Conversations with Kav – Amish in April

Have you heard of Amish in April? It’s a readathon created by book tuber Lizzie Faye Loves Books and cohosted by The Bookish Knitter. The focus of the readathon is exactly what the title indicates – reading Amish Fiction in April.

Preparing my TBR for the readathon got me thinking about the this genre and the changes I’ve noticed over the last few years. Like there seems to be fewer Amish books releasing within the Christian Fiction umbrella but rather publishing with general market companies like Kensington.

Now this might be controversial but it feels like some of the new authors/publishers jumped into the genre at the height of its popularity to cash in on the sales. I kept finding huge irregularities in the Amish culture and faith in these books. One actually featured an Old Order Amish heroine helping with wedding preparations – deciding what flowers to pick for the bouquet, who would hold the rings during the service, the frustrations of trying to find bridesmaid dresses to flatter every figure…um, if you read Amish fiction you get what’s wrong here.

And don’t get me started on the ‘spicy’ Amish Romances that I’ve occasionally run across at my public library. Nothing’s quite as shocking as bringing home what you think is going to be a sweet Amish romance only to discover…well, it’s not.

You might have noticed that I didn’t dedicate a specific day for Amish Fiction this past Reader’s Choice Week. Mostly because I wanted to fit all of RC into one week but also because I feel like Amish Fiction just isn’t as popular as it used to be with comparatively fewer books releasing in this genre. I did find some promising titles though, so I thought I’d share them here ( in case your TBRs aren’t padded enough after last week.)

The book that really intrigues me is Amy Lillard’s The Secrets We Keep – an Amish adjacent mystery. The hero is a former Amish police detective and the Amish heroine was once his sweetheart. Have no idea how the romance will be resolved…or even if it is…but the mystery sounds really intriguing. And Amazon has it tagged as Science Fiction Crime & Mystery. Whhhhhhaaaaaattttttt??????? It’s published by Crooked Lane Books which publishes a lot of the cozy mysteries I read.

So, how about you? Are you an Amish Fiction reader? If not, were you ever? If so, what made you fall out of love with the genre? And if you’re a diehard fan – who are some of your favourite authors?

39 thoughts on “Conversations with Kav – Amish in April”

    1. I love Suzanne Woods Fisher’s Amish novels too…especially all the ones set in Stoney Ridge. They are definitely worth a re-read. I haven’t read anything by Anne Blackburne but I just checked my library and it looks like Lizzie’s Little Mouse must be the third book in a series about heroines with cats? I put Mary’s Calico Hope and Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise on hold to try this new-to-me author out. Happy Reading, Stephanie!

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  2. I’ve read and enjoyed Amish fiction. The authors that I come back to over and over are Suzanne Woods Fisher, Kathleen Fuller and Laurel Blount (her next LI comes out in July). I’ve read five or six of the other authors recommended and enjoyed them too.

    I think the main reason I’m picky about this genre is because a lot of the storylines are repetitive. In all honesty all fiction can have repetitive plots. I look for unique and interesting plots that I haven’t read before. Case in point, I read Kathleen Fuller’s The Marriage Plot for review, and it was very unique. I know originality is a tall order for fiction in general when some readers read so much, but I feel like I see it quite a bit in this genre.

    I guess to be fair I need to look at some of these storylines listed and see if anything strikes me. The Secrets We Keep looks intriguing and Amy Lillard is an author I don’t think I’ve read before. Maybe I’ll find at least one book so I can get one “Amish in April” read.

    Have a great reading Sunday Kav and Best Readers!

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    1. Yes, I get what you’re saying about repetitiveness in Amish Fiction – it does seem more prevalent than in other genres. I enjoy authors who go deeper with their characters — like Laurel Blount. And the way Suzanne Woods Fisher spun so many stories in and around Stoney Ridge with much-loved repeat characters always showing up….amazing. Plus, the humour she adds to her stories adds zip too. Happy Reading, Tracey. We’re in the thick of the freezing rain now and church has been canceled. The walkways are slick with ice so I’ll be staying snug (hopefully the power stays on) reading and nursing my little plant seedlings. 🙂

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  3. I am not a fan of Amish stories. Too many other books catch my eye. But two of my friends love Amish so I pass any books on to them. Wanda Brunstetter comes to mind as an accomplished author. I like Suzanne Woods Fisher, too and usually read her other fiction.

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  4. I looked up The Secrets We Keep. They must have fixed the category tag because now it’s list under Amish fiction, Traditional Detective Mysteries and Police Procedurals. Nowhere does it say it’s Christian fiction even though we are assuming it is. It’s not on any Amish Christian list I’ve seen.

