Blogger: Rachel Kent
Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Another book that made a difference in my life is A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers, along with the entire Mark of the Lion Series. I love this series, first of all because I’ve always been interested in the early Christian Church. The books are set in Rome, Ephesus and some surrounding areas during the 1st century. The book follows many characters and their interactions, but the most influential character for me is Hadassah. She’s a young, Christian slave in a Roman home. She is tested in her faith to the point of death, and she holds fast though she doubts that she will be able to.
Francine Rivers creates such a powerful character in Hadassah. She seems real because she has doubts, heavy burdens, and struggles with her faith, but through leaning on God, she ultimately does the right thing. It’s exciting to watch her story unfold and to see how God works in her life. I read these books while in high school, and I’m so glad I did! They’re not specifically written for teens, and even have some graphic content, but I related to Hadassah. My struggles weren’t nearly as bad as hers, but I was a young, Christian girl and was at the point in my life where I needed to decide if my faith was my own. A Voice in the Wind witnessed to me and strengthened my faith.
It also was influential in my love for Christian fiction. This book showed me how powerful a novel can be. A book can change someone’s life. If you think about it, it’s really quite amazing. Words on paper can be powerful enough to encourage someone, bring someone to faith, or–depending on the content–devastate someone. A strong emotional connection is what creates a good book, but it’s also what gives those words power over us. I think there’s an invisible emotional threshold for each reader, and a great book gets across that threshold. A good book might tickle the reader’s emotions, but those great books are the ones that stick with you forever. When a reader picks up a book, he or she becomes vulnerable to the power of words. Most books won’t have a strong affect, but they potentially could. A Voice in the Wind crossed the threshold for me, and I was changed by it.
I saw, through this book, that a novel can create a spark of faith or make a small spark of faith into a bigger fire.
I hope that you will take away two things from this post:
First, remember that writing for and working in the Christian market is a ministry. A book can change a life.
Second, remember that the words you are writing are powerful. Be careful what you write!
What book have you felt a strong emotional connection to?
I am loving these discussions – especially with a real live literary agent! 🙂
The book that took me over my emotional treshold and still evokes emotions today is “A Choice of Angels” by Charles Sobczak. I found this novel while researching a novel involving a couple of different faiths. In A Choice of Angels, the son of a Southern Baptist Pastor and the daughter of a Muslim businessman from Istanbul, Turkey meet at a liberal arts college in Atlanta and develop a relationship. The novel took me on an emotional journey as the couple navigates the waters of racial and religious intolerence in pursuit of love. As a Christian, I was challenged to examine my own personal “Us vs. Them” mentality when it comes to people of other faiths. I learned that regardless of what we believe, we deserved to be loved and respected. As a parent, I was slammed with the realization that validating your kids and their choices can mean life or death – literally, emotionally and spiritually. Never forgot that!
I consider A Voice in the Wind to be my favorite book of all time, and I love seeing how many people are moved by it.
It is what all authors should aspire to—a story that, as you said, sticks to you. It leaves such an impression that you can’t possibly forget it.
Now that I’m thinking about it again, I think it’s time to re-read the whole Mark of the Lion series… 🙂
Sometimes it’s too easy to forget the power words have–both in writing and speaking to others. Thanks for the reminder!
I definitely felt a strong emotional connection to “A Voice in the Wind,” as well as Rivers’ “Redeeming Love” and “The Sin Eater.” Her characters leap off the page, their inner struggles mirroring my own.
The only other books that come close for me are Karen Kingsbury’s Redemption Series. Again, the characters’ struggles are so relatable it was hard not to feel invested in them. 🙂
Thanks for the post, Rachel!
Melissa, I’m only partially “alive” today. I worked early daycare this morning for our VBS teachers. Those kids have some energy!
Nicole, I felt the same way after I wrote the post! I think I’ll be rereading those books asap.
Heidi, I’d add The Atonement Child to that list. Loved that book as well. I was weeping happy tears by the end. 🙂
My earliest introduction to Christian fiction was a Love Inspired novel by Margaret Daley. I had to have more. Then I came across an LI series by Felicia Mason, and that was huge because it featured African-American characters. These two encounters made me not only want to read Christian fiction but to write it.
When it comes to Christian fiction, I have to say that I was moved by the Left Behind series. It was the first bit of fiction I had read after years of reading non-fiction exclusively. The Book of Revelation has always been one of my favorites, so a book dealing with the End Times was appealing to me. It got me to thinking of how I would live my life differently if I knew the end was coming–which it is, but you don’t always live as if the Kingdom of God is at hand.
