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Mrs. Covington's Sunday School Dropouts
Christian Contemporary Fiction
Cathy Covington has taught Sunday school to hundreds of young teens over the last forty years. After graduation, many of those students walked out the church door without a backward glance. Now Cathy is determined to see if a little nudge could push some of them back on the straight and narrow.
But when Cathy is elected Chairman of the Lumberjack Days parade committee, her new post threatens to consume all her time and energy. And, as if life isn't crazy enough, she stumbles on a windfall that could change everything in her life.
What follows is a hilarious, heartwarming adventure through the state forest, suburbs, and inner city as Cathy and her best friend Andi track down her former students, now troubled young adults. Along the way, Cathy learns that blessings have a way of hiding themselves until you are miles down the road, looking in the rear view mirror.
Cathy Covington has taught Sunday school to hundreds of young teens over the last forty years. After graduation, many of those students walked out the church door without a backward glance. Now Cathy is determined to see if a little nudge could push some of them back on the straight and narrow.
But when Cathy is elected Chairman of the Lumberjack Days parade committee, her new post threatens to consume all her time and energy. And, as if life isn't crazy enough, she stumbles on a windfall that could change everything in her life.
What follows is a hilarious, heartwarming adventure through the state forest, suburbs, and inner city as Cathy and her best friend Andi track down her former students, now troubled young adults. Along the way, Cathy learns that blessings have a way of hiding themselves until you are miles down the road, looking in the rear view mirror.
314 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 4, 2015
This is one that I really enjoyed. The story follows a Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Covington, as she decides to check up on former students and enlists the aid of cousin. It is a heartwarming story with delightful characters and lots of humor that made it made it a very enjoyable read. It is also a wonderful reminder that we don't always realize the impact our live might be having on someone else. I was given a copy of this book in return for an honest review, and it is one that I definitely recommend.
July 26, 2015
Sunday school teachers earn a special crown in heaven, and Mrs. Covington should be one of the first ones in line. After years of teaching Sunday school to middle schoolers, she reaches the point where she begins to wonder how her former students have fared. She engages her close cousin/best friend to help her track down the names on her list, those who have not darkened the church doors since shortly after leaving her class.
This book has much to recommend it in the way of Sunday School teacher wisdom. I enjoyed the snippets of lessons that began each chapter, especially one near the end that talks about the purpose and usefulness of salt and light, then reminds us “don’t be a low sodium Christian who prefers mood lighting.” There are many other places where Mrs. Covington lapses into her own thoughts about various aspects of life, such as the way we like to act as though sin that is visible or obvious is worse than private sins. And the way we want to indulge our desires without having to pay the consequences, even expecting to enjoy the benefits of while lacking in effort.
At times, I found the story a bit hard to follow. The number of minor characters made it difficult to keep all the names straight, and the close, sister-like dialogue between Mrs. Covington and her cousin occasionally made me feel like I’d stepped into a private conversation with no prior knowledge of private jokes.
But, my difficulties may very well be due to my expectations based on the title. There is much more to this story than a teacher simply looking up former students and inviting them back to church. Mrs. Covington goes well beyond the call of duty to insure some of her former students get a fair deal. Overall, this was an enjoyable and fun book to read.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book has much to recommend it in the way of Sunday School teacher wisdom. I enjoyed the snippets of lessons that began each chapter, especially one near the end that talks about the purpose and usefulness of salt and light, then reminds us “don’t be a low sodium Christian who prefers mood lighting.” There are many other places where Mrs. Covington lapses into her own thoughts about various aspects of life, such as the way we like to act as though sin that is visible or obvious is worse than private sins. And the way we want to indulge our desires without having to pay the consequences, even expecting to enjoy the benefits of while lacking in effort.
At times, I found the story a bit hard to follow. The number of minor characters made it difficult to keep all the names straight, and the close, sister-like dialogue between Mrs. Covington and her cousin occasionally made me feel like I’d stepped into a private conversation with no prior knowledge of private jokes.
