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I'm Not The Pastor's Wife

Natalia Peterson (Goodreads Author)

4.70 · Rating details · 20 ratings · 16 reviews

Enter Talia, a worldly woman raised in a lively, embracing community of Ukrainian immigrants. A chance meeting with a Lutheran pastor, Charlie surprisingly takes them down the aisle. Talia has always been the big-city individualist Charlie is a small-town guy raised on a dairy farm. Talia has an unfettered spirit and personality Charlie has been called to serve a ...more

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Paperback, 196 pages

Published November 20th 2013 by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

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Oct 06, 2013 Natalia rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Anyone who has ever thought they weren't normal.

Recommended to Natalia by: My psyche

Greatest book ever. Hands down.

OK...greatest book I've ever written. Hands down.

OK...the one and only book I've ever written and yeah, I'd buy it.

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Oct 07, 2013 Laura Freeman rated it it was amazing

Memoir, social commentary, comedy, and tragedy all rolled into one. Each chapter is like a short story of its own, making me think about life and how precious it is. It made me laugh and look at myself as an imperfect person in a world full of expectations. Whether you are a church goer or not, this story will hit home, as the author talks about the importance of family, the existence of God, and the value in being ourselves, despite what the world expects.

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Nov 05, 2013 Deborah Harvey rated it it was amazing

Wonderful book! It made me laugh and cry as each chapter unfolded. This story really speaks to being yourself and not conforming to what "others" believe you should be. Loved it!

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Mar 21, 2014 Nikolas rated it it was amazing

The stage is set. Waiting in the wings, supporting characters and their stories eagerly wait their turns to help breathe life into the beautifully chronicled tale of a spunky woman whose lifetime of hit-or-miss revelations touched those around her and ultimately helped her to battle her demons.

The curtain opens to reveal Talia. Not your typical, perfect Pastors Wife. Leopard print, leather boots and an unapologetically hilarious sass mouth that spews forth cuss words, inappropriate jokes, solid The stage is set. Waiting in the wings, supporting characters and their stories eagerly wait their turns to help breathe life into the beautifully chronicled tale of a spunky woman whose lifetime of hit-or-miss revelations touched those around her and ultimately helped her to battle her demons.

The curtain opens to reveal Talia. Not your typical, “perfect” Pastor’s Wife. Leopard print, leather boots and an unapologetically hilarious sass mouth that spews forth cuss words, inappropriate jokes, solid wisdom, and unquenchable warmth. A self-described “brat,” she invites us into the conservative world of pastors’ wives and we giggle along at her antics while she shakes that world up with her own unique brand of humor and guidance.

What’s even more satisfying are the emotional depths to which she takes us. It’s her life story, and what life story would be complete without a little (or a lot of) emotional, psychological and spiritual trauma? She’s a highly gifted performer and her backstory of relationships, mental illness, paranormal experiences and unusual aliases is wrapped in artistic creativity, but the backbone is her warmth and openness to the reader. She holds our hands through the depths of personal hell and back safely, keeping us alert and always making sure we benefit from such journeys. Because we can. Life throws curveballs. Everyone has junk. We hide behind masks and put on “performances” to cope with that junk. She recognizes all of that in each of her amazing stories and reminds us that we are not perfect — the beauty of imperfection is that we have the ability to become better each day. She knows how to harvest strength from the “Perfect Moments” in life when the shit hits the fan. In a phenomenally confrontational, yet introspective epilogue, Talia’s dialogue echoes our own at times and despite the expectations placed upon us by others, we, like her, are reminded to be comfortable in our skin because “it’s essential to be who we were born to be.”

Curtain closes, we catch our breath and allow the goosebumps to settle. ...more

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Nov 18, 2013 Carly rated it it was amazing

Natalia is an artist, and she draws upon her experience as a musician, an actress, a teacher, and a storyteller to take the reader on an honest, hilarious, and always poignant journey as she both remembers where her life has taken her until now and looks forward to what it will continue to become.

It is evident that, despite the hardships and heartbreak Talia has endured, there is always joy in her life. Like the Unsinkable Molly Brown, she ain't down yet - and she never will be. The memories of ...more

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Nov 02, 2013 Ladema Hawkinson rated it it was amazing

I really loved reading "I'm not the Pastor's Wife. I found myself easily drawn in and thoroughly enjoyed each and every chapter. It brings you on a journey of self reflection and memories of similar experiences and feelings of being judged by others based on what their expectations of who you are and what that means to them.

I found it easy to find myself right there with the author experiencing the story that was unfolding all the while shaking my head in understanding acknowledgement of the ...more

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Nov 03, 2013 Rebecca Underhill rated it it was amazing

I very much enjoyed this book! "I'm Not the Pastor's Wife" seemed less like a book, though, than a one-way conversation with the author, Talia. In fact, when I stopped reading for the night, it felt as if I were abandoning the author, akin to rudely hanging up the phone without saying goodbye!

Through the different stories of her life, Talia shared about her Ukrainian family background that seemed so different than that of her friends. She wrote about her mother's illness & death, and her ...more

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Mar 14, 2014 Liz Alldritt rated it it was amazing

This book resonated so much of my own life - At times I actually laughed out loud and more than once, tears fell. Each chapter brought me closer to the realization that my own life, with all of it's emotional baggage, wasn't so bad and like Talia my past did not and will not define who I am today. Natalia Peterson has a knack for writing as if you were actually there, experiencing what she went through, both the good and the bad. She confirms and encourages all of us to be ourselves and never ...more

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Nov 13, 2013 Lois Moss rated it it was amazing

As a Pastors wife myself, I found this book not only entertaining but deeply meaningful and right on the money. Talia shares herself intimately with her readers and draws them into her story. Her honesty is what makes this book real to me the reader.It is full of memories, difficult situations, love and compassion. Her compassion and love is conveyed so strongly throughout this story.
I loved this book!!

