"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 "Fasten your seatbelt! A megachurch pastor''s wife is about to take you on a funny yet sobering literary exploration of aspiration, double-standards, shame, heartbreak and healing. Deesha Philyaw has a way with dialogue and desire on the page, and her talents are on full display here as she mines the often murky territory between public image and private accountability." - Charmaine Wilkerson, author of Black Cake and Good Dirt "I read the first three pages and that was all it took -- I was hooked. Pure audacious joy! Sign me up for the Deesha Philyaw fan club!" - Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry "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 "I enjoyed the hell out of this. Smart and juicy and compulsively readable, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman is the novel everyone is going to be talking about.
It''s funny, it''s sexy, it''s heartbreaking, it''s joyful; it''s everything I want in a book." - Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Date and The Proposal " 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 book is so damn good.
Sexy, messy, funny AF, with a message tucked tight in the satire. It slaps with a perfectly manicured open hand." - Nikesha Elise Williams, author of The Seven Daughters of Dupree "Deesha Philyaw has already established herself as one of the greatest short story writers, but in The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman she cements herself as the most soulfully entertaining writer of her era. The skill necessary to bounce readers from confessional to institutional critique to sweaty revelation is staggering. Yes, Philyaw loves these characters and place as much as characters and place can be fictively loved, but it is her care for, and ability to thwart, readerly expectations that feel wholly innovative. As Toni Morrison wrote, the language we wield should not sweat, but my God, the readers of these characters surely will. We will spit, piss, hoot and holler up a storm. This kind of book-making should not be humanly possible with first novels.
Readers everywhere will get lost, then give thanks. This one is special. Like, forever special." - Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy and Long Division "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 "What a time I had with The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman ! Deesha Philyaw''s debut novel is the highest entertainment and a master class in mess, all while giving readers some big, serious questions to chew on.
Amen?" - Dawnie Walton, author of The Revival of Opal & Nev "Deesha Philyaw is a master of detail, desire and delicious humor. This is a debut novel that could be deep into Philyaw''s catalogue. I couldn''t get enough." - Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie "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 "Simmering just below the surface of the scandal, sexiness, and laugh-out-loud hilarity that is Deesha Philyaw''s unputdownable debut novel is a fearless indictment of the corporate Black megachurch complex.
Philyaw takes aim at the hypocrisy of not only those who stand behind the pulpit but those congregants complicit in enforcing the corrupted word. She leaves no truth untold, no wig un-snatched. You''ll be thinking about The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman long after you''ve read the final page." - John Vercher, author of Devil is Fine "In her debut novel, [Philyaw] blows that gap wide open in a gleefully over-the-top satire about an invented pageant for the wives of megachurch pastors. Fierce, fabulous, and very funny." - Oprah Daily, Best Books of Fall 2026 list "I fell in love with Deesha Philyaw''s short story collection The Secret Lives of Church Ladies and her debut novel delivers the same kind of verve and wit but adds layers of scandal, sex, and intrigue that make it impossible to put down. It''s a funny, sexy romp of a novel." - Al Woodworth, Amazon Editors'' Pick "A raucous and moving tale of triumph told with biting wit.
" - People magazine (#1 on People''s Must-Read Books of Fall 2026) "A juicy tale of betrayal, feminism, and desire in the world of Black megachurches. Features great sex scenes, something often missing from literary novels." - Harper''s Bazaar "With knowing humor and a risqué, satirical touch, Philyaw dives into the stew of faith, sex, marriage, parenthood, hypocrisy, Black churches, and the importance of sex toys. The footnotes alone will keep you laughing." - Minnesota Star-Tribune "You''ll never look at fig leaves the same way after reading this hilarious, whipsmart and sometimes painful novel. Scharisse Freeman''s marriage to Pastor David Freeman of Belleton, Georgia''s Hope in Christ megachurch, has brought her First Lady fame, including several changes of designer clothes per day and a home so luxurious their family need never leave -- until she realizes a tough family truth and contends with the true meaning of faith." - Los Angeles Times "A cheeky, hilarious and endearing romp that cements Philyaw as one of our most exciting contemporary authors." - Ms.
magazine "A rollicking satire of Black megachurch culture featuring an irresistible fireball of a protagonist. Scharisse is an irresistible character, more Prometheus than Proverbs 31, and readers will be rooting for her every step of the way, even as some of those steps are clearly faux pas. Philyaw''s vibrantly voicey tale will appeal to both insiders and outsiders of the culture it describes, a Crazy Rich Asians -style visit to a rarefied realm, but with much more hot sex. Misogyny, classism, colorism, hypocrisy: begone! A fierce, fabulous and very funny truth-teller cometh to take you down." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Uproarious. Philyaw''s well-paced and irreverent novel sings. It''s a revelation." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Readers will now undoubtedly relish [Philyaw''s] delectable first novel.
HIGH-DEMAND." - Booklist (starred review) "A coming-of-middle-age tale that sharply satirizes Black megachurch culture. Framed as the memoir of Scharisse Freeman, the wife of a megachurch pastor, it''s a story peppered with clever and irreverent asides that showcase Scharisse''s no-holds-barred personality. Philyaw, the author of the National Book Award-finalist short story collection The Secret Lives of Church Ladies , has a lot of fun in setting up Scharisse''s opulent world, and in letting Scharisse begin to confront the hypocrisy and misogyny built in to that world. But what''s most impactful is the memorable character Philyaw has created in Scharisse, a woman who finds that her middle-aged happy ending is not at all what she once thought it would be." - BookP.