With big-name authors like Melody Carlson, Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller and
Kim Vogel Sawyer carving out this genre, there is plenty of potential for more
books in this family.
Annette Bourland, Senior Vice President and Publisher at Zondervan, believes
YA/Amish books have to separate themselves from “traditional” Amish novels.
She feels YA/Amish books should take a “more teen-centric approach that melds
the Amish culture with themes related to what ‘English’ teens are facing and
experiencing as well.” It’s this idea that teens all deal with the same issues that
bridges the two cultures in YA/Amish books.
Author Kathleen Fuller recognizes this concept to be true as well. She found
that no matter what the setting, “there are universal problems [teens] encounter—
dealing with parents, pushing against rules, and of course, unending curiosity about
the world around them. I also found that while culture and times
have changed, the feelings and reactions of teens have stayed the
same.” Since Kathleen mainly writes adult Amish fiction, she was
delighted at a chance to get inside the mind of a younger audience
and write a book that would connect them with the characters
and readers of her adult Middlefield series. Kathleen wrote Hide &
Secret (Thomas Nelson), a Young Adult Amish novel, in 2011.
Kim Vogel Sawyer added, “When writing for young people, you
need to find themes that are relatable. Most teenage girls have adesire to ‘fit’ with their peers.” Kim’s main character in her 2011 Katie Lambright
series (Zonderkidz) was no exception to this rule. For Katie, however, the challenge
of fitting in was unique because she was Amish.
According to Melody Carlson, she enjoys the challenge of
writing storylines absent of cell phones, cars, and television—all
of which are very important for teenage life today. Her first book
in the YA/Amish genre was titled Double Take (Revell Books). “It
was a hoot taking a modern sort of ‘Gossip Girl’ character and
foisting her onto the slow paced Amish world—meanwhile
the sweet doppelganger Amish girl grapples with the mayhem
of Manhattan. I also had fun taking a talented Amish girl and
thrusting her into the cut-throat world of reality TV where she
competes in a show similar to American Idol. It’s just so fun to
play with the juxtaposition of these two opposite cultures—and at the same time
teach some important coming of age lessons. I had no idea I would enjoy it this
much—but I do!” After the success of Double Take, Melody started working on A
Simple Song (Revell Books), which released earlier this year. Melody has a third YA/
Amish book, My Amish Boyfriend, which is set to release this winter. She even has
plans for a fourth book in the same genre, which is untitled at this time.
In 2012, Amy Clipston wrote Reckless Heart (Zondervan) her first YA/Amish book.
Amy, like Kathleen Fuller, writes mainly adult Amish books, found it challenging to
write a YA book. “Young adult books are more difficult to write in my opinion, but
I love the challenge. The books not only have to appeal to teens, but they also must
have a life lesson. The character has to mature and grow by the end of the story’s
journey.” In Amy’s book, Reckless Heart, an Amish teen confronts
the pressure she feels to conform to her Amish culture.
Can we expect more books in this YA/Amish genre? Lonnie Hull
Dupont, Executive Editor at Revell Books, believes readers of
all ages are responding to the expansion of this genre. “We’re
thrilled these novels have found an audience and believe women
who like reading about the Amish are reading these books as
much as teenage girls are reading them.”