in August. It tells the story of an Amish
woman and her six students who bond
while cooking favorite Amish dishes in
Holmes County, Ohio. The Beloved
Christmas Quilt (Sept.) is coauthored by
Brunstetter and her daughter-in-law and
granddaughter, Jean Brunstetter and
Richelle Brunstetter, respectively.
Oregon-based independent publisher
Harvest House also has Amish titles,
roommate, who comes home with her for
Christmas and drowns in the town’s
freezing river. The publisher says the
book is aimed at literary fiction readers
and Christians who want unsanitized stories that reflect the messiness of life.
Paraclete plans an expanded fiction line
of one or two books a year that it hopes
can reach the growing number of
Americans who claim no religious
affiliation.
Trending Topics
In addition to romance and literary offerings, a number of other subgenres are
significant in Christian fiction. Amish
fiction remains popular. Bethany House
publishes Beverly Lewis, a top-selling
author of Amish fiction; her The Proving
releases in September.
Barbour, a press based in Ohio’s Amish
country, publishes one of the best-known
authors of Amish novels, Wanda E.
Brunstetter, whose The Blessing releases
including What the Bishop Saw by
Vannetta Chapman (May), the first book
in the contemporary Amish Bishop
Mysteries. WaterBrook, the Christian
division of Penguin Random House, has
its own Amish-themed novel, Gathering
the Threads by Cindy Woodsmall (Aug.),
the third and final book in her contem-
porary Amish of Summer Grove series.
Also from WaterBrook are two histori-
Department |RELIGION & SPIRITUALITY
ENTER INTO A STORY
OF AN EVERLASTING KINGDOM…
AND OF TRUE LOVE
“Brittain seamlessly weaves historical fact, legend,
and biblical references into an engrossing tale
of faith and love.”
— Publishers Weekly (BookLife)
“A well-researched, solidly described novel based on
legend and history.”
— Kirkus Reviews u R
“An unforgettable tale that offers broad appeal to
Christian and history aficionados.”
— Top Pick, RT Book Reviews
First Edition Design Publishing
ISBN 978-1-50690-229-6
Available at Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble and select booksellers worldwide.
