Review: The Three Sisters by Bryan Taylor

The Three Sisters

by Bryan Taylor

Publisher: Dragon Tree Books (July 23, 2013)

Category/Genre: Humor, Literary Fiction, Inspirational, Satire, Philosophy

ISBN13: 9780988402478

Tour Date: Mid-October/November, 2013

Available in: Print & ebook, 401

Nuns just want to have fun! But when three former Catholic nuns, Coito Gott, Theodora Suora and Regina Grant have too much fun and get in trouble with the law, they become nuns on the run.

Driving back to Washington D.C. where they work at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Parts, the three sisters are arrested in Tennessee. After defeating the local deputy in strip poker, they escape from jail, and are pursued by the zealous Detective Schmuck Hole, who has personally offered a $10,000 reward for their capture on the 700 Club. Little do they know that when the three sisters visit the Washington Monument, their lives will change forever.

Set in 1979, The Three Sisters is a humorous, adult satire that skewers not only organized religion, but the government, the media, intellectuals, corporate greed and every other part of the establishment. Maybe not the greatest story ever told, but possibly the funniest.

“Blessed are they who read The Three Sisters, for they shall inherit eternal laughter.” — Matthew 5:66

Praise for The Three Sisters:

“This may sound odd but I never thought of myself as a big fan of religious satire…until I read this book. I was caught right away by the three sexy nuns on the cover. A friend recommended it to me and I didn’t think I would like it so I ventured to “skim” the first chapter. I must say that first chapter wowed me with excitement and I became so intrigued…I ended up with finishing it in two days.

If you’re looking for a serious study of religion or to explore the depths of the human condition, this book is probably not for you. The whole point of it was to be a roller-coaster of a ride – sexy naughty nuns running amok in 1970′s America and not looking back. Heavy on wordplay, allusions, and references to famous philosopher’s such as Voltaire, Taylor thumbs his nose at the common institutions and over-used plots.  So if you’re not afraid to ruffle some religious feathers, this might be the book for you.”- Joshua Silverman, Author of  The Emerald Tablet (Legends of Amun Ra, #1)

“This book is a hysterical read–not for the faint hearted or the easily offended. I thoroughly enjoyed Taylor’s sense of humor, writing style, and his use of innuendos, pun, satire, etc. He is a master at intertwining historical events of the Bible, church history, and religious stereotypes along with history in the 1970s. More than half way through, the book has a great surprise that I cannot say more about without giving too much information. I can only say that I laughed for two days. The character development of each of the three sisters (and some of the other characters such as Victor) is superb.”- Maureen Burton, Amazon Reviewer

“Reading The Three Sisters May Add to your Years in Purgatory, but It’s Worth It.  After reading The Three Sisters, I realize that Taylor has made the ultimate sacrifice. He is definitely going to Hell for writing this book, or if he is lucky, he’ll probably spend about five trillion years in Purgatory. But hey, his loss was my gain.

I really liked this book. It was witty in an Oscar Wilde or Mark Twain sort of way and made me laugh throughout. Not only is the main character highly sacrilegious, but the plot itself is about as sacrilegious as you’ll get. But the book is as much satire as sacrilege, and the sacrilege just lays the foundation for the rest of Taylor’s skewering of society.

The book is set in 1979, and only after you finish the book will you realize why (no spoiler here.  I found myself pulling for all the three sisters to overcome their predicament. Consequently, I couldn’t put the book down.”- S. Zehntner, Amazon Reviewer

“Simply divine! The plot: naughty nuns conquer America! Set in a mythical past, this satire is truly one of a kind. The author has a wicked sense of humor and an imagination that defies description. The more offbeat your own sense of humor is, the more you’ll appreciate this book. I highly recommend this for anyone who’s looking for something unusual.”-Mari Trevelyan, Amazon Reviewer

About Bryan Taylor:

Bryan Taylor is a double PK, a preacher’s kid of a preacher’s kid. With that legacy he faced two destinies, being an unhappy triple PK (Jubilees 17:23, “He that is born unto the son of a preacher and himself preaches shall be miserable until his dying day and suffer eternal damnation.”), or being sacrilegious and happy.

He decided to forsake the Southern Baptists for Catholicism, but when he applied to join a convent, he was rejected (sex discrimination!), so he decided to do the next best thing: write a novel about the three nuns he would most like to meet.

Bryan Taylor was born in Louisiana, grew up in Michigan and Texas, went to school in Tennessee, South Carolina and California, taught in Switzerland for a year, and has traveled to 50 countries, more than any Pope except Saint John Paul II. He now lives in California, which is one of the few places with people crazier than him.

The Three Sisters Website: http://www.threesistersnovel.com/

Bryan Taylor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BryanTaylorAuthor

Bryan Taylor Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/3sistersnovel/books/

My thoughts:

Normally I would shy away from a novel that had anything to to with nuns.  Some bad school memories will just never be erased.  However, to my delight these are not your average nuns.  I know that Sister Rita and Sister Dawn, my high school task masters, would never approve of anyone having any fun; much less that fun leading to lawbreaking; certainly not a nun, but Bryan Taylor would disagree and thank God for it!

Because I survived Catholic education it was intriguing to read Taylor account of three nuns with a sense of humor and a wild streak!  The novel, set in 1979, is really outrageously funny and few institutions escape Taylor’s satire; not only organized religion, but the media, the government, intellectuals, corporate greed; basically the establishment, man!

What was so endearing to me it that Taylor chose three nuns as the protagonists who would thumb their nose as the establishment.  Truly, for this reader that choice took the novel from being funny to being at times hysterically so.  I enjoyed Taylor’s refreshingly wicked sense of humor and the novel’s ability never to bow to “political correctness”.  

I truly enjoyed Three Sisters on the Run and thank Bryan Taylor for giving the reader such a funny novel that reminded me not to take things too seriously and enjoy the adventure rather than wait for the destination.