But, my difficulties may very well be due to my expectations based on the title. There is much more to this story than a teacher simply looking up former students and inviting them back to church. Mrs. Covington goes well beyond the call of duty to insure some of her former students get a fair deal. Overall, this was an enjoyable and fun book to read.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 4, 2015
Lovely book! Mrs. Covington's Sunday School Dropouts is a fun story to read. It's all about a Sunday School teacher who decides to look up her former students from years past, and encourage them to get back with God and back into Sunday School. It's such an awesome book full of stories of how one woman listening to God can impact a town and many people's lives. There are plenty of fun things that happen and compelling characters to meet...and the story becomes even more intriguing when Mrs. Covington receives a life-changing blessing. I highly recommend this book, because it's so relatable and interesting to read. Thanks to the publisher for providing the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 30, 2015
The antics of senior citizen cousins, Cathy and Andi, left me laughing and amazed. Their life-long relationship is so very heartwarming. Cathy wants to touch base with her former middle-school Sunday School students and catch up with them. How she, with Andi's help, proceeds is what this wonderful story shares. It was just a tad of a slow starter for me, but I am so very glad I continued reading it anyway. Truly a lovely and uplifting read. I highly recommend this story. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher in exchange for my honest review.
August 4, 2015
I received a review copy of Mrs CovingtonsSunday School Dropouts in exchange for an honest review. Although the book had a slow start I was quickly pulled in and enjoyed so much the interaction between the two cousins. The twists and turns sure kept my interest. Cathy was an overcomer and had so much joy and humor as she overcame. I loved that she cared so much for her past students. Andi just added to the fun with her support and love for her cousin. I would definitely recommend this book.
July 24, 2015
I had the honor to review this book for the author. It started out slow then it really gets interesting. The way these two cousins work together is truly amazing. There relationship is remarkable. Watching these two find past Sunday school students is really interesting.
August 5, 2015
Mrs. Cathy Covington fits in no one’s box of expectations. She has spent 40 years as a presumed widow. The whereabouts of Mr. Covington are unknown. Is he a deadbeat husband and dad, or is he just dead? We don’t know. What we do know is that Cathy Covington - wife, mother and Sunday School teacher continued on, raising her six children and instilling the message of Christ into her middle school class. As the years go by, God speaks to her in a ray of sunlight and she becomes a woman with a mission. In a quest to find the answers to the question “whatever happened to… question”, she sets out along with her extraordinarily beautiful cousin/best friend Andi Clemens to find out.
I think the fact that Ms. Pease took the time to develop the character so well contributed to this reader’s enjoyment. By the end of the book, I actually understood and appreciated both Cathy and Andi. Favorite moments – Cathy obeying a nudge from God to stop in to see a former student on the day that he planned to die. Cathy’s determination that nobody messes with her Sunday School students and gets away with it. Her discovery of Microsoft stock in one of her husband’s law books – is it really possible to be that depressed over sudden wealth? It is for someone that values relationships more. Oh, and I love the way she and Andi strategically retreated when they recognized the opening round of a fight between two sisters. Perfect.
Although there were a few moments where it was a little heavy on non-character oriented commentary, I like this book. There was no romance, no real suspense, none of the elements of life that are typical for many stories. The primary characters were women of maturity. The love, loyalty and affection that is woven throughout the story is touching. And Cathy’s way of dealing with red squirrels is laugh out loud funny. I like these women as if they were my friends. The dynamics in Cathy and Andi’s relationship, the way they fight, love and support one another is so relatable.
There was a somewhat suspenseful element to the story, but without any threats or horrific occurrences. I think I was waiting for someone to break into Cathy’s house, threaten her in her attempt to expose the crooked Mr. Dowling or some such thing. But that didn’t happen, not even when she confronted the man in a public arena. The family remained safe, and the dog returned home safely, and a number of people learned that you should never underestimate a Sunday School teacher.
I still want to know what happened to Mr. Covington. His absence was felt throughout the book. And that very lack of a wrap up kind of made the imperfect ending just right. I recommend Mrs. Covington’s Sunday School Dropouts. If you haven’t been to Sunday School or church lately, they miss you.
I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from the Publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I think the fact that Ms. Pease took the time to develop the character so well contributed to this reader’s enjoyment. By the end of the book, I actually understood and appreciated both Cathy and Andi. Favorite moments – Cathy obeying a nudge from God to stop in to see a former student on the day that he planned to die. Cathy’s determination that nobody messes with her Sunday School students and gets away with it. Her discovery of Microsoft stock in one of her husband’s law books – is it really possible to be that depressed over sudden wealth? It is for someone that values relationships more. Oh, and I love the way she and Andi strategically retreated when they recognized the opening round of a fight between two sisters. Perfect.