    That’s what can be tricky with crossover authors (I see she also writes contemporary romance under the pen name Ami Louellen). I wonder if she changed the tags to have great appeal in the general market. Like you’ve discovered at your library not all Amish fiction is Christian fiction. A reader has to do a bit of research to clarify that.

    I also checked Goodreads for reviews. That’s another method I didn’t mention that I use to determine if I’ll read a book. Sorry to be so wordy. I often go down these rabbit trails when it comes to books. lol

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    1. Oh, good point about checking for early reviews on Good Reads. She writes a cute cozy mystery series with an Amish heroine – ‘Kappy King’ so I thought this new one might work. Though I notice there’s a tagline that references Linda Castillo who writes very gritty, full of coarse language, Amish thrillerish mysteries that are very popula. Maybe this is might be a cleaned up version of that. Hmmmm….guess I’ll wait for my library to get it in. I’m intrigued by the sci-fi reference. It’s still tagged that way on Amazon.

      My, but you are the intrepid reporter, aren’t you, Tracey?! How ever did you uncover Amy Willard’s psuedynom? Ami Louellen definitely doesn’t jive with sweet Amish romances. Bwahahaha! Thanks for the enlightenment! Happy Reading!

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      1. I put her name in amazon search and all her books came up. The first one was a free on kindle so I looked at it and that’s where I saw her pen name.

        I forgot to say I have to recent Amish purchases on my kindle. The first one by Virginia Wise, An Amish Christmas Inheritance. This is another of the ways I like to read a new to me author. I f they have a Christmas book out, 9 times out of 10 I’ll try that.

        Another new author that had a free book was Nicole Crone. Her book Her Island Surprise was free on kindle recently so I DL it. I’ll let you know how that goes. If it’s good there’s a whole series 🙂

        Off I go to get ready for church. Stay warm Kav!

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      2. I am amazed at your ‘nose’ for bookish news. 🙂 You’re our very own bibliophile scent hound! Bwahahaha! I recently read a Virginia Wise historical Amish. Interesting historical facts about the original settlement of Amish but it had a bit of a love triangle that I wasn’t a fun of. 🙂 Good point about trying out new authors through Christmas stories, I tend to gravitate to those as when I’m looking for seasonal reads. I’ll be interestied to hear what you think of your great bargain finds. Happy Churching!

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  5. Yes, I definitely notice that there wasn’t an Amish day last week and had wondered why. But also know there are only so many days in a week and so many types of books. I, too, have noticed books labeled as Amish that veer greatly from true facts or how things are done. It’s a shame because new to the genre “assume” (I know it’s a dangerous word) that’s how it’s done because surely the author researched their story. I’ve also noticed that it’s harder to find print books releasing. More and more books are going to ebooks due to cost of both the book and shipping. That makes me sad too.

    Hubby and I were draw to the Amish lifestyle, their ways and devotion to family. That led to us visiting some Amish communities, which we found to be some of the most relaxing vacation we took. That led to more trips. It was on one such trip and going to the town’s market place that I found a book store. The books were new and greatly reduced in price. I bought a book with three books within it by Wanda Brunstetter. Let’s just say I was hooked on the genre and have been enjoying it ever since. We still visit Amish communities whether a trip to one specifically or going through one on our travels. We’ve never been disappointed with our time spent in an Amish community.

    The Amish genre is still my favorite. I agree that it’s getting harder and harder to find what I classify as Amish stories that stay true to what they originally were. While I enjoy exploring new to me author, in the Amish genre, I have found that sticking to those written by authors I know or who are referred to by an author I know or a friend is a lot better for me. I’ve also seen a trend of authors blending an Amish story with suspense and mystery to attract a bigger reader base. While I also enjoy those, they aren’t quite as great of a pull to me as the stories about plain life with maybe some romance thrown in, because after all being Amish doesn’t mean they have no feelings or desires.

    I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Wanda Brunstetter because it was her books that introduced me to the genre. Other authors that write the Amish genre that I enjoy reading are Mindy Steele, Vannetta Chapman, Mary Alford, Loree Lough, Kelly Irvin, Shelley Shepard Gray, Amy Clipston, Tricia Goyer, Kathleen Fuller and J. E. B. Spredemann. I’m sure I’m missing some. I’ll use it being early in the morning as an excuse for missing others. 🙂

    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. And I feel like those authors who don’t do their research weaken the whole genre and will eventually be its downfall which is so sad. They kind of treat the genre like a contemporary prairie romance which is so far from the truth.

