Holy Roller
Julie Lyons
Reviewed by Teresa Konopka
“Holy Roller: Finding Redemption and the Holy Ghost in a Forgotten
Texas Church” by Julie Lyons is a candid novel. Told in first
person,
it is a cross between an autobiography of the author and a biography of
the people she encounters in Texas. The converts mentioned
throughout
the book are of the Pentecostal denomination.
A great bulk of
the book chronicles the stories of Texans before and during their
conversions. Most are cited as drug dealers, prostitutes, and
other
heinous types of peoples. Graphic details are given towards the
characters’ lifestyles. Depression, sexual abuse, and other
afflictions are described in-depth. The ways of the people
mentioned
in the book may disgust readers. Or, readers may grasp that no
matter
what they have done, God still forgives. After all, if the people
in
the book turned their hearts to Jesus and are assured of forgiveness,
more conservative readers who commit their own sins may not feel as
isolated and guilty for what they have done.
The author herself
writes of her own personal traumas. With trouble at home between
parents, Lyons grew up to be a secluded child that did not fit in well
with others. She did not do the same activities as other girls,
and
she was not completely at touch with her femininity. Several
times
throughout the book, Lyons writes of how she was sexually attracted to
women. She claims to have never acted on this desire, but she
says the
mere thought of it made her feel dirty. She discusses her own
journey
parallel to the other characters. Along the way, dreams and
special
ceremonies are cited that not all denominations of Christian will
respond to.
Overall, this book is intense. It is not exactly
the type of book equip for leisurely beach reading on a warm, sunny
day. The scenes are graphic and the situations explicit.
This is
definitely not suited for children. For those that don’t respond
well
to Christian books and prefer the more taboo tales, this book may suit
them well. While adult Christians can read this book, it is
definitely
a hard pill to swallow.