Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

An Umbrella Made for a Man by Katherine Elberfeld follows Irene, an Episcopal priest, as she moves through a series of church placements marked by gender-based hostility. At a job interview, Roy, the dean, behaves inappropriately; later, at St. Anne’s, Irene is hired by Henry, only to face resistance from parishioner Deena Harlen. At St. Andrew’s, her rector, David, dismisses her work, invades her personal space, and asserts dominance. Throughout, Irene endures a pattern: male clergy and leaders like Frank, Harry, Bishop Earl, and Sam either objectify her, undermine her authority, or ignore her professional boundaries. As she balances work, motherhood, and personal reflection, Irene repeatedly attempts to contribute meaningfully while being met with institutional disregard and personal violation. Her journey is shaped by ongoing efforts to endure, understand, and confront the persistent mistreatment embedded in her vocational life.

An Umbrella Made for a Man by Katherine Elberfeld is an unflinching, gracefully written account of a woman navigating the institutional and personal costs of leadership in a male-dominated church. Elberfeld’s prose is confident and observant, bringing Irene’s experiences into sharp focus without overstatement. The novel refuses neat resolutions, instead presenting a protagonist whose intelligence and integrity are consistently met with condescension, dismissal, or boundary violations. The writing maintains a steady, grounded rhythm, even when describing moments of subtle humiliation or private despair. Irene’s story unfolds organically, and as readers, we get a front row pew to the accumulation of incidents that ultimately shape Irene in a massive decision. Moments of sharply drawn conversations and sensory memory add texture and flesh the whole story out. Overall, this is a quietly assertive book, and one that takes its subject seriously without ever insisting on its own importance. Very highly recommended.