Now is an exciting time for fans of Christian fiction. Readers looking for spiritual messages embedded within compelling stories have a wide variety of subgenres to choose from, from Regency-era romances to contemporary rom-coms, mysteries, and even political thrillers.
Now is an exciting time for fans of Christian fiction. Readers looking for spiritual messages embedded within compelling stories have a wide variety of subgenres to choose from, from Regency-era romances to contemporary rom-coms, mysteries, and even political thrillers.
The books labeled as “Christian fiction” are as varied as the talented authors writing in this category. The one thread they have in common is the presence of strong characters trying to live up to Christian ideals—even as their faith may at times be put to the test.
Publishers of Christian fiction aren’t afraid to tackle tough issues that still resonate today, such as civil rights, racism, and the rise of fascism. “These aren’t just fluffy books,” says Kregel Publisher Catherine DeVries. Although Christian fiction can take on serious issues, underpinning these books is a message of how religious faith can ultimately lead to hope and redemption.
“We’re bringing positive, redemptive, God-honoring stories to the marketplace,” says Tyndale Publisher Karen Watson. “But no one is laying down money to get a sermon. Christian fiction is more sophisticated than what some might believe. It’s readable, winsome, and nuanced.”
From “genre mashups” that combine elements of multiple genres, such as historical fiction and mysteries, to contemporary stories with complex, modern characters, here are some of the latest Christian fiction novels that librarians should be aware of.
Tyndale House Publishers
As one of the largest independently owned Christian publishers in the world, Tyndale’s mission is to attend to readers’ spiritual needs primarily through literature consistent with biblical principles. A not-for-profit organization, Tyndale publishes both fiction and nonfiction; the sales of these books generate money for literacy efforts and humanitarian aid worldwide.
Singer/songwriter and two-time Grammy Award nominee Cindy Morgan makes her debut as a writer of adult fiction with The Year of Jubilee, April 2023, ISBN 9781496475985. It’s a coming-of-age novel set amid the backdrop of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. As 13-year-old Grace Mockingbird seeks her mother’s love and approval, a rural Kentucky coal mining town also learns to come to terms with societal changes happening in the world around it.
In conjunction with her novel, Morgan is releasing an album filled with songs that echo the book’s themes. “This is a different kind of project for us,” says Publisher Karen Watson.
When people think of Christian fiction, what often comes to mind are historical romances aimed at a mostly female audience. New York Times best-selling author Joel C. Rosenberg shatters this stereotype with contemporary Christian military and political thrillers for fans of books by Tom Clancy and Brad Thor.
The Libyan Diversion, May 2023, ISBN 9781496437945, is the fifth book in Rosenberg’s series about CIA agent Marcus Ryker. In this book, Ryker has recommended a drone strike against the world’s most wanted terrorist—but a new intelligence report suggests the bombing was a disastrous mistake. With a major terrorism group vowing revenge, Ryker won’t be able to stop this threat until he clears his own name.
Indigo Isle by T.I. Lowe, June 2023, ISBN 9781496465603, is a contemporary romance with shades of Beauty and the Beast. The novel features a young woman whose work as a successful Hollywood location scout takes her back near the place she grew up. There, she develops an unlikely friendship with a fellow damaged soul as both seek personal and spiritual redemption. Like Lowe’s earlier novel, Under the Magnolias, was a critically acclaimed bestseller, this book will likely to appeal to fans of Southern fiction in the vein of Where the Crawdads Sing.
Historical novels that revolve around a significant real-life event is a common trend within Christian fiction, Watson notes, and Ladies of the Lake by four-time Christy winner Cathy Gohlke, July 2023, ISBN 9781496453549, is a prime example. The story features four women who become close friends while attending a boarding school near Halifax, Nova Scotia, during World War I—until the Halifax Explosion in 1917 changes everything for them. Ladies of the Lake is a story of how faith helps people overcome adversity and should appeal to fans of classic novels such as Little Women and Anne of Green Gables.
Another new Tyndale book with ties to the early 1900s is The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson, September 2023, ISBN 9781496474575. It’s a time-slip mystery and romance novel that shifts between 1907, when a little girl disappears amid circumstances akin to the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, and 1992, when a young woman teams up with a reporter to solve the mystery of Poppy’s disappearance nearly a century before.
Kregel Publications
Kregel Publications is a family-owned Evangelical Christian book publisher based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The company publishes about 60 books per year, including both fiction and nonfiction. Its adult fiction features high-quality stories with a Christian message about hope and God’s redemption.
“Stories are immensely powerful,” says Fiction Acquisitions Editor Janyre Tromp. “They can change lives and make an impact on culture. We believe we can make a difference by telling stories that explore tough issues.”
A good example of this ethos is Within These Walls of Sorrow: A Novel of World War II Poland by Amanda Barratt, January 2023, ISBN 9780825447013. This meticulously researched historical novel combines the powerful authenticity of Schindler’s List with the emotional resonance of The Nightingale. It tells the story of fictional character Zosia Lewandowska, who joins pharmacist and real-life hero Tadeusz Pankiewicz and his staff in the heart of the Kraków ghetto, as they risk their lives to aid Jewish Poles trapped by Nazi oppression.
As Zosia works to help her former neighbors, the Silbermans, escape the ghetto, she grapples with how to live up to her Christian values in the face of terrible atrocities.
Among the recent trends in Christian fiction, Tromp says, are books that feature strong female characters who defy societal norms—as well as “genre mashups” that combine elements of various genres. A book that embodies both trends is Counterfeit Faith by Crystal Caudill, May 2023, ISBN 9780825447426.
The third book in Kregel’s “Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age” series, Counterfeit Faith is an historical romance with a mystery twist, set in late-19-century America. When Gwendolyn Ellison discovers that criminals are using the children in her orphanage to further their counterfeiting scheme, she teams up with Secret Service agent Josiah Isaacs to stop them. As Gwendolyn and Josiah develop feelings for each other, they wrestle with their faith in God and humanity.
Hero Debut: A Novel by Angela Ruth Strong, August 2023, ISBN 9780825447938, is a contemporary rom-com written from the dual perspectives of its two main characters: screenwriter Gemma Bennett and police lieutenant Karson Zellner. To research her latest screenplay, Gemma signs up for the Citizen’s Safety Academy, and the training is led by Karson. However, their relationship starts off on the wrong foot, as Gemma can't seem to stop doing the most embarrassing things at just the wrong time. Eventually, the pair learn to trust in each other—and in God.
Hero Debut is the second book in a series called “Love Off Script.” The first book in the series was a finalist for the coveted Christy Award, the most prestigious award in Christian fiction.
In 2020, Kregel published a collection of Christmas-themed novellas called Joy to the World, written by three of its best-selling authors. The book proved so popular that Kregel repeated the concept in 2022 with O Little Town. This year, Kregel is coming out with its third such collection, We Three Kings: A Romance Christmas Collection by Crystal Caudill, Cara Putman, and Angela Ruth Strong, September 2023, ISBN 9780825447914.
The stories feature male protagonists from three different generations of the Wise family, focusing on the Gilded Age (Caudill), the World War II era (Putman), and the present age (Strong). “Each of the authors tied their novellas to their current book series,” Tromp says. “The stories stand alone, but they feature side characters from the authors’ series.”
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