Board Member Tess Bartels, aka Book Concierge, has a list of books to accompany the final show of our 65th season, "Sister Act."
I wasn’t sure I would have anything to contribute (in terms of books, that is) with our final show of this season. But I surprised even myself.
The original musical comedy movie on which the musical is based attracted two lawsuits claiming plagiarism. (In both cases, the courts ruled in favor of Disney and the movie’s producers.)
Partners who had created a screenplay based on a book by Dorothy Gilman sued first, claiming over 100 similarities between their screenplay adaptation and the 1992 hit movie. If you want to read the original: A Nun In the Closet, by Dorothy Gilman – Cozy Mystery / Humor – A mysterious benefactor donates an old house to the abbey of Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe, bringing ghosts, gangsters, and murder. A wounded man hides in the house. A suitcase stuffed with money sits at the bottom of the well. Apparitions haunt the nights. God knows what will happen next. (from the publisher, via Goodreads.com)
In 2011 Delois Blakely sued, claiming that her 1987 autobiography was the basis for the film. The Harlem Street Nun: Autobiography of Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely by Dr. Delois Blakely – Autobiography – (This is considered to be the true story of Sister Act) The purpose of this book is to hold on to your innate gifts that God has endowed you with. Creative energy comes from the Creator, let no man rob you of your inspirations, your reflections, and your spiritual awakening that only the Creator can endow you. (from the publisher, via Goodreads.com)
There are a number of books that look at persons in the Witness Protection Program, some of whom are not so willingly involved…
The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano – Mystery / Romance – Melody was only six years old when she and her parents witnessed a horrific act of violence. The US government has put them in witness protection, but Melody keeps “forgetting” her new names and they are forced to move again and again. She has her latest identity but is stunned when a man calls her by her REAL name. Was he simply sent by the family to find (and eliminate) her? Can she trust him? Cristofano writes a tight thriller full of twists and turns, however, I found the ending stretched credulity. Still, read it and judge for yourself.
In The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, Hannah Hall’s husband of barely one year disappears, leaving only a bag of money and a cryptic note that simply reads: “Protect her.” The “her” he refers to is his sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey, whose mother died when she was just a baby, and who wants nothing to do with her stepmother.
And this one from the master of legal thrillers, John Grisham – The Client. Two brothers are sneaking a cigarette when they stumble upon a suicidal attorney and accidentally learn the location of a body the crime syndicate does NOT want discovered. Prosecutors will do anything to make eleven-year-old Mark talk; the mob is equally determined to keep him quiet. And his fate depends on a relatively inexperienced, and down-on-her-luck attorney, Reggie Love.
And these books have only a slight relationship to Sister Act.
First is the mystery series featuring ex-nun-turned-investigator Christine Bennett, written by Lee Harris. which I really enjoy. Book number one in the series is The Good Friday Murder and was first published in 1992. Christine is intelligent, calm, deliberate, tenacious, and compassionate. There are seventeen books in the series, the last having been published in 2006. I recommend reading them in order if you can find the older ones because the relationships grow over the course of the series.
As a crime story, Sister Act, reminds me of a series of hilarious crime caper books that involve a rather inept bounty hunter who, only occasionally, gets the perp. Stephanie Plum stumbles into this line of work when she loses her job at the button factory. There are no nuns in the series, but there are a number of colorful, eccentric characters who have key supporting roles. Grandma Mazur and Lula are both memorable for their antics. Janet Evanovich’s incredibly popular series begins with One For the Money, which was first published in 1994. Book number 31 in the series, Now or Never, was published in November 2024.
Finally, one thing about the movie that I really enjoyed was the girl-group songs “I Will Follow Him” and “My Guy.” (Please note: the musical adaptation does not include these songs.) If you feel the same way, you might enjoy this book: Girl Groups: The Story of a Sound by Alan Betrock – Nonfiction / History – This slim volume gives readers the history of girl groups and singers of the sixties, including the Crystals, the Shangri-Las, Lesley Gore, the Supremes, the Chiffons, and many more.
Happy reading!
Tessa Bartels
a/k/a Book Concierge