Donna Johnsons remarkable story of being raised under the biggest gospel tent in the world by David Terrell one of the most famous evangelical ministers of the s and s Holy Ghost Girl is a compassionate humorous exploration of faith betrayal and coming of age on the sawdust trail She was just three years old when her mother signed on as the organist of tent revivalist David Terrell and before long Donna Johnson was part of the hugely popular evangelical preachers inner circle At seventeen she left the ministry for good with a trove of stranger- than-fiction memories A homecoming like no other Holy Ghost Girl brings to life miracles exorcisms and faceoffs with the Ku Klux Klan And thats just what went on under the tent As Terrell became known worldwide during the s and s the caravan of broken-down cars and trucks that made up his ministry evolved into fleets of Mercedes and airplanes The glories of the Word mixed with betrayals of the flesh and Donnas mother bore Terrells children in one of the several secret households he maintained Thousands of followers dubbed Terrellites by the press left their homes to await the end of the world in cultlike communities Jesus didnt show but the IRS did and the prophethealer went to prison Recounted with deadpan observations and surreal detail Holy Ghost Girl bypasses easy judgment to articulate a rich world in which the mystery of faith and human frailty share a surprising and humorous coexistence.
