Mother Emanuel

Praise

“Mother Emanuel is a masterpiece . . . Sack, a former reporter for The New York Times, delivers a dense, rich, captivating narrative, featuring vivid prose, prodigious research and a palpable emotional engagement that is disciplined by a meticulous attention to the facts. His excavation is an essential addition to existing histories and ought to be recognized as a singular journalistic performance.”—The New York Times

“In Mother Emanuel, Sack puts forth a gripping exploration into how centuries of white supremacy impacted the church and the witness of faith against a deluge of hatred. . . . Poetic and captivating.”—Christianity Today

“Sack writes lyrically, from deep research, and with an unforgettable message about tragedy and resilience.”—David W. Blight, Pulitzer prize-winning author of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom

“[Mother Emanuel is a] searching history of the Charleston church brought into the headlines by mass murder . . . A sobering, expertly told history of the struggle for equality as waged from pulpit and pew.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“ Big in historical scale but granular in personal detail, Mother Emanuel transcends the church of its title and the crime that made it famous. It feels like a monument to Black America that takes the form of a book.”—Edward Ball, National Book Award winning author of Slaves in the Family and author of Life of a Klansman

“Good writers are a pleasure to read. Great ones are so evocative that you often tingle to get to the next page. Veteran journalist Kevin Sack’s new book, Mother Emanuel, is the latter, a masterpiece of great reporting, writing and storytelling.”—Charleston City Paper

“This book shook me with its power and beauty. Mother Emanuel is a book of enormous ambition, meticulously researched, gorgeously written, and deeply fulfilling.”—Jonathan Eig, Pulitzer prize-winning author of King: A Life

“Race, religion, and terror combine for an extraordinary story of America, the resilience of a people, and their capacity to forgive in order to live with unimaginable grief. A powerful book—especially for times such as these.”—Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., bestselling author of Begin Again

“In Mother Emanuel, Kevin Sack offers a deeply researched, eloquent page-turner, taking us from colonization and the African slave trade to modern times. Along the way, we feel the myriad ways the past still weighs on us, and we meet visionaries inspired by a more generous Bible, and a more democratic America, than the ones they inherited.”—Melissa Fay Greene, author of Praying for Sheetrock and The Temple Bombing

“Breathtaking and beautiful!”—Marcia Chatelain, author of Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America