The daughter of faith-healing Christians and the son of a TV evangelist are the stars of this lively cautionary tale about religion, family, faith, and love I start my story with the day I first saw Jesse Pegler. That was when my whole life first started changing. Sixteen-year-old Opal Ringer is the daughter of Royal Ringer, the Pentecostal leader of a motley flock of down-on-their-luck believers. Jesse Pegler is the son of Brother Pegler. An “evangelist for Jesus,” the elder Pegler is a flashy minister who appears regularly on television in his blue robes and gold tassels. Opal and Jesse meet at a faith healing at the Helping Hand Tabernacle church, where Opal’s daddy preaches. Jesse, with his soft eyes and sandy hair, is a younger version of his older brother, Bud, who ran away from the religious life—and whom Opal can’t forget. Alternating between Opal and Jesse’s perspectives, What I Really Think of You follows two preachers’ kids as they make fascinating discoveries about their faith, their families, and themselves. This ebook features an illustrated personal history of M. E. Kerr including rare images from the author’s collection.
