“Being set in the exclusive world of the wealthy, Black mega-church elite would be reason enough to gobble this novel down, but Schar’s transformation from disempowered try-hard, chasing after the approval of the other First Ladies, to utterly authentic badass is so well earned and so heartfelt — I laughed, I cried, I got turned on! Philyaw has created a heroine you can’t help but root for, and a book you can’t help but love.”

– Rufi Thorpe, author of Margo’s Got Money Troubles

“The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman is a rollicking peek into the life of a megachurch pastor’s wife—who’s keeping a messy secret sure to shock her hypocritical church community. Witty, raunchy, and funny as hell, Deesha Philyaw brilliantly exposes the minefield of seeking self-acceptance in a world consumed with performing ‘holiness.’ So propulsive, I inhaled it all in one sitting. Delicious!”

– Tia Williams, New York Times bestselling author of The Missed Connection

“The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman is sexy, shocking and funny as hell. It’s a wonderfully operatic tale of intrigue and betrayal within a Black church. Deesha Philyaw has written a love letter to the women in this world, and this novel practically glows with her affection.”

– Victor LaValle, author of Lone Women

“This novel is so alive! Philyaw manages the tension between faith and desire with an expert hand.”

– Raven Leilani, author of Luster

“Messy, bodied, simply goddamn alive! Another standout from Deesha Philyaw, one of our brightest and most gorgeously talented writers. It should be a crime to be so funny while simultaneously yanking your heart out of your chest. What a novel! A blessing just to read it.”

– Kristen Arnett, author of Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One

“Propelled by a ferocious love for others, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman heals as much as it humors, inspires as much as it scandalizes, and may just turn you on as much as it forces you to turn inward. Irresistibly catty, twisty, and packed with secrets, Deesha Philyaw’s debut novel cracks open the megachurch industrial complex in a way no one has before. Trust me: your jaw will be on the floor many, many times. And no hypocrite shall be spared.”

– Mateo Askaripour, author of Black Buck and This Great Hemisphere

“I love mess, nothing in the world is better than scandalous church mess, and The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman is funny and juicy and sexy and a delicious peek behind the pulpit of a Black megachurch. Deesha Philyaw is so good at writing complex characters who feel full and alive—I wanted to live inside this book, volunteer for the usher board for this book, tithe my ten percent to this book. As a matter of fact, that’s me in the front pew, waving my MLK fan, shouting ‘Amen’ and ‘Hallelujah!’ What a good-ass book!”

– Samantha Irby, author of We Are Never Meeting in Real Life and Wow, No Thank You