Lay your body down by Amy Suiter Clarke

Noble Wife Journey is a 2011 blog from Messiah parish in a small town, Bower in Minnesota. The writer, Eve, applauds the teachings of Pastor Rick “women are created to serve, to be pure, to submit, to be a delight to their husbands.” p2. Eve exhorts readers to subscribe to the blog and learn the tenets as she prepares herself to be a Noble Wife. Shifting to the present, Del, Delilah, is having a hard time; her boyfriend calls off their relationship, her roommate wants her to move out and she learns that her first love, Lars Oback, has been shot dead. Del grew up in the Messiah church where her parents still attend and it is 6 years since she last saw Lars who married her friend Eve. She finds out about the death on social media where it is described as an accidental shooting but Del had a voicemail from Lars just four days earlier, which she left unanswered, he asked her to call him saying “you were right, I’m sorry” p10. The story shifts from the present, as Del returns to Messiah for the funeral, to excerpts from the Noble Wife blog from 2011 and to excerpts from Delilah’s diary starting back in 2012, piecing together Eve’s elevation and Del’s fall from grace in the church. Returning to Bower is difficult for Del, uncovering old wounds and since she left, the church has become more powerful. Eve became a popular influencer through her blog, Pastor Rick published related books and the church now owns many of the local businesses. Del misses the constant support and encouragement she had when she belonged to the church but it had failed her when she most needed it and she chose to leave, now she is back to find out the real story behind Lars’ death and confront her own demons.

I was a bit worried that this was going to be a tirade against the church but rather it illustrated how, when there is a lot to lose, an institution like Messiah church can become excellent at protecting itself. The author was able to show us how “church speak” can manipulate teachings from the bible to shut down debate and retain its power and influence. Significantly in this case, women must unquestioningly respect a man’s authority, submit to leadership and obey God’s will; the different messaging for men and women gives men, especially those in authority, significant power over women and girls and when the wrong man is given that power it corrupts. The plot was a bit thin and the ending a bit weak but I was happy to go along for the ride as the insights into the cult like church and the manipulation of those wanting to belong, have approval and a slice of that power was very well handled.

Themes: murder, Cults, American ultra conservative Church.

Sue Speck