Electronic Highways
Amish fiction offers sweet winter reading
For bookworms, winter is the perfect season to settle in, sip a glass of wine or tea, and curl up with a good book. For those who enjoy fiction with a fresh, “sweet” bent, try sampling an installment in the growing market of Amish fiction.
I first learned about Amish fiction when I happened upon Christian author Cecelia Dowd’s blog post on the popularity of Amish fiction. Why is it so popular? It seems this genre evokes a peaceful resonance among readers. Books that take place in Amish Country transport the reader to a place filled with strong community and family relationships, the scent of homemade cooking and baking, hand-stitched quilts for chilly nights and good old-fashioned hard work on beautiful farmland. Additionally, authors captivate readers by weaving in a high level of drama based on budding romances between Amish characters and outsiders, and on baptized Amish believers leaving the fold. In fact, well-known author Jodi Piccoult does just that in “Plain Truth,” which presents a fascinating look at life on an Amish farm from the perspective of a big-city defense attorney brought in to represent an Amish teenager charged with a gruesome murder.
The number of authors in this genre continues to grow. Perhaps the best place to begin is with the work of Beverly Lewis. Her original trilogy, “The Heritage of Lancaster County,” launched the Amish genre into the spotlight, and her World War II-era Abram’s Daughters” series was placed on The New York Times Bestseller List. All her novels are available through the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library system. Other notable authors include Beth Wiseman, Cindy Woodsmall, Wanda Brunstetter, Amy Clipston, Shelley Shephard Gray and Kathleen Fuller. Also worth a look is BJ Hoff’s historical “The Riverhaven Years” series, chronicling the personal journey of an Amish widow just prior to the Civil War, as well as the work of Jerry Eicher, a popular male author in a predominantly female field.
For a look at a sampling of current titles, try the Amish Store at Christianbook.com and the Best Amish Fiction List on Amazon.com. If you enjoy getting your news from Facebook or Twitter, follow the links on AmishReader.com to receive updates on forthcoming novels and print out tasty Amish recipes. This site also offers two free downloads of short Amish novellas by Jerry Eicher to get you started on your reading. Blog lovers should consider adding Amish Hearts to their chosen RSS aggregator. This blog features news and related content on a number of Amish fiction authors.
This genre is a breath of fresh air in a complex world. If your preference is non-fiction, check out the brand new “Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World ” or “Plain Secrets: An Outsider Among the Amish” for guidance on how we all can view the world in a slower-paced, more positive light.
Happy reading!
—Tiffany R. Walsh, Arts & Sciences Libraries
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