My Review of Reinventing Leona by Lynne Gentry

First off, I should start by saying that I enjoyed reading this book for the most part. The author has a writing style that is easy to read and the characters were likeable and memorable. The story line and thought behind it were great. Leona Harper has been a pastor's wife for many years when her beloved husband falls dead suddenly in the pulpit one Sunday morning. The book mostly focuses on how Leona has to make changes and adapt to her new role and life without being the wife of a minister. She is barely into the grieving process when the board members begin to put the pressure on her to move on so they can bring in a new (and younger) minister. She of course has friends who support her and are on her side as well as people in the community who assist her as she finds a job to support herself. There is also ongoing delimnas with strained relationships with her mother, who is agnostic, as well as her two children, who are not living for God.
As a minister's wife myself, I have to say that there were some aspects of the book that disappointed me. While I understand that some Christian people are hurtful, it seemed to me that the response of Leona was not what I would have expected from a Christian who had been saved as many years as Leona. Some of her attitudes, while very much human, were not very Christlike overall. I understand that, even as Christians, we have people in our lives who frustrate us or treat us wrongly, but we are to return evil with good and to treat them with love. At times, Leona does this, but it came across to me that she was doing it because it was what was expected of a "good pastor's wife," not because it was what Jesus would do. She seemed very bitter and angry at many of the church people. As the story came to a close, she began to see that the Lord had placed certain members in the congregation in her life to help her, but I would have like to have seen a little more resolution in the story regarding her feelings about the people of the church and ministry in general.
In spite of that thought, I did enjoy the book for the most part. I felt like her children dealt with many things that pastor's children deal with and there were many humerous (and true) aspects of the book depicting life in ministry.
I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not obligated to provide a positive review.