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Nov 10, 2014 Becky Haven rated it it was amazing

Talia is the friend we all want to have - imperfect, complex, searching, loyal and wise. The kind of person with whom you want to have a mug of strong coffee. The writer's unflinching view of her childhood, growing up, marriage and a small Lutheran church and its demands make for rich reading, with plenty of humor along the way. I cheered for her and cried with her and was compelled to keep reading to the final sentence. This is a book that lingers in the mind.

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May 02, 2014 John Connolly rated it really liked it

Natalia is not the kind of author that great novels come from. However she does tell a beautiful story that digs deep into her own soul and she truly allows herself to be vulnerable to her reader. Much of what she says would be seen as controversial, but even as clergy I believe it needs to be said.

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Oct 06, 2013 Joy rated it it was amazing

Excellent book! Written from the heart, it reminds us that "we all have junk", and we should not judge others for the junk they carry. It takes courage to put all your junk out there for everyone to read, but she did so with everything from humor to tears. Thanks for the reminder that we (thankfully) are not all made from the same mold!

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Mar 16, 2014 Rebecca rated it really liked it

I enjoyed reading this book. I really enjoyed her stories, her personal growth and revelations, and the fact that it is set in Minnesota. I look forward to Natalia's future books! I think she is on to something.

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Apr 26, 2014 Kim rated it it was amazing

This should be rated 10 stars out of 5. I laughed, I cried, I giggled, and I enjoyed every word. I just might buy it.

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May 10, 2014 Cathy rated it it was amazing

I enjoyed this book. I felt that Natalia was in the room talking to me as I was reading. I also laughed and cried.

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Nov 04, 2013 Natalia Peterson rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

This review comes from Tonya Chrislu, who had difficulty connecting it to Goodreads:

In Im Not the Pastors Wife, Talia Peterson shares her life story from childhood through to the present. There are several major themes: the experience of being a pastors wife, what it means to grow up with strong cultural ties, mental illness, and about being the best you can be rather than trying to be what someone else wants you to be. It is funny, sad, heart-breaking, joyful, and insightful, and she weaves the This review comes from Tonya Chrislu, who had difficulty connecting it to Goodreads:

In I’m Not the Pastor’s Wife, Talia Peterson shares her life story from childhood through to the present. There are several major themes: the experience of being a pastor’s wife, what it means to grow up with strong cultural ties, mental illness, and about being the best you can be rather than trying to be what someone else wants you to be. It is funny, sad, heart-breaking, joyful, and insightful, and she weaves the various themes together flawlessly.

Talia begins by talking about unexpectedly becoming a pastor’s wife and all the expectations that come with the role. Having grown up in the Midwest in a family that was very involved in church work, I had to laugh, because everything she wrote about, though it seemed like something out of a Garrison Keillor skit, was right on the money. Pastors’ wives have lots of expectations put on them, most of which are totally unfair. It’s not an easy environment to be in, and Talia articulates the craziness of it all with lots of humor. Very funny!

But this book is not all comedy. The hardest part for me to read—but also the most fascinating—was the very personal section on mental illness and how she experienced it. It really struck a chord with me. I’ve suffered from depression myself. Though my circumstances were completely different from Talia’s, I related very well to the darkness and helplessness.

Talia had a lot to deal with in your younger years and didn’t feel she could talk about it. However, we see that, whether depression or mental illness goes undetected due to the silence that comes from cultural expectations or simple embarrassment, its toll over time is massive.

In this book, Talia shares her painful and very personal journey. Explaining mental illness usually becomes a clinical conversation, but Talia makes the experience real and understandable in a way the DSM-IV never will. When I was reading this, I felt as though the two of us were curled up on a couch sharing a cup of coffee and just talking. By the time, I got through that section, I was crying. I felt her pain as though it were my own.

I was also touched by Talia’s writing about wonderful relationships with her father, her daughter and her husband—and, of course, the congregation where her husband served as pastor. There were some great insights into human behavior and some very funny moments. When someone from church was giving Talia a very hard time, she stood her ground, was true to herself and put the woman in her place. I was laughing and cheering at the same time!

I loved reading this book and, for me, it was extra special because I knew—or thought I knew--Talia in college. We were both music majors. From reading this book, I now realize how little I knew of her. Isn’t it amazing that we look at outward appearances and think we know someone? Yet we often don’t know of the battles, the secrets, or the hurts other people are experiencing. It made me think that I need to be more kind and realize that I don’t know what others are really going through. If someone is having a difficult time and I treat them badly, what damage am I doing?

Talia, I loved your writing and learning about you. If you write another book, I’ll be first in line to buy it!
...more

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About Natalia Peterson

Natalia Peterson

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Ms. Peterson's career includes experience in many areas of the creative arts. She is a singer and songwriter, a stage and commercial actress, playwright, and fine arts educator. Ms. Peterson has written two full stage productions in Minnesota. A Surrender to Love starred Ms. Peterson and was performed at the acclaimed History Theater in St. Paul, and Once Upon a Time was written and produced for ...more