The Surface of Water, Cynthia Beach
The Surface of Water, Cynthia Beach
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The Surface of Water
A Novel

Author: Cynthia Beach

Narrator: Joana Garcia

Unabridged: 13 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/09/2024

Synopsis

The only person who can uncover his secret has arrived.

Matthew Goodman is tired, and his one wish is for something he can't have. Instead he focuses on the demands of his work as pastor of Chicagoland's Calvary Community, including bringing a new administrative assistant onboard. New hire twenty-five-year-old Trish Card watches him with somber, lake-clear eyes. What he doesn't know about Trish and her real reason for appearing will dismantle his world.

The Surface of Water is about a megachurch pastor, a famous evangelist's son, living in a world beyond his control. It's also a story about a young woman trying to understand her complicated life. In the #ChurchToo era, this novel invites listeners to see life's shadowed edges—isolation, power, and abuse—illumined by the light of truth.

About Cynthia Beach

Cynthia Beach is a professor of creative writing at Cornerstone University and author of Creative Juices for Writers. She has an MA in journalism from Wheaton College and an MFA in fiction writing from the Northwest Institute of the Literary Arts. She is also a trained spiritual director. Cynthia directs a faith-based writing workshop, Scriptoria, with Gary D. Schmidt. She lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan, on a quiet seven acres with her husband, Dave.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Shawn on November 05, 2020

A compelling read that I had trouble putting down. When I first saw it was about a megachurch, I wasn't so sure--I grew up in the church and don't particularly want to read about it. But Beach's characters are real, and the primary question a page-turner. I really enjoyed it.......more

Goodreads review by Panda on May 08, 2024

3.5 stars, rounded up. This powerful novel explores themes related to celebrity culture in the church, the reality of abuse, and issues related to power and privilege. The suspenseful story follows a young woman who has started working as a megachurch pastor's personal assistant in order to investiga......more

Goodreads review by Michele on May 29, 2024

Cynthia Beach has created a story that couldn’t have been written before MeToo or ChurchToo, before the rise and fall of Mars Hill Church, or before all the ominous associations we now attach to the megachurch movement. In other words, she has written the perfect novel for our time in church history......more

Goodreads review by Laura (kroosreadsandreviews) on December 03, 2023

The story was interesting to think about. It gave me an insight into the lives of what it may be like to be a pastor at a megachurch. It was intriguing to think about the disparity between the church and those living so close to the church. Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.......more

Goodreads review by Cheryl on March 26, 2024

For an author with a deep story to tell, Cynthia Beach was pretty gutsy to title her book The Surface of Water, then open its description with "The only person who can uncover his secret has arrived. It’s 2006, and Calvary Community Church of Chicago needs a new administrative assistant." When I hea......more

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