{"product_id":"god-spare-the-girls-a-novel-isbn-9780063020269","title":"God Spare the Girls: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Read it for twists on twists, meditations on faith, and a deeply thoughtful treatment of an evangelical community.\"  — \u003cem\u003eGlamour\u003c\/em\u003e, Beach Reads That Are Like Summer in a Book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“A thoughtful and candid meditation on faith, family, and forgiveness . . . fabulous.” —\u003cem\u003eClaire Lombardo\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eThe Most Fun We Ever Had\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecommended by \u003cem\u003eGood Housekeeping\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eElle, Parade, Real Simple,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eGlamour,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRefinery29,\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eBustle, Oprah Daily\u003cem\u003e, \u003c\/em\u003eThe Millions\u003cem\u003e, \u003c\/em\u003eShondaland, Yahoo!, Literary Hub, and more!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA mesmerizing debut novel set in northern Texas about two sisters who discover an unsettling secret about their father, the head pastor of an evangelical megachurch, that upends their lives and community—a story of family, identity, and the delicate line between faith and deception.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLuke Nolan has led the Hope congregation for more than a decade, while his wife and daughters have patiently upheld\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003ewhat it means to live righteously. Made famous by a viral sermon on purity co-written with his eldest daughter, Abigail, Luke is the prototype of a modern preacher: tall, handsome, a spellbinding speaker. But his younger daughter Caroline has begun to notice the cracks in their comfortable life. She is certain that her perfect, pristine sister is about to marry the wrong man—and Caroline has slid into sin with a boy she’s known her entire life, wondering why God would care so much about her virginity anyway.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen it comes to light, five weeks before Abigail’s wedding, that Luke has been lying to his family, the entire Nolan clan falls into a tailspin. Caroline seizes the opportunity to be alone with her sister. The two girls flee to the ranch they inherited from their maternal grandmother, far removed from the embarrassing drama of their parents and the prying eyes of the community. But with the date of Abigail’s wedding fast approaching, the sisters will have to make a hard decision about which familial bonds are worth protecting.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn intimate coming-of-age story and a modern woman’s read, \u003cem\u003eGod Spare the Girls\u003c\/em\u003e lays bare the rabid love of sisterhood and asks what we owe our communities, our families, and ourselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“A deeply felt book about love — love for family and community, for people who sustain you and people who disappoint you. And love for God, too, which Kelsey McKinney writes about with humane and incisive frankness.”—Linda Holmes, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eEvvie Drake Starts Over\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“The accomplishment of this canny novel is in positing coming of age itself as a loss of faith—not only in the church, but in our parents, our family, and the world as we thought we understood it.” — Rumaan Alam, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eLeave the World Behind\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eRich and Pretty\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“[A] tender, aching debut . . . where faith and betrayal are intertwined.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eElle, The 55 Most Anticipated Books Of 2021\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Kelsey McKinney has written a real whopper of a novel with \u003cem\u003eGod Spare the Girls\u003c\/em\u003e, a book that explores the ultimate cost of love within a family and the secrets people keep. I felt deeply touched by these characters as I read; both hopeful for their relationships and also wishing for their success. It is a precious thing to find a novel that allows for both the sweetness and the sour—McKinney writes it all deftly, beautifully, and fearlessly.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKristen Arnett, New York Times bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things and With Teeth\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Kelsey McKinney has wrought an elegant tale of sisters, yes—but its greatest success is in accommodating a story of Evangelicalism that both speaks to its strengths and all-too-human heartbreaks. A compelling read.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEsmé Weijun Wang, New York Times bestselling author of The Collected Schizophrenias\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"I don't know what I was more moved by in \u003cem\u003eGod Spare the Girls\u003c\/em\u003e: the depths and twists of family love, the complexities of faith, or the failures of both faith and love. A devastating and large-hearted novel.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eR.O. Kwon, author of The Incendiaries\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“McKinney is a strong and compelling storyteller and has crafted a captivating small town world full of gossip and intrigue. \u003cem\u003eGod Spare the Girls \u003c\/em\u003ebeautifully explores the challenges of young womanhood in the context of a religion that has its own very strict ideas about what it means to be a good daughter, sister, and wife. Above all else, \u003cem\u003eGod Spare the Girls\u003c\/em\u003e is a touching and powerful story of a bond between two sisters navigating a world and life they never chose. It is a beautifully rendered spin on classic coming-of-age tales, with the characters navigating intricate layers of relationships with themselves, with each other and with their faith.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAssociated Press\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The highlight of McKinney’s authentic narrative is her treatment of relationships, and Caroline and Abigail’s growing connection as the rest of their world threatens to fall apart is at once engaging, witty, and heartbreaking. A loss of faith gives way to something much stronger.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The writing is evocative, and McKinney masterfully captures the nuanced dynamics of sisterhood. I wish it had been 10 times longer.