Abstract
Claire Hoffman’s *Sister Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson* (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025) offers a very balanced and engaging look at one of the most influential yet controversial figures in early twentieth-century American Christianity. Blending meticulous scholarship with narrative flair, Hoffman explores McPherson’s rise from obscure evangelist to international celebrity, her pioneering use of radio, and her complex role in shaping Pentecostalism and popular culture. Avoiding sensationalism, Hoffman examines McPherson’s triumphs, contradictions, and mysterious disappearance with nuance and respect, resulting in a balanced yet compelling and well contextualized biography.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Shawn
(2026)
"Book Review: Sister Sinner by Claire Hoffman,"
Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History: Vol. 8:
Iss.
2, Article 5.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/ljh/vol8/iss2/5
Included in
History of Christianity Commons, History of Religion Commons, United States History Commons, Women's History Commons