The Minister’s Wife

Reviewed by:

Elise Boutell from Terre Haute, IN, a Professional Writing student at Taylor University in Upland, IN.

REVIEW INTRODUCTION

Title:

The Minister’s Wife

Author:

Karen Stiller

Publisher:

Tyndale

https://www.tyndale.com/

Publication Date:

2020

Format:

Print book

Length:

240 pages

OVERVIEW

Many people have expected much and learned little about their pastors’ wives, viewing them with curiosity and audacity. But what is it actually like to be a minister’s wife? With an inside perspective, minister’s wife and writer Karen Stiller explores the ins and outs of her everyday life with wit, candor, and charm, giving her readers a thorough understanding of the women on the front rows of their churches.

Warm and snappy, her prose stirs up clear images of the scenes and feelings she describes. As she writes about her own exasperation, humor, and joy, she projects each emotion into her readers’ hearts. This relatable and amusing book gives readers a new perspective into lives that most people know little about.

As with many memoirs, this book shows readers the present moment but withholds the full meaning of each scene until the pieces gradually fall together. Although impatient readers may find themselves lost in the details, those who stay to the end will see how each piece contributes to a full picture of her life. The longer people keep reading, the clearer a picture they have. Readers will come away from this book with a formulated picture of the loneliness, struggles, and joys that follow ministers’ wives.

ASSESSMENT

Rating:

5 out of 5

Suggested Audience

Educated Christians with a sense of wit, the children and wives of ministers, and anyone regularly attending church would enjoy this memoir.

Christian Impact

Although Stiller holds to Christian values, she does not tell readers how to live. Instead, she writes honestly about her prayers, brokenness, and struggles, holding up good morals and truth while recognizing her shortcomings.

Other Notes:

Stiller’s husband pastors an Anglican church, so many of her references to church include elements of Anglican traditions.