March 8, 2010 issue
Beyond the Amish romance
By Katie Funk WiebePage:
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On my desk is Fields of Grace by Kim Vogel Sawyer, published by Bethany House Publishers, 2009, $13.99.
Funk Wiebe
Romance fiction is often met with these responses:
Skepticism: “Life isn’t like that. The romantic picture painted in the novel is too ideal.”
Derision: “Only dimwits read romantic novels. They lack depth.”
Criticism: “They aren’t great writing.”
Despite such responses, often from people who have read few romance novels, in 2004, the last year I could find figures for, more than half of all paperback books sold fell into this category. Romance novels made up 39 percent of all fiction in 2004. Admittedly, some romances deserve such negative comments, yet readers are perennially interested in fictional love affairs, especially those that meet their standards of morality.
A highly successful line of romance novels has been the chaste Amish love stories, or “bonnet books,” set among the Old Order Amish. Sales of Beverly Lewis’ Amish romances have topped 12 million copies.
Can Mennonite romances match the Amish success? A writer who appears to be trying to find out is Kim Vogel Sawyer, author of 13 novels, several with a Kansas Mennonite setting. Her ancestors came from the village of Gnadenfeld (“field of grace”) in the Molotschna colony of Russia in the 1870s. Her most recent book, Fields of Grace, takes place in the early years of Mennonite migration to Kansas from Russia. The novel blends history, Mennonites and faith.
The cover picture of Fields of Grace is misleading. It shows an attractive teenage girl in cape dress and bonnet and fly-away hair eyeing a young man in Amish-style clothing working in the fields. However, the main characters are Mennonites who would have worn Russian-style clothing, and the two main characters are not youngsters, but approaching middle age.
Reinhardt and Lillian Vogt have decided to immigrate to America from Russia with their three sons and Reinhardt’s adopted brother, Eli, in 1872 ahead of larger groups that plan to follow in the next few years. Their 17-year-old son is about to be inducted into the Russian military, and, as pacifists, they see no way out but to leave the country. On the journey to America, Reinhardt and the youngest son succumb to infectious disease aboard ship.
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Comments
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Mrs. Wiebe, thank you for taking the time to read and comment on FIELDS OF GRACE. Since I sat under your writing tutelage in 1979 at Tabor, it feels "full circle" that you would read my book. I had to chuckle at your comment about the cover--as you know, some things are out of the author's hands, but if I had designed the cover rather than a designer determined to capture the "romantic reader," Lillian and Eli would have appeared much different. However, I still hope a reader will find something of value between the pages. I enjoy the opportunity to includie my heritage in some of my stories. Writing is personal, and the Mennonite heritage is also very personal to me. I'm grateful that readers find it of interest. Thank you again--and take care! It was fun to "hear" from you after all these years.
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