      I enjoy Amish fiction for all the reasons you mentioned. And I’m fan-girl squealing over your real life Amish adventures! How wonderful that you discovered the genre on one of those jaunts. I haven’t read enough Wanda Brunstetter books. I noticed a ton of old ‘new’ releases coming out this spring. Books published first around 2010/11 if I remember correctly. I didn’t add them to my lists because they aren’t technically new releases. I just checked my library and they have a ton of Wanda’s books. I put The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie’s Biscuits on hold — hopefully it will come in sometime in April. Happy Reading, Kay!

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  6. My favorite is Linda Castillo, Kate Burkholder former amish who is police chief in the town she grew up in. It’s NOT christian fiction but she but a lot of work into the character and i enjoy that the character still lives in her hometown even though her whole family is murdered in the beginning. I think she’s on book 17 or 18 of the series. I enjoy Mary Alford amish themed books too as well as a few others.

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    1. I know the Kate Burkholder series has a huge following and I appreciate the author’s dedication to working in the Amish community with honest insights. However — for me — it’s just too graphic — but with the swearing but also the detailed crime scenes. But I know a lot of readers who are catching up on this series for Amish in April. Thankfully there are enough choices to please all types of Amish fans. Happy Reading, Kim!

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      1. Crime and murder is always graphic I guess my mind just skims over that. I like that she has taken or book or 2 to describe what kate went through when her family was murdered. It’s not everyone’s reading but I was hooked from book 1. Beverly Lewis is the one who got me hooked on amish themed books and I thank her for it.

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  7. I think the first Amish book I read was “The Shunning” by Beverly Lewis in the early 21st century. I read the series and enjoyed it. Through the years I have enjoyed an Amish book now and then, but I can’t say I’ve ever been a “fan.” The Amish books that I’ve liked the most have been written by Vannetta Chapman. I especially enjoyed her Amish Village Mysteries.

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    1. I have really enjoyed Vannetta Chapman’s books too. Really loved The Bishop mystery series. Such an original take on a cozy mystery. And I have the first Agathat B&B mystery on my TBR. Thanks for the remind, I’ll add that to this April’s TBR. Happy Reading, Kay!

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  8. My niece who moved to Charleston is visiting us for the weekend & went out to eat with her cousin so I’m dogsitting her pug. Such a sweet little dog!

    I prefer Amish suspense to regular Amish bc the storylines do start getting repetitious as y’all have mentioned. I have a bestie who works for a Dutch publisher. She reads manuscripts to give her opinion on which books should be translated into the Dutch language. They are no longer popular there at all so obviously no more Amish manuscripts. I guess the Pennsylvania Dutch language the Amish speak doesn’t appeal to them like it does Americans for obvious reasons. IDK Enough people here still love them for major publishing companies to pick them up so I guess they’re here to stay. For now at least.

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    1. I used to have a pug next door. Sweetest dog ever and his snuffling sounds were so cute but you’d just look at him and the fur would flying off his body. Never met a dog that shed so much in all my life! lol

      I enjoy Amish suspense too, and lately cozy mysteries. I’m going to reread Amanda Flower’s Appleseed Creek Mystery series in April. It’s Amish adjacent, where the heroine isn’t Amish but the guy she’s interested in his former Amish and all the mysteries involve the Amish community. Loved it when the books first came out so I’m interested to see if I’m just as thrilled with them now. Happy Reading, Diane!

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    2. She snores so loud (the pug, not my niece–lol) it’s hilarious! So far I don’t see any fur, but I’m sure I would if she was here for more than a weekend.

      I haven’t read any Amish cozies, but I really enjoyed Sarah Price’s Amish books. She lived with the Amish for awhile & she told me that a lot of Amish authors don’t depict them accurately. You heard me correctly. She told me . . . as in picked up the phone & called me. She wrote an Amish series based on Jane Austen classics & asked me to endorse them. My name & endorsement are on the back cover of each one. My 15 mins of fame. You may bow and address me as Lady Diane if you wish. Bwahahaha

      Wanda Brunstetter & Suzanne Woods Fisher are some of the authors who get it right bc of their time spent with the Amish. Wanda has spent a lot of time with them & knows many personally, but I prefer Suzanne’s books. Cindy Woodsmall has a flair for the dramatic in her Amish books which makes them some of my favorite. And as for Sarah Price?? The last I heard her say is that she is teaching Jr high school now. Well I mean the last I read her say. She didn’t call me this time. 😉

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  9. I’ve read some, but it’s not a genre that has really grabbed me. I’m more likely to read them if they’re historical; I think it was Suzanne Woods Fisher who wrote a series about the Amish immigration and settlement in the early 1700’s, which interests me more as a unique aspect the colonial era.