If we are talking non-fiction, then that book would have to be Beyond Me: Living a You-first Life in a Me-first World by Kathi Macias. This is how I became introduced to her work. It’s a book that calls us to be true disciples of Christ, to become a servant like He was. It’s one book that I often pick up to read short portions of it.
Thanks for sharing such personal stories this week, Rachel. It’s great to learn more about you.
The Mark of the Lion series is what finally won me over to Christian fiction. I thought Christian fiction was too “pious” and “preachy” for a long time and couldn’t imagine how it would reach anyone other than those who already knew God well enough to tolerate literary pap. Then I was introduced to Francine Rivers! She demonstrated that Christian writing could be riveting! Some of the best I ever read. And, of course, Jan Karon demonstrates how Christian fiction can reach the masses. A real turning point in my becoming a writer.
I don’t know if it counts, but I’d have to say Tilly by Frank Peretti. It’s a tiny book that I guess would be categorized as a novella. I was exposed to Tilly when Focus on the Family aired a dramatic presentation of it.
It affected me so much I had to buy the book, which I found just as powerful. I’m not ashamed to admit I cried. I get choked up just writing about it.
I felt a strong emotional connection with both the title character, Tilly, and her mother. Tilly seemed so real–her innocence, her pure love. The longing and anguish of Tilly’s mother touched me as a parent. I’m going to have to read it again!
I’d thought I was a Christian, but really became one as a result of reading The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas. It’s nice to know fiction can be as important as non-fiction in helping people understand truth.
Jan Karon’s Mitford series pulls me in. Something about the reality of the characters, living out their faith in the reality of life. Kind of like I have to.
Karen Kingsbury’s series are much the same way.
That reality of faith being lived out in the reality of life is what I’m striving for in my writing.
Blessings,
Voni
A book that impacted me and my faith is Frank E. Peretti’s This Present Darkness and The Oath. Demons and angels were paintings on a wall to me until I read these books. I went back to scriptures I’d read tons of times and could apply them with new meaning. My prayer life became much more active and I knew what spiritual warfare was about.
Great series this week, Rachel.
A small paperback on the life and ministry of George Mueller to English orphans impacted my faith significantly. His total reliance on God on a daily basis challenged me to rely on God more courageously.
These posts have been fun to read. I can’t wait to see what other books influenced you 🙂
I became a Christian as I was reading Papa’s Daughter, by Thyra Ferre Bjorn. There are three novels that go together: Mama’s Way, Papa’s Wife, and Papa’s Daughter. When I started them I was an unsaved drug addict and when I finished them I was full of faith in Christ and unspeakable joy.
So, yes, I agree novels can be powerful.
After I was saved, the fiction that affected me most would be The Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce, and all the George MacDonald books edited by Michael Phillips and published by Bethany.
Redeeming Love is my favey Francine River’s novel. I love this book as it is very multi-layered, showing God’s love for me, His love for the lost, a really good love story and how christians are supposed to treat others. this is my goal as a writer, to write something that is so layered, it sings.
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers shook me to the spiritual core. God loves me LIKE THAT?!? It was overwhelmingly beautiful. It’s one of those books that stay with you like the strains of a remarkable piece of music – comforting and haunting all mixed together.
Write like that? Oh yea, you bet I want to. And words are forever, that’s why I want to make sure I get them as good as I can before I see them on a bookshelf 🙂
As a lover of fantasy too, I’ve always been amazed by the literary artwork of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkein – weaving such deep truth into such clever, fantastical stories. What wonderful examples!
Btw, Rachel
I’ve read all of Beth Pattillio’s ‘Austen’ novels too, and loved them. I’ve not picked up The Dashwood Sisters novel yet, so I’ll have to check for your opinion of it. I think Beth’s humor is clever and her storylines are fun. (plus, the books are set in England so that automatically is a winner 🙂
Ooh, if the George Mueller book Laura mentioned above is Delighted in God, I loved his obedient story, too.
Anything C.S. Lewis has affected me greatly. I love his nonfiction, and I love what I’ve read of his fiction. Even the truths about God woven into the Chronicles of Narnia strike my heart just right, especially one of my favorite parts in “The Horse and His Boy” where the boy is traveling beside Aslan without realizing it for a while. Haunting, then soothing and peaceful beyond understanding.
Pepper, I bought The Dashwood Sisters and it’s sitting on my shelf waiting for me. I hope to get to it soon!