The interest in Amish fiction can trace its beginnings to
1997 when Beverly Lewis’ The Shunning,
was published by Bethany House. This subgenre
of Christian fiction has seen a steady growth in popularity since that time. The Shunning eventually was turned into
a movie by Hallmark films, and is still shown today at regular intervals on
their channel. (Hamaker, 2011) Lewis,
along with Wanda Brunstetter are among the two most popular Amish fiction
writers. They have earned a combined 30 million dollars since the late 1990’s,
and in the past 12 months have each sold approximately 200,000 copies
worldwide. Beverly Lewis along with several other Amish fiction writers have
continued to meet the demands of their readers, and like Lewis’ The Shunning, several other books have
also been turned into feature length films, Hallmark movies, and had parts in
National Geographic documentaries. (McGrath, 2015)
We know that Amish fiction is extremely popular, but who is
reading this subgenre and why? There are many types of readers of Amish
Fiction. The most popular being
Evangelical Christian woman age 40 and older.
(Miller, 2010) This subgenre has also seen some readership from men,
high school and college age students, as well as readers from foreign
countries. (Fisher, 2013) However, the
first group mentioned remains at the top of the list
Those that read this type of fiction see it as a fantasy
lifestyle and the perfect environment for raising Christian children. (Miller, 2010) According to Hamaker, another appeal to this
type of novel is that women love to imagine a life where their main priorities
are “their faith, their family and their friends.” (2011) In the busy, hectic world that many of us live
in, it is understandable that this is so appealing to many. A third reason that these books appeal to so
many, is our natural curiosity about self-marginalized groups. Reading about them allows the reader to learn
and be entertained at the same time. (Hamaker, 2011) Finally, some people feel that these books “function
as a devotional text.” They like the
story and the romance aspect of the novel, but they also like the way their
faith is strengthened by reading these types of books. (Fisher, 2013)
We know the reasons these novels appeal to so many, but
what exactly are the books about? An
article in Publishers Weekly provides a humorous example on how to write an
Amish novel:
“Take
One young
woman (Sarah, Katie, or Rebecca)
One Young
man (Jacob, David, or Samuel)
Add one or
more problems:
Someone
is 21 and unmarried.
Someone
has a family secret.
Someone
is tempted by life outside the community.
Someone’s
heart has been broken.
Mix together
with one Daed, one Mamm, assorted siblings.
Bake together
for 352 pages till resolved.
Garnish with
Pennsylvania Dutch glossary or recipes or quilt patterns.” (2011)
Having personally read a few Amish fiction novels, I would
say that this is a fairly accurate account of what goes into these books. This is also one of the biggest complaints in
Amish novels, “too many similarities in the story lines.” Some questions are
too often asked such as, “Is he/she going to leave the community?” or “Are you
going to keep your secret.” (McGrath, 2015)
What an interesting topic! This is the only thing my mother reads. I have gotten her an Amish mystery or two, and also a few inspirational prairie-type romances, but she always comes back to the Amish. I've read a few myself, and find them enjoyable, although I can't read more than a three or four in a row at the most or they all seem alike!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting topic! This is the only thing my mother reads. I have gotten her an Amish mystery or two, and also a few inspirational prairie-type romances, but she always comes back to the Amish. I've read a few myself, and find them enjoyable, although I can't read more than a three or four in a row at the most or they all seem alike!
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