Rating: 
Summary: Nothing short of excellent!
Review: Death has a way of bringing out either the worst or best in people. "Sittin in the Front Pew" demonstrates this in a touching and sometimes funny way. Glynda Naylor receives the phone call that no person ever wants: her beloved father, Edward Naylor, has died suddenly. With sisters Renee, Dawn and Collette hovering on the line, Glynda's in a state of shock. She'd just spoken with her father the day before and he told her how proud he was of all of his daughters.
As soon as she reaches home, the bickering associated with everyone wanting to have their way - members of the family or not - flairs up; from who's name would appear on the obituary to who was riding in the limos. There's much crying, lots of memories coming to the surface and some secrets revealed, which makes this story so real! Ms. Brown successfully demostrates how a family's grief can shake its foundation and what it takes to bring a family much closer: unconditional love. Excellent novel!!
Rating:
Summary: Ms. Brown must have been at my mother's funeral
Review: I fell asleep with this book in my hands and woke up the next morning reading. I couldn't wait to see what the Naylor Sister would argue about next. EbonySatin's depiction of a family under extreme grief induced stress is so real, I'm wondering if she was at my parent's home when my mother passed away. Great job. Ordering her other two books right now!
Rating: 
Summary: Jerry Springer, here we come!
Review: I listened to the book on tape which went a long way toward keeping the characters straight. The funeral planning was endless! How could such a wonderful man raise such a bunch of nitwit daughters is beyond me. The only daughters who appeared halfway normal were Dawn and Nina. Uncle Thomas seemed like a throwback to the pre-civil rights era. I thought the characters were basically unbelievable, almost caricature-ish.
The whole Nina thing seemed contrived (child support for 18 years and nobody noticed the money being gone? seeing her every Christmas? attending her graduation? giving her away at her wedding?). Just when I didn't think it could get any weirder, the book ended by having Nina embraced into the family bosom (breast implants and all) adding to the unbelievability of the whole thing. I would have stopped listening on Day 99 of the funeral planning but had so much time invested in the book (and nothing else in the car to listen to) that I finished it up. Oh, how I wish I would have cut my losses and listened to some good old country and western music station (which I hate).
Other than that, it was a good book.
Rating: 
Summary: Too much for me
Review: I like this book, but I didn't like this book. First I have to say that the secret was predictable. I already knew that the man wasn't cheating and I knew that that was his love child before it even came out. They way they found out about Nina Blackford, was a little much to me. As far as their reactions were a little over the top if you ask me. I did like the fact that the characters were real in my eyes. I could see them as I read the book. It did make me cry as well. It was just too sad to think about some one dying all of a sudden to me. Over all I would say that I was a good pick for our book club, The Roven Readers. I just would have liked it to involved more then just a funeral.
Rating:
Summary: Every family has to deal with sittin in the front pew.
Review: The Naylor girls are faced with the tragedy at hand and in the mist of their despair they are individual volcanoes ready to erupt. Renee, Collette, Dawn, Glynda have to deal with their loss but oh my goodness these sisters can be more than a handful. Just when you thought that things could not get any worse, in walks the mysterious Nina, who sheds light on a dark secret that the sisters never knew was their. Then their is Estelle, Edwards fiance and Oh you definitely want to meet her child "Jamaica." As this group deals with the preparations and grieving of their loss loved one, they have to deal with each other and Oh my goodness "Collette" takes the whole cake in this story. Reading this book made me realize that we all have family members that are depicted in this book and unfortunately, you have to realize that at some time in your life you will be sitting on the front pew. Oh one more character that you want to meet is "Roberta" honey that child needs some serious help. I think that she really believes she is a Naylor. Parry Brown has really brought out the emotions and craziness that happens when mourning begins and preparations are to be made. Good job Parry.
Rating:
Summary: Jerry Springer, here we come!
Review: I listened to the book on tape which went a long way toward keeping the characters straight. The funeral planning was endless! How could such a wonderful man raise such a bunch of nitwit daughters is beyond me. The only daughters who appeared halfway normal were Dawn and Nina. Uncle Thomas seemed like a throwback to the pre-civil rights era. I thought the characters were basically unbelievable, almost caricature-ish.
The whole Nina thing seemed contrived (child support for 18 years and nobody noticed the money being gone? seeing her every Christmas? attending her graduation? giving her away at her wedding?). Just when I didn't think it could get any weirder, the book ended by having Nina embraced into the family bosom (breast implants and all) adding to the unbelievability of the whole thing. I would have stopped listening on Day 99 of the funeral planning but had so much time invested in the book (and nothing else in the car to listen to) that I finished it up. Oh, how I wish I would have cut my losses and listened to some good old country and western music station (which I hate).
Other than that, it was a good book.
Rating: 
Summary: It Made Me Cry
Review: I just got finished reading "Sittin' In The Front Pew" and it broke my heart literally. As I read the book I thought I was reading about me, my father and my sister that I just found out I had in 2002, but it didn't take my father dying for me to find out, he just called me and told me, because she tried to contact him. This book was so touching and true to life. Even though I never lost anyone that close to me, it made me feel that this is what people really go through when they lose a love one, especially one they hold a torch for. I took a star off for Ms. Parry's reference to people acting like they were raised in the projects. Which way is that, I would like to know? I was raised in the projects and was raised very well. You can be raised in the suburbs, inside a house with a fence and still have not home-training, its not the surrounding its the parent, whether it be one or two in the household. Later!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Realistic Novel
Review: A very good read. Started off a little slow to me, but that was because I wanted to hurry up and see what happened next. The author did an excellent job of conveying the emotions of each of the characters. And the story was also very realistic as far as the personalities of the characters.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: At first I had a hard time getting started with this book. Then I couldn't put it down. By the end, I was almost in tears!
Great read!
Rating:
Summary: 'Just Us Girls' Book Review
Review: The ladies of 'Just Us Girls' Book Club reviewed this book in February 2003. The group felt the story line was too long, too dramatic, not realistic, too predictable and definitely not a page turner. This book was a very easy read but did not challenge us or encourage us to recommend to others.
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