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic Daily\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This stirring debut about faith, secrets, and familial bonds will keep readers turning the pages.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"An astonishingly assured debut that focuses on Caroline and Abigail Nolan, a pair of sisters in the fictional North Texas town of Hope, as they struggle with their evangelical faith and family betrayal.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTexas Monthly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \"A feminist rewrite of Lot. . . . \u003cem\u003eGod Spare the Girls\u003c\/em\u003e is, in short, delightful.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTexas Observer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Bewitching . . . [a] tender but cutting coming-of-age story.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eElle, The Best New Books to Read in Summer 2021\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The story is fictional, but far too familiar to many who were raised in the church.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRelevant Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The novel’s strength lies in its note-perfect depiction of conservative white Bible Belt church culture, and what happens when that culture’s image of perfection clashes with reality. Kelsey McKinney’s powerful first novel takes on Texas summer heat, church politics and complicated family dynamics.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A compelling and beautifully written tale, a book that captures the hubris and hypocrisy that can come from institutionalized faith while also finding ways to acknowledge the value that such circumstances can bring. Delicately heart wrenching, driven by sad realizations and quiet humor, it’s an unforgettable read. . . . An exceptional piece of fiction, sad and smart and driven by an overarching verisimilitude. What McKinney has created feels like a real place with real people, all while sharing their stories of faith gained or lost or somewhere in-between. Believing matters—but what often matters more is that (or those) in which (or whom) we choose to believe.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Maine Edge\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A heart-filled exploration about faith, family, and loyalty, and what it means to strike your own path . . . Told with such tenderness, humor, and yes, hope, this is a novel for anyone who’s felt broken down over faith and love and who has questioned what they thought they knew about life, which is to say, all of us. A coming of age tale that feels fresh and untold . . .These characters will be on my mind for a long time.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChelsea Bieker, author of Godshot\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eGod Spare the Girls\u003c\/em\u003e by Kelsey McKinney is a fascinating look at the moment in a young woman’s life when she starts to forge an identity separate from her family’s.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eReal Simple, The Best New Books to Read in 2021\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Compelling . . . Both a coming-of-age book and an examination of belief, identity, and family, \u003cem\u003eGod Spare the Girls\u003c\/em\u003e is unflinching and entrancing, and a reminder of the dangers of blind faith, but also the power of love.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRefinery29, 38 Books You’ll Want To Read This Summer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This coming-of-age debut about sisterhood, faith, community, and Evangelical Christianity is sure to delight.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Millions, Most Anticipated of June\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Kelsey McKinney’s debut novel asks a difficult question: Why does God’s love often feel more conditional when it comes to women? . . . With a story about family, womanhood, and the question of goodness, readers will not be able to put \u003cem\u003eGod Spare the Girls\u003c\/em\u003e down.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShondaland, The 5 Best Books for June 2021\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Read it for twists on twists, meditations on faith, and a deeply thoughtful treatment of an evangelical community.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGlamour, Beach Reads That Are Like Summer in a Book\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eGod Spare the Girls\u003c\/em\u003e is an incandescent novel. The book is a clear-eyed breathtaking exploration of sisterhood, faith and love and loss. McKinney broke my heart a million times with her beautiful and unflinching exploration of two sisters caught in a repressive world of religion and even more repressive love. I couldn't put it down. I found myself lost in the world of Texas heat and the fires of faith. McKinney's world is both familiar and engrossing, compelling and poignant. \u003cem\u003eGod Spare the Girls\u003c\/em\u003e is a dazzling debut.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLyz Lenz, author of Belabored and God Land\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Every family has its secrets. . . . \u003cem\u003eGod Spare the Girls \u003c\/em\u003eis an exploration of individuality, family, religion, community, and how when one family secret is revealed, many more follow.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eOprah Daily, 33 of the Best Beach Reads to Help You Escape\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A story of sisters, family, faith, power, performance, secrets, and betrayal . . . a gorgeously written exploration of what it means to attempt to love and trust when the foundations upon which we’ve built those words have been torn down.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLynn Steger Strong, author of Want and Hold Still\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Kelsey McKinney’s debut is a timely exploration of the moral contradictions of contemporary Evangelical Christianity. But the accomplishment of this canny novel is in positing coming of age itself as a loss of faith—not only in the church, but in our parents, our family, and the world as we thought we understood it.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRumaan Alam, New York Times bestselling author of Leave the World Behind and Rich and Pretty\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"William Morrow Paperbacks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44889684934885,"sku":"NP9780063020269","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780063020269.jpg?v=1730231746","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/god-spare-the-girls-a-novel-isbn-9780063020269","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}