up within their own lived experiences or beliefs. Their misinterpretation is often a reflection of their own boundaries, not a failure of your writing.
Your Intent is the Foundation
You wrote this for a reason. Whether it was to find healing, to document a legacy, or to give voice to a story that needed to be told, that intent remains valid regardless of how others receive it. Your primary responsibility is to the integrity of the story you lived, not to the comfort of the people reading it.
Forging Your Own Path
The journey of an author is rarely a smooth one, particularly when the subject matter is heavy or provocative. Many of the most impactful books in history were initially met with resistance or misunderstanding by the author’s immediate circle.
A Perspective to Hold Onto
"A book is not only the book that has been written, but also the book that has been read." — Marcel Proust
You can control the writing, but you cannot control the reading. If some friends choose to see the “wrong” message, that is their journey to take. Your work will eventually find the readers who truly need it—those who will see the message exactly as you intended and find strength in it.
Stay grounded in the work you have done. You have built something significant, and a few dissenting voices cannot dismantle the truth of your experience. Keep your head up; the launch is approaching, and there is a whole world of readers waiting to hear what you have to say.