If you like biographies that take you on a wild ride, then Sister, Sinner by Claire Hoffman is a book I think you will enjoy.
Sister, Sinner is part biography and part true crime with some bizarre history added in.
Sister, Sinner is the story of Aimee Semple McPherson, the founder of The Foursquare Church.
This book takes you on a wild ride into the life of America’s first mega church and the women who founded it.
You do not have to be a Christian or into church history to enjoy this book, though. It is for anyone who enjoys little-known historical facts or who loves a great fact is strange than fiction read.
Sister, Sinner’s author, Claire Hoffman, is a journalist who did an excellent job researching Aimee Semple McPherson. She took Aimee’s story and turned it into a book that I could not put down.
This book is about Aimee, but it is also about life in California, and especially the L.A. area, in the early 1900s. It also looks into the early days of Hollywood and corruption in California.
Aimee Semple McPherson was born and raised on a farm in Canada. Her life changed forever when she married Robert Semple, an evangelist.
Aimee traveled the country with her mother and two kids for years as a traveling evangelist. She eventually settled in California, where she started Angelus Temple, which became the first mega church in the U.S.
Aimee’s personality drew people in. She connected with them emotionally. Her preaching was a performance. Those who attended her church received more of a show than preaching.
Aimee turned her sermons into Hollywood productions by doing things like wearing a police jacket and driving a motorcycle on stage.
Aimee was the first woman to preach on the radio, and she was the first woman to hold a radio license.
With her mother’s help, Aimee became quite powerful and wealthy. She used her talents to draw people in, convincing them to give her money for God’s work, but her work was about Aimee and had very little to do with God.
In 1926, Aimee disappeared. She vanished off a California beach. The mystery of what happened to her during the weeks she was gone has never been solved.
Claire Hoffman shares not only the story of Aimee Semple McPherson but she also goes into the details surrounding her disappearance.
As I read this book, I was amazed at how much has changed and how little has.
Mega churches are now all over the U.S., not just in California.
We have all seen modern-day people use the name of God to manipulate people and gain fortune. It didn’t just happen in the early 1900s, it is still happening today.
Today, we have TV evangelists and Christian social media stars, instead of radio ones, but they are still doing many of the same things Aimee Semple McPherson did back in the early 1900s.
Aimee Semple McPherson changed the world. There might be disagreement on whether she changed it for good or bad, but she changed it for sure.
I first heard about Sister, Sinner by Claire Hoffman from Amy at Mom Advice. Amy and I met at a blog conference years ago. We read very differently when it comes to fiction, but we both love a good narrative nonfiction book. So when she recommended it, I knew I had to read it.
This book did not disappoint. It was a wild ride of a read that I could not put down. I read it in just a couple of days.
If you love fact is stranger than fiction type of books, I think you will enjoy this one.
I first learned about Aimee Semple McPherson when I read The Mirage Factory by Gary Krist, which was my choice for a California nonfiction book. Her story is a bit spooky and as you said, a wild ride. I’ll look for this book. It’ll be interesting to hear another author’s perspective on her story.
I just looked up the Mirage Factory by Gary Krist and it looks really interesting. I am currently reading The White Cascade by him and am enjoying it. Thank you for mentioning The Mirage Factory!
My son read The White Cascade last summer but I’ve not gotten to it yet myself. I’ll be interested in reading your review about it when you’re finished.