Although there were a few moments where it was a little heavy on non-character oriented commentary, I like this book. There was no romance, no real suspense, none of the elements of life that are typical for many stories. The primary characters were women of maturity. The love, loyalty and affection that is woven throughout the story is touching. And Cathy’s way of dealing with red squirrels is laugh out loud funny. I like these women as if they were my friends. The dynamics in Cathy and Andi’s relationship, the way they fight, love and support one another is so relatable.
There was a somewhat suspenseful element to the story, but without any threats or horrific occurrences. I think I was waiting for someone to break into Cathy’s house, threaten her in her attempt to expose the crooked Mr. Dowling or some such thing. But that didn’t happen, not even when she confronted the man in a public arena. The family remained safe, and the dog returned home safely, and a number of people learned that you should never underestimate a Sunday School teacher.
I still want to know what happened to Mr. Covington. His absence was felt throughout the book. And that very lack of a wrap up kind of made the imperfect ending just right. I recommend Mrs. Covington’s Sunday School Dropouts. If you haven’t been to Sunday School or church lately, they miss you.
I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from the Publisher in exchange for my honest review.
August 4, 2015
I just finished reading Mrs. Covington’s Sunday School Dropouts by Connie Miller Pease. It is a Christian story about Cathy Covington. Cathy has been teaching Sunday school for over 40 years. She taught the middle school age children and had a unique approach. She believed in bringing the tales of the Bible to life (using actual objects like weapons and eating roasted or chocolate grasshoppers) and there was only ever one small fire. Cathy is now retired and needs a little project. She has decided to go and check on some of her past students. The students who are not on the right track in life. With the help of her cousin (Andi Clemens) she sets out to find and talk to over forty students and nudge them (maybe give them a really big push) back onto the right track. Cathy also wants to get them back to Church and Sunday school.
I give Mrs. Covington’s Sunday School Dropouts 3.5 out of 5 stars. I liked the idea, the characters, and the town, but I found the novel hard to get through (I am not sure why). One thing I did find offense was Cathy’s use of a BB gun to scare away squirrels. Evidently Cathy did not like squirrels getting into her bird feeders so she would shoot at them with a BB gun! The poor little things.
I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.
I give Mrs. Covington’s Sunday School Dropouts 3.5 out of 5 stars. I liked the idea, the characters, and the town, but I found the novel hard to get through (I am not sure why). One thing I did find offense was Cathy’s use of a BB gun to scare away squirrels. Evidently Cathy did not like squirrels getting into her bird feeders so she would shoot at them with a BB gun! The poor little things.
I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.
August 4, 2015
I had trouble getting through this book. I struggled to read it! I had trouble with the way that the author was trying to cover too much information or too many different stories going on at the same time! Part of the chapters dragged on and then some of the jokes I really didn't think was funny. I was disappointed because I was excited to read the book based on the synopsis and I felt the synopsis was the best part. The things I did like was the idea of trying to go and see what happened to the dropouts. I liked the idea of trying to bring people back to church but I think it just didn't work for me! I don't think I would read another book by this author because I don't think I am a fan of her writing style. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
June 20, 2018
Best Christian Fiction book!
I've read a lot of Christian fiction books & this one is, by far, one of, if not, my favorite! Cathy Covington, a loveable, sincere & tenacious Sunday School teacher makes a list of all the students that have passed through her class. With the help of her cousin, Andi, they hunt down several & the reunions are far from uneventful.....humor, sentiment & a little mystery are thrown in for good measure! I recommend this book for anyone who loves a good mystery, humor & warm fuzziness!
I've read a lot of Christian fiction books & this one is, by far, one of, if not, my favorite! Cathy Covington, a loveable, sincere & tenacious Sunday School teacher makes a list of all the students that have passed through her class. With the help of her cousin, Andi, they hunt down several & the reunions are far from uneventful.....humor, sentiment & a little mystery are thrown in for good measure! I recommend this book for anyone who loves a good mystery, humor & warm fuzziness!
August 7, 2015
I enjoyed this book. It was slow in the beginning but things picked up the further I got in the book. I loved how the first paragraph in each chapter was a glimpse into the moment of one of her Sunday School lessons. She is a Sunday School teacher I would love--one who thinks outside the box. I loved all of the little subplots with trying to reach her former students. I look forward to reading more from this author. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for giving an honest review.
May 20, 2016
My copy is signed by the author who was in our church youth group in the 70's. It's a wonderful story. I wish I was as diligent about keeping track of my former students as Mrs. Covington. My only problem was keeping all the characters straight. As a psychologist, Connie also reveals loads of insight into the personalities that she describes. Interesting!
October 26, 2015
full review soon
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews