So as you all know I started a book club, because you know me and books…
Every month we read a book and I do a little post on the book we read and discussed. What can I say, I just love books.
There is no theme, other than with each month, a different member gets to pick a book, whichever one they want. This time was the book member chose:
Desperate Pastors’ Wives (Secrets from Lulu’s Cafe #1) by Ginger Kolbaba and Christy Scannell
I’ve mentioned before that I’m a pastor’s kid, so I thought this would be very interesting in how it shows things they go through.
Hmm…?
There are four pastor’s wives from different domination. They met at a pastor’s wives breakfast put together by a very mean, annoying, awful Pastor Wife-Kitty. Kitty is one of those Queen Bee type girls who just loves to make fun of others, she also comes from a rich church and likes to use that as well to be mean to the others. She may be married to a pastor-but it is clear that she is not walking with God.
Each pastor’s wife is dealing with their own issues, the only thing keeping them together is their meeting in the next town at Lulu’s Cafe where they can dish, be themselves, and enjoy time away from prying eyes.
Mimi Plaisance is married to Pastor Mark Plaisance, a Methodist, and has a large crew of kids. She is in charge of practically everything and going going going all day long. Everyone relies on her to do everything, even help out at other churches, and she barely has a second to breathe. She is seen as the perfect baker, mother, Sunday School Teacher, and Pastor’s wife.
She tries to get the head of PTA but loses to another woman, Gloria, who stinks at everything. She has never lost in her life, she’s a winner at everything she tries-excels at everything! If they would rather have Gloria, what does that say about how they view Mimi? Maybe they don’t see her so well after all.
She also has the trouble that her husband’s paycheck as their home is controlled by the church Deans, so anytime they want to replace something or need money, they have to beg the Deans for money. These deans have been saying no, even though Mimi has been having to deal with a finicky oven that runs to hot or cold and makes everything undercooked unless she is watching and calibrating it perfectly. It all comes to a head when Mimi just breaks down from the load she is carrying, her food overcooks when she is supposed to be making a dinner for the deans. She gives up, serves them the food and walks out. She’s done with trying to be perfect-even bringing store bought fried chicken to the big picnic.
Will she figure out that she needs to just calm down and focus on God-instead of filling her life?
Felicia Lopez-Morrison is a PR executive. She and her husband, David, lived in LA when he decided to become a pastor. After he finished his pastor’s degree they moved to Colorado, taking over the First Baptist Church, where Felicia was lucky to find a job to transfer to. She’s not the typical pastor wife and gets a lot of flack for it.
In their small town of Red River, they expect her to stay home and take care of her child, oversee all the programs, wear what they consider “church clothes”, etc. No one ever likes her Mexican food and throw it out at potlucks, they don’t like that she gets her hair and nails done, goes to spas, etc. Her son doesn’t get as much time as she’d like and now he is biting kids at daycare! Everyone looks at her like it is her fault, as if she is bad mother. To make things worse, a woman from church and her husband have been working closely together.
She knows the woman is after her man, but is her husband having an affair or is he clueless? Will Felicia conform to how people think she should be or will she figure out there is only one person who’s opinion is important.
Lisa Barton has been having a hard time with her husband. Growing up a preacher’s kid she has always wanted to be a pastor’s wife and thought she knew everything about it. But she was not prepared for the fact that Pastor Joel Barton would care more about the church than her and their family. He’s always gone every second of the day doing something for God and he for the kids. And worse-he has no time for her, he’s so distant…the church are more his wife than Lisa. It has only been three years here and she feels unloved and unlovely, how much longer will it go on like this?
She even gets a makeover and does their room romantic, but he leaves her for a phone call from the church. He later misses and forgets to bring a cake to his child’s birthday party. Lisa had reached the end of her rope, will she finally talk it out with her husband and God?
Jennifer Shores has been wanting a baby forever. She feels as if it is the only thing missing from her marriage. Jennifer was in an abusive relationship and when she left ended up helping out at the woman’s shelter that helped her. She later was hired to be the secretary for Pastor Sam Shores, a widower who lost his wife in a drunk driving accident. After a while they started dating and got married. Jennifer has always felt insecure but even more taking the place of that perfect pastor’s wife. She wishes to have a child but nothing-miscarrige or her period comes every time.
Noooo!
It feels like God isn’t listening to her at all-why is he doing this! Jennifer walks out of church one day and decides she is never going back-heading to birdwatching hiking, and then finding herself at the Catholic church confessing her feelings to a priest. Will she find her way or give up on God and her husband?
Also the group notices perfect Kitty doing some vey strange stuff, what is going on with her? What is she hiding?
I thought it was really good and dealt with a lot of real life issues-the strain of being in the fishbowl and the expectations people may put on you. How the church can forget that you have a life and family. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had people call all hours of the day and night, just drop by unannounced, expect that the pastor can drop everything last minute, think they own us and our lives because we are their pastor’s family, etc. Sometimes they forget we are people too and have a life outside of church.
I think the one I related to the most was Lisa. I’ve felt that way plenty in my life as it is hard to have the perfect balance as the family need attention, but the church sometimes seems to get more of it.
I also loved how each one had to focus on their relationship with God, and use each other to encourage and pray, to find their way. A great read.
For more book club books, go to Book Club Picks: Wuthering Heights
For more bible verses, go to Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers: The Widow of Larkspur Inn
janeaustenrunsmylife 