The Amazing Crab Ally Revival

Author: Sharon Wilharm
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 315
Release Date: July 7, 2026
Publisher: Elk Lake Publishing

In 1897 Florida, a widowed woman searching for purpose finds herself drawn into an unexpected friendship—and a revival that will transform an entire town.

The year is 1897 and wealthy widow Lydia Culpepper is evaluating her mundane existence. For sixty-three years, she’s faithfully gone through the motions of fulfilling everyone else’s expectations for her life, but nothing she does is ever enough. She longs for something more.

When a young boy comes to her house in search of his missing coon dog, she gets her wish. She meets Emily Reed, a young finishing school instructor, and Opal Jackson, an Irish single mother, and the three women join together on a mission that turns the First Baptist Church on its head.

Suddenly, the town is in an uproar as lives are being changed. When Yellow Fever hits, it looks like their efforts may have been in vain, but the epidemic isn’t enough to thwart the fruits of the Crab Alley Revival.

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Reviewer: Jeanette Durkin

This is a very interesting and thought-provoking book! Each page brought to mind areas where I could be making a difference in my church and community.

The cast of characters is remarkable! Lydia is a person of many layers. On the outside, she is the upstanding citizen who teaches Sunday School, sings in the choir, and attends ALL of the weekly church services. Her heart, though, is trying to remind her that church should be life altering. I truly believe that God sent little Sam her way. Sam is absolutely adorable! His sweet innocence can break down most people’s walls. Not only is he eager to learn the stories of the Bible, but he wants his friends and family to learn them too!

One of the main things that kept repeating in my mind is that everyone should be able to attend church. The book is set in 1897, so there is the whole rich/poor aspect. Nowadays, it might look like piercings, tattoos, colored hair... But everyone should be able to attend church. That is our mission.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of the book from Elk Lake Publishing through Interviews & Reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Reviewer: Lori Parrish

This book, y’all, is just too funny and cute! I highly recommend it!

Y’all just have to love Mrs. Culpepper! She’s an awesome lady to know and funny too. Then come Opal and Emily, lol, but I couldn’t stand that mean old Charles Cogsworth. I didn’t like him from the get go!

There’s just so much to love about this story! You’ll love all the characters that I mentioned except one.

I laughed until I cried tears, and then I found myself praying for the whole town! You’ll also love a little boy named Sam and his dog, lol.

Best of all, it’s set in sunny Florida!

I’m giving this delightful story 5 stars!

I want to leave you all with a thought that I think even Mrs. Culpepper would be pleased with, lol.

This verse comes from Ecclesiastes:

“Each of us have our season to bloom and then we die. The next generation comes along and carries on where we left off.”

This book still has me thinking about it. I finished it in a day. I couldn’t stop turning the pages fast enough!

I loved the little sayings at the beginning of each chapter, too. They do make you stop to think.

This book will be added to my shelf of favorites.

I received this book courtesy of the author via Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.

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