Synopses & Reviews
Whats it like when the man you married is already married to God? asks
Pastors Wives, an often surprising yet always emotionally true first novel set in a world most of us know only from the outside.
Lisa Takeuchi Cullens debut novel Pastors Wives follows three women whose lives converge and intertwine at a Southern evangelical megachurch. Ruthie follows her Wall Street husband from New York to Magnolia, a fictional suburb of Atlanta, when he hears a calling to serve at a megachurch called Greenleaf. Reeling from the death of her mother, Ruthie suffers a crisis of faithin God, in her marriage, and in herself. Candace is Greenleafs First Lady,” a force of nature wholl stop at nothing to protect her church and her superstar husband. Ginger, married to Candaces son, struggles to play dutiful wife and mother while burying her calamitous past. All their roads collide in one chaotic event that exposes their true selves. Inspired by Cullens reporting as a staff writer for Time magazine, Pastors Wives is a dramatic portrayal of the private lives of pastors wives, caught between the demands of faith, marriage, duty, and love.
Review
“Riveting, perceptive, and funny. Once you pick up this novel, you won't be able to put it down.” Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project
Review
“Hilarious and moving. The characters are so real, I want to friend them on Facebook.” A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically
Review
“With a reporter's eye for detail and a writers heart for the everyday truths we all face...a terrific first novel, fast-paced and fresh, full of sly wit and compassion.” Laura Zigman, author of Animal Husbandry and Piece of Work
Review
"Lisa Takeuchi Cullen's debut novel, Pastors' Wives, offers readers a stirring and humorous look beyond the secrets shrouding the mega-business that is church in America. Pastors' Wives is a tender reminder that our ability to trust God is compromised when we can't trust one another." Karen Spears Zacharias, author of Will Jesus Buy Me a Doublewide? 'Cause I Need More Room for my Plasma TV
Review
“Lisa Takeuchi Cullen's funny and poignant debut novel is a marvelous read. With a humane and artful touch, she has taken a world that could be so easily caricatured and created rich, indelible, and wholly believable characters. Pastors' Wives is a sharp, charming tale that will surprise you — I'm still shaking my head at the alchemy Cullen effortlessly pulls off by the end of the book.” Amy Sullivan, National Journal correspondent and author of The Party Faithful: How and Why Democrats are Closing the God Gap
Review
“In a word...compelling. This is not a sugar-coated or sinless tale of women, filling the unsung role of pastor's wife in the twenty-first century. Instead, Pastors' Wives delves into the high-profile, high-pressure world of evangelical, megachurch Christianity. Told from the point of view of a skeptical outsider, this raw look into the first ladies of modern megachurches offers drama, intrigue, and hypocrisy. Cullen is a gifted writer with a worthy story.” Jenny Dean Schmidt, The Channelmom Show
Review
“Lisa Takeuchi Cullen is such a beautiful writer — lyrical, thoughtful, honest, direct — that she somehow tricked me into reading a book about romance and religion. I resent her deeply for this.” Joel Stein, Time magazine columnist and author of Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masculinity
Synopsis
What's it like when the man you married is already married to God? asks
Pastors' Wives, an often surprising yet always emotionally true first novel set in a world most of us know only from the outside.
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen's debut novel Pastors Wives follows three women whose lives converge and intertwine at a Southern evangelical megachurch. Ruthie follows her Wall Street husband from New York to Magnolia, a fictional suburb of Atlanta, when he hears a calling to serve at a megachurch called Greenleaf. Reeling from the death of her mother, Ruthie suffers a crisis of faith in God, in her marriage, and in herself. Candace is Greenleaf's First Lady,” a force of nature who'll stop at nothing to protect her church and her superstar husband. Ginger, married to Candace's son, struggles to play dutiful wife and mother while burying her calamitous past. All their roads collide in one chaotic event that exposes their true selves. Inspired by Cullen's reporting as a staff writer for Time magazine, Pastors' Wives is a dramatic portrayal of the private lives of pastors wives, caught between the demands of faith, marriage, duty, and love.
About the Author
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen was a longtime staff writer for TIME magazine. She now develops television pilots for production companies. Born in Japan, Cullen lives in New Jersey with family. This is her first novel.