Christian Fiction
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BOOKWORLD INCWADI YELIZWE Texan as hoofseun en Vaselinetjie as prefek het nie, verbreek hy die verhouding en Bell, Randy Singer and Robert Whitlow. verkies. Vaselinetjie voltooi haar skoolloopbaan met Could I have this dance? by Harry Kraus is Met haar tweede besoek aan haar ouma ’n gebroke hart sonder Texan. Sy ontvang a medical thriller. Some other thrillers are en oupa, gaan dit baie beter. In haar Bybel wel later ’n brief waarin hy om verskoning Ted Dekker’s Thr3e and Thunder of heaven, skryf sy dan ook: Haar hare is weer lank; vra vir sy gedrag. Angela Hunt’s The justice, Rumors of peace sy’t ’n kêrel; sy’t graad 10 deurgekom en is Terug by die huis moet Vaselinetjie oor by Gary E Parker, Frank Simon’s The gather- prefek; sy’t ’n ouma en oupa wat lief is vir haar toekoms besluit. Haar oupa kom egter ing storm, The oracle by Ellen Gunderson haar; sy’t pêlle; sy glo God is haar Hemelse met die nuus dat hy gaste vir middagete Traylor, and Bloody Point by Linda J White. Vader en sy is nie meer ’n slapgat nie, al voel genooi het. Hy het die seun gehelp om Dee Henderson’s O’Malley series features sy soms nog bang en onseker. Sy is dus ’n werk te kry op Upington. Hy wil spaar om seven people who have adopted one anoth- Vaselinetjie met selfvertroue en nie een wat verder te gaan studeer - Texan Kirby en sy er as siblings and taken the same surname. haarself bejammer nie. ma! ‘Vaselinetjie voel hoe die son se helder The plots are in the crime and thriller mould, Met die kinderhuis se fondsinsamelingsete lig haar lyf volmaak asof die Groot Beplanner but a crucial point in each story is the main vind Texan (met ’n bruin ma en blanke pa) so pas tot in haar hart geglimlag het.’ character’s conversion to faith. The titles so uit dat Vaselinetjie bruin grootouers het. Die boek eindig met: ‘Nie die einde nie, far are: The negotiator, The guardian, The Seergemaak omdat sy hom nie vertrou maar ’n begin.’ truth seeker and The protector. The Bible is an obvious source of inspira- tion for Christian writers, who may use biblical characters, events or settings in Christian their novels. The popular Francine Rivers has produced a series of novellas, called A lineage of grace, on five women of the Bible: Tamar (Unveiled), Rahab (Unashamed), Ruth Fiction (Unshaken), Bathsheba (Unspoken) and Mary (Unafraid). There is a similar series update by her on men of the Bible, Sons of encour- agement, with titles so far on Aaron (The some more recent titles in our collection priest) and Caleb (The warrior). Tommy Tenney’s Hadassah: one night with the king tells the story of Esther. Two novels on Mary comprising the titles The rising, The regime MARGARET ISKANDAR Magdalene are Unveiling Mary Magdalene, and The rapture. LaHaye is writing another Book Selector by Liz Curtis Higgs, and Margaret George’s series, Babylon rising. These fantasy thrillers Mary, called Magdalene. Bodie Thoene’s here is a steady demand for Christian also have apocalyptic overtones, as they First light is set at the time of Christ and fiction and some libraries have even pit biblical archaeologist Michael Murphy Tracy Groot’s Stones of my accusers in found it convenient to arrange against an evil opponent who resembles T the aftermath of the Crucifixion. Liz Curtis these books in a separate section. Another the Antichrist. The titles in the series (so Higgs has adopted a different approach to indication of local interest is the number of far) are: Babylon rising (written with Greg biblical characters in her Fair is the rose overseas titles being co-published locally in Dinallo), The secret on Ararat (written with and its sequel, Thorn in my heart. She English and also translated into Afrikaans. Bob Phillips) and The Europa conspiracy. In retells the story of Jacob, Rachel and Leah Most titles originate in America and are similar vein, Left behind co-author Jenkins has in the form of a period romance set in 18th typically written by Evangelical Protestants, written a couple of futuristic thrillers set in century Scotland. though there are some from other Christian a world where religion is officially banned. There are many Christian historical novels traditions too. Christian fiction spans a These are Soon: the beginning of the end, and period romances with non-biblical range of popular genres (such as thrill- and Silenced: the wrath of God descends, settings. (Indeed, some Christian publish- ers, historical novels, romances and family in The underground zealot series. Paul Luther ers in the United States have produced a stories) but the common factors are the Maier’s More than a skeleton and William range of seemingly