Mother Emanuel

Praise

“All at once Kevin Sack’s Mother Emanuel is harrowing, despairing and inspiring. From a moment-by-moment account of the evening of the massacre to a final, brilliant discussion of the meaning of forgiveness in Christianity and other traditions, 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. Kevin Sack tells the story of a moment of racial terror that turned into an opportunity for grace—and from that terrible story produces an insightful and inspiring work of history. 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

“A gracefully written book about one church and the tragic death of nine martyrs, which also narrates a critical history of enslavement, the search for freedom, and the hatreds that are animated with each new generation. Few accounts of racism and violence in the United States provide such rich and sensitive narrative about how much we all suffer as a result of the nation’s original sins. Breathtaking and beautiful!”—Marcia Chatelain, author of Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America