    My husband may yet one day give in to the temptation to read the sci-fi/horror novel Amish Vampires in Space (yes, a real book, with sequels Amish Zombies in Space and Amish Werewolves in Space. I looked it up just to be sure!).

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    1. Ewwwwww, grossssssss! I just checked out the covers for that Sci-Fi series — shudder — I’ll have nightmares from that cover. Shudder. And yes, I really enjoyed that historical series by Suzanne Woods Fisher. Another one that’s really good is by Jan Drexler. The Amish of Weaver Creek — it’s set around the time of the Civil War. Happy Reading, Rachael!

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  10. I’ve never been an Amish fiction fan, though my older sister always has been. That being said, I do occasionally find one here or there that catches my attention and I may find myself wanting to read. I’ve read a few kid series when I was younger, as well as a few adult trilogies my sister recommended. I’ve enjoyed all of the ones I’ve read (and I do own a few Amish books myself), but still🤷‍♀️ I’ve never found myself really drawn to the genre.

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    1. Amish fiction seems to have a select following and yet it’s held it’s own all these years. I like finding ones that bring something unique to the genre. Happy Reading, Elly!

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  11. I have noticed a downward trend in Amish fiction. At least for me I’m not a fan unless it represents a truer lifestyle if the Amish. Unfortunately it hids a lot of abuse from spiritual to physical and sexual. A recent release that dealt with the Amish in a realistic way while also not bashing them and showing the complexity of it, was Lullaby by the River by Temperance Johnson (also indie published but CF )

    Its a series too.

    Anyway I agree a lot of people don’t research and have them way to unrealistic. Until Lullaby by the River, I had kinda lost hope anyone could write Amish fiction realistically lol.

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    1. Thanks for that recommendation, Sarah. What a deceptively peaceful cover for the story content! Have you read anything by Jolina Petersheim? She has several Old Order Mennonite books that are very realistic. Plus a two book dystopian series featuring an Old Order Mennonite community. She has family roots in the Old Order Mennonite Community. Happy Reading, Sarah!

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      1. No I haven’t . Good to know. Also Cindy Woodsmall had some recent Amish releases. Haven’t read any but they sound really good. And one of them is also time travel. Elizabeth Byler Younts also has a series I would like to check out. It’s historical amish

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  12. I have not heard of “Amish in April”, but what a wonderful concept! I really need to add more Amish to my reading schedule & have plenty of books waiting for me to pick up. So it’s not like I don’t have anything in this genre sitting on my shelves, lol!

    The author who first introduced me to both the genre & Christian fiction in general is Beverly Lewis. I love her style of writing, her gentle romance and how she makes the Amish feel genuine in her books. I fell in love with the lifestyle because of her & would love to see some of their concepts incorporated into every day life in the English world. Wanda Brunstetter is another favorite of mine, I think my top most enjoyable series by her is the Prayer Jars.

    For me to enjoy Amish fiction, it really needs to be as realistic as possible. I know they do deal with everyday things like we do and being Amish doesn’t prevent problems from popping up. Their strong faith in God to help get through those times is what I appreciate portrayed in the stories. Also, their support of one another. Like you Kav, I don’t care for irregularities in Amish faith or culture portrayed in Amish fiction. It just throws the story off and I won’t finish the book. I think some authors or publishers want to make them more appealing to the general population, but I think it does a grave disservice to the Amish themselves. Give me an author who thoroughly researches the culture and reflects that in their stories & you’ve got a fan for life! Talking about which, I’m about to start “Matters of the Heart” by Kelly Irvin. Now I don’t believe I’ve ever read anything by her yet, but I know she’s one of your favorite writers. This is one of the books I was given to judge for the Faith, Hope & Love Christian Writers readers choice awards….I am looking forward to it. It hits on a hard topic of physical disability in the form of muscular dystrophy, so it think it’s going to be interesting viewing it from an Amish perspective. The author says in her introduction that these children are considered special gifts from God in a positive way….not like some English who take the word “special needs” in a negative or derogatory way when speaking of children with disabilities. I love that she talks about this in her introduction! It sets the tone for me as a reader.