interminable series using author’s assumption of a Christian world- Proctor’s The last star are other thrill- American historical settings, which we have view and the role that faith plays in the lives ers that use the theme of Christ’s second generally not bought for our stock.) Reg of the characters. Some are, frankly, rather coming. Apocalyptic motifs aside, futuristic Grant’s Storm is a fictionalised biography of preachy, but there are others where the scenarios and fantasy, like science fiction, are the great Protestant reformer, Martin Luther. religious angle is adeptly handled and well not strong features in Christian fiction. An In Wings of refuge Lynn Austin combines integrated into the story. exception is Arena, by Karen Hancock, a romance, thriller, historical and religious ele- One of the most popular Christian fiction skilfull blend of science fiction, fantasy and ments and looks at the history of the Holy series in recent years must surely be Left Christian allegory. Land through the lives of three women, past behind, a 12-volume sequence of apocalyptic Some thrillers do have a fantasy element. and present. Loving Libby, by Robin Lee thrillers based on scenarios from the biblical Frank Peretti’s Monster makes use of fantasy Hatcher, is a period romance set on a sheep book of Revelation, by Tim F LaHaye and and horror. The blessed child and its sequel, ranch in Idaho in the late 19th century. Jerry B Jenkins. The main series was com- A man called blessed, by Bill Bright and Ted Glimpses of paradise, by James Scott Bell, is pleted with the titles Desecration, The rem- Dekker, feature a miracle worker with special a story of war, murder, faith and drama set nant, Armageddon, and Glorious appearing, powers. Many Christian thrillers follow in the early 20th century. Fallen angels, by but there is now a three-volume prequel mainstream genres. For example, there are Patricia Hickman, is set during the Great series, called Countdown to the rapture, legal thrillers by such writers as James Scott Depression. A man on the run and three Cape Libr., Sept/Oct 2006 22 BOEKWÊRELD INCWADI YELIZWE abandoned children join forces. Desperate and Temptation are examples of African- list of things he’d like her to do, which starts for food and shelter, they end up posing as American Christian fiction. Being accepted her on the road to recovery and faith. The the expected new preacher (a widower) as a newcomer in a small community and threefold garland, by Severine Kirchhof, tells and his family in a small town in rural dealing with mistakes of the past come into of a terminally-ill woman, her husband and Arkansas - with surprising results. This is play in the story of a romance between a daughter. Through their story the author, a supposed to be the first title in a series and widow and a widower in Robert Elmer’s nun, offers a meditation on living and dying. we have not seen any further instalments, The duet. Romance in Oxford in the 1960s Despite the theme, this is not depressing or but it can stand alone. An effective blend features in Inklings, by Melanie M Jeschke, morbid and it has some lighter touches. of pathos and humour with a vivid histori- and its sequel, Expectations. In Lori Wick’s Some titles deal with problems, contro- cal background, it could be described as a The Princess, an arranged royal marriage versies and social issues. In Catherine Ryan Christian equivalent of the old Joe David leads to love though faith. Kristin Billerbeck’s Hyde’s Electric God, Hayden loses all he Brown title, Paper moon. Another title with What a girl wants, She’s out of control and holds dear through his violent (though not a Great Depression setting is Lynn Austin’s With this ring, I’m confused star reluctantly unprovoked) outbursts, and struggles for Hidden places. Joshua’s Bible, by Shelly single thirty-something Ashley Stockindale years to understand before he finds forgive- Leanne, tells the story of a young black man in a light but entertaining Christian chick lit ness and redemption. The protagonist of In from Ohio who is sent to South Africa in trilogy. all deep places, by Susan Meissner, strug- the 1930s to serve as a missionary to the Some relationships are complicated by gles to comprehend the suffering of others, Xhosa and becomes involved in the struggle. illness or ended by death. In Robert Elmer’s when a return to his old home town calls This well-written work was a winner of the The celebrity, a popular singer suffering to mind a childhood friend, her family, and Fiction Honor Books Award from the Black from burnout goes anonymously to take his their misfortunes. In Gaylynne Sword’s Dear Caucus of the American Library Association.