Who is your favourite Christian women’s fiction author? What do you like most about his/her books?
This is a tough question to answer, as I swing between loving romance and loving women’s fiction the most. I love romance—especially Christian romance—because romance is the literature of hope (so says Damon Suede) and as Christians, our hope is in Jesus.
And whether general market romance readers and writers believe it or not, genuine romance is an allegory of our Christian faith, with us as Jesus’s bride.
But I also love women’s fiction, perhaps because a lot of the romances I read (even those from Christian publishers) have plenty of romance but don’t explicitly mention God … which seems like they’re missing a big chunk of that threefold cord Ecclesiastes speaks of.
While women’s fiction can and often does have romantic elements, the focus is more on the main character’s growth as a person.
That growth is often their spiritual growth, or their observations about the spiritual growth of those around them. As a result, women’s fiction often has more obvious Christian themes, and more direct observations about faith and Christian life.
My favourite Christian women’s fiction author is Elizabeth Musser, author of titles such as The Long Highway Home (click here to read my review) and When I Close My Eyes (which I’ve just finished—my review will post soon).
But she’s only my current favourite.
Last week, my favourite was Catherine West (who is a 2019 Carol Award winner and Christy Award finalist for Where Hope Begins). Last month, my favourite was Christine Dillon, author of the Grace series (and book two in the series, Grace in the Shadows, won the 2019 CALEB Award from Omega Writers).
Why do I like these authors?
I think the main reason is that they are not afraid to shy away from the hard questions in life and faith. When I Close My Eyes by Elizabeth Musser deals with mental illness, and with how far a parent will go to save their child. Where Hope Begins by Catherine West covered marital infidelity and the death of a child. Grace in Strange Disguise by Christine Dillon challenges readers to have full faith and trust in Jesus, not just a Sunday faith.
I enjoy their stories because they are good stories that are well-written and encouraging, but they are also stories which challenge me to think. In a world where so much entertainment is surface-level only, it’s important to think.
Lisa Samson was always my go-to for women’s fiction. Sadly, she is not writing anymore. I was saddened by her reasons to forgo writing for publication — the demands of marketing, among others. I feel like CF lost a profound voice.