Judith Lethin's tremendous spirit, love for all beings, humor, and compassion fill her memoir like a cup of communion wine. Her stories-which flow from her 'cowgirl' beginnings to her community service as a healer to her long devotion as "church lady" along the lower Yukon River-are infused with wisdom learned from Alaska Native elders and cultural practices, A Wonderful-Terrible God is a book about faith that is, at its heart, an exploratory and rewarding journey into the many ways of knowing.
-Nancy Lord, author of Fishcamp and Beluga Days, former Alaska Writer Laureate
A beautifully articulated memoir blending Reverend Lethin's family history and her healing work in Alaskan villages. In her writing she pays tribute to Alaska Native Elders, past and present, showcasing their wisdom, strength and resilience. Many from Alaska will recognize their loved ones, respectfully remembered through Reverend Lethin's writing that engages both poignancy and humor.
-Beth Ginondidoy Leonard, Research Professor of Indigenous Studies, Alaska Pacific University
About the Author: Judith Wegman Lethin is a writer, Episcopal priest, chaplain, and retreat master. A native of Idaho and Nevada, she has studied at the University of Nevada, Reno, Alaska Pacific University, Vancouver School of Theology, and the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching, Masters of Divinity, and Masters of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction. Lethin has been a lifelong volunteer in organizations that serve women, children, and families. She served on the planning committee for the 1970 White House Conference on Children. She served on the National Advisory Board to the Bureau of Land Management (1974-1977) and chaired the meeting that wrote the first draft of the Organic Act. She received the Gold Pan Award for outstanding program director of 1990 from the Indian Health Service for writing and implementing Ungwirwiiliik, the first in-village alcohol treatment program for Native families. She served on the Alaska Mental Health Board (1994-1995), and the Governor's Advisory Board on Suicide Prevention (2003-2004). She received the David C. Charters award for outstanding service in Human Resources from the United States Postal Service (1996) and served on the Governor's Advisory Board on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (2003-2006). She designed and directed Walking in Beauty-Roots & Wings, a healing retreat for Alaska Native women recovering from the intergenerational effects of Boarding School (2017-2024). Lethin wrote and produced 100 daily prayers for a local Christian radio station. Lethin has published poems and stories in Chaplaincy Today, Alaska Dispatch News, Cirque Journal, and Manifestations Journal. She lives with her husband, Kris, and two golden retrievers, Ruby and Winter, in Seldovia, Alaska.