The Rapture of Canaan is a novel by Sheri Reynolds

Sheri Reynolds

Sheri Reynolds is an author of contemporary Southern fiction.She was born and raised in rural South Carolina and lives on Virginia's eastern shore...

. The book was chosen as an Oprah's Book Club

Oprah's Book Club

Oprah's Book Club was a book discussion club segment of the American talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, highlighting books chosen by host Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey started the book club in 1996, selecting a new novel for viewers to read and discuss each month. The Club ended its 15-year run, along with...

 selection in April 1997.

Adolescent Ninah lives in a strict fundamentalist Christian community (The Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's Almighty Baptizing Wind) led by her grandfather Herman. The community is governed by a series of strict rules covering everything from drinking to speaking to people outside of the community, with punishments ranging from sleeping on nettles to spending a night in a grave.

Despite the rules, Ninah cannot stop herself from falling in love with James, a boy her own age who is also her nephew by marriage.