Reinventing Leona [Kindle Edition]

Lynne Gentry (Author)

Book Description

Leona Harper loves being a pastor’s wife. Her impressive resume touts thirty years of coaxing hot water from rusty parsonage plumbing, planning church potlucks, and standing beside her husband while members take potshots at his sermons. Except for the little tiff with her grown children, Leona feels her life is right on track with the wishes of the Almighty . . . until her husband drops dead in the pulpit.

When the church board decides to fill the Reverend’s vacated position, Leona is forced to find a paying job, mend her fractured family, and tackle her fears. With life spiraling out of control, Leona might find the church members’ antics comical if she weren’t so completely panicked. Can the faith of an overwhelmed widow withstand the added heartache of two resentful children and several underhanded church members? If Leona can’t trust God, how will she learn to trust herself?

Product Details

• File Size: 531 KB
• Print Length: 232 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (June 24, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0057Z87IK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #297,751 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Pastor's Wife's Review July 19, 2011

By Ann B. Hibbard VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition

Going into this review, I need to share that the fact that I am a pastor's wife definitely affected my enjoyment of this book - I "get" it. I'm honestly curious to read reviews by people who are not in the ministry to see their reactions as well.

Reinventing Leona tells the story of a woman who is living the life she is perfectly happy to live, serving alongside the love of her life. Despite the aggravations of a dilapidated parsonage, frustrating church members, and a husband who desperately needs to slow down but doesn't want to, life as a pastor's wife is exactly what Leona Harper believes it should be. In the blink of an eye, though, that "just right" life is turned upside down when her beloved husband dies of a heart attack just as he is beginning his Sunday sermon. For the first time in thirty years, Leona Harper is no longer a pastor's wife. Not only has she lost the love of her life, she has also lost her identity and is staring in the face of losing her home.

As contradictory as it may sound, Lynne Gentry's tale of Leona's journey through her tragic loss is absolutely delightful. The book is dripping with small-town church and preacher's family stereotypes - everything from the fish-bowl parsonage to the precious but nosey little old ladies. From the "everything falls on me" pastor's wife to the rebellious preacher's kids. There are the impossible church members and the well-meaning ones. And there is the beauty of a church family joining together to stand by their own. But, the stereotypes almost felt like a comforting blanket to me as I could chuckle and recall my own experiences with so many of them.

If I were to have any complaint about this book, it would be that there wasn't enough. A few tidbits seemed to be left hanging...can there possibly be a sequel? This pastor's wife definitely hopes so!

This book was sent to me for review by Tyndale.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Characters! A good summer read, or fall, winter, spring.. June 25, 2011

By Patricia Carroll

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Watching Leona transform is worth the read. A cast of quirky characters along
the way provide chuckles and fun in a book full of emotion and hope.
Read it, you won't be disappointed. You might even sense yourself standing
a little taller and feeling more confident as you cheer Leona on her journey.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! What a compelling story!! June 25, 2011

By Hot Rod

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Wow, I wasn't expecting this from a new author! The story is compelling and kept me glued to my Kindle until the end. Leona was an inspiration to me, and her journey made me both laugh and cry.

More About the Author

Pastor's wives often feel everyone is watching them. My theater training has taught me to watch you, to observe your body language and discern what you are communicating. I love catching the twitch of an eyebrow, the flicker of discomfort in a gaze, or the shifting of nervous feet. Who knows, I may have spotted my next quirky character ... and it is you.