Finally Published

After working with author and publisher, Melinda Ferguson, I finally released my memoir, Coming Out Coming Home, during the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa. Forced to stay home during the pandemic reiterated the true meaning of home. The memoir highlights my passage from childhood to middle age with many interesting twists and turns.

I hope the story disrupts the status quo for women who find themselves trapped in society’s so-called norms

Born in Durban, my average white suburban childhood disintegrated with my parent’s divorce and the traumas that took place thereafter. A spiritual experience caused me to throw myself into the church, introducing me to many adventures, including working in Alexandra Township during the riots in the eighties, smuggling Bibles into China, and much more.

After starting a church in KwaZulu Natal, I struggled to fit into the role of pastor’s wife. Chaos ensued when I fell in love with a woman. The book is available on Amazon as well as Pixies and Foxes Online Book Store.

“From the first page of “Coming Out Coming Home” I found myself entangled in the emotions and psyche of the drama of human dynamics at play. This is the story of a courageous woman who is vulnerable enough to share her truth of the situations she found on her journey of becoming a woman. More than that, her journey of being a beacon and connection to women who needed shelter and deserved a place of safety to call home for certain periods of their lives.

Karen tells her story as the pastor’s wife who fell in love with a woman with the ease that comes from having known intuitively that this was her desired destiny. She never gave up on creating a space in her life to love fully regardless of the unkind hurtful views of people she felt were her friends.

This book crosses continents as Karen tells the story of how she was a firebrand when necessary to empower others. Reading this book allowed me to experience all my senses and I found myself wanting to step into the pages and embrace this woman of substance who is Karen Petersen.”

Jenny Schmall, author of Finally Finding the Love of Your Life