    I don’t think I know any other Amish authors than what you do Kav, and there are so many out there! Love Inspired publishes several & I have enjoyed many of those as well…they’re probably my favorite books. Have you heard of Jerry Eicher? I know I have some of his books on my shelf but haven’t read them yet…according to his profile, his grandfather helped found an Amish community outreach in Honduras. Jerry himself has taught in parochial Amish & Mennonite schools in Ohio and Illinois. I find that fascinating! I’m sure that would make his stories very realistic 🙂

    Wunderbar topic! I found that either you like Amish or you don’t, there doesn’t seem to be much of a middle ground for most folks. For me, I keep telling myself I need to read more of it because I do enjoy a good Amish book!

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    1. P.S. I noticed you mentioned your snow and freezing rain this weekend…. hope you survived that!! Tucking yourself in with a blanket & good book is a great solution (and maybe a good cup of hot tea) 😊

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    2. Beverly Lewis is Classic Amish and gentle romance is the perfect descriptor. There’s something so homey and welcoming about her storytelling style.

      Yes, I agree — I mean if an author has to ‘modernize’ the culture and jazz up the community why are they even bothering writing Amish? Just write a contemporary romance! I have read Matters of the Heart and it is wonderful You’re going to love it, Trixi, the whole series features characters with disabilities of some sort – a very unique approach to the Amish community.

      I haven’t read anything by Jerry Eicher but I just read a brief bio and it does sound like he has first hand experience in Amish communities. Must see if my library has any of his books. Thanks for the suggestion. And yes, Amish fiction is definitely a love ’em or leave ’em kind of genre. 🙂 Happy Reading, Trixi!

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  13. I used to read it a lot more. Beverly Lewis and others. I also got lots of free Kindle e-books in my early Kindle days. It turned out that many of those are very poorly written. Live and learn.

    One time I got a couple, probably free, and was completely shocked to read smut. I removed them from my kindle and my account and wrote down the authors’s name so I wouldn’t make that mistake again. I had no idea something like that even existed!!

    There are some great Amish Fiction authors but a lot of poor ones as well. I guess I feel like there are only so many stories that can be written in the confines of the Amish life. I like to read one every once in a while for something very simple in a complex world.

    I think my favourite is a Cindy Woodsmall book. It was a tragic story but very well done.

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    1. Free kindle books can be a good way to check out an author — I don’t have that option since I can’t read ebooks so I usually rely on my library for new-to-me Amish authors but that does largely limit indie books. I know, spicy and Amish just doesn’t fit. I haven’t read Cindy Woodsmall’s recent series that features time travel — that’s an interesting twist for the genre! Happy Reading, Tammy!

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  14. I used to be a die-hard Amish fiction fan, but then I got tired of them because they all started to sound the same, then I took a long break. I have started reading them again, and I do enjoy them. I really enjoyed Debra Torres’ Forbidden Gift, it has a very unique story line. I love Shelley Shepard Gray and Suzanne Woods Fisher. I still have a ton of Amish fiction on my TBR to catch up on.

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    1. Oh — thanks for the tip about Debra Torres’ book. She’s a new-to-author so it’s nice to have reader friend rec. April is the perfect time to catch up on your Amish fiction, Cindy! 🙂 Happy Reading!

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  15. When I first started reading Christian fiction several years ago, I really enjoyed the Amish genre.  After a while it just seemed so cookie cutter.  Who got shunned, who ran away, who got pregnant before marriage, could the lonely widow re-marry, etc.  The legalism also got on my nerves.  Their bishops make their rules, so I felt like they were following a man and not Jesus.

    If I had to read an Amish boom today, it would be Kelly Irvin’s.  Her focus tends to be on her characters and not the legalism.

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    1. I like Kelly Irvin’s Amish books as well. And it’s so true about the legalism — I mean, in any other sect we’d probably call it a cult so it’s strange how drawn Christian readers are to Amish fiction. Happy Reading, Perrianne!

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  16. I love Amish fiction and I agree with you on being annoyed when authors don’t get their facts straight. We have been to an Amish settlement in Shipshewana, Indiana, twice and enjoyed all the horse and buggy rides, tours of working farms, quilt shops, dinners in Amish homes, and all the other fun things. Among my favorite authors are Suzanne Woods Fisher, Wanda Brunstetter, Vanetta Chapman, and Kelly Irvin. I think I have only read one other book by Mary Alford but would love to read Amish Country Killer that she wrote.

    pbclark(at)neins(dot)net

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    1. So exciting that you have actually toured an Amish community. Must make it so much easier to really picture things happening in the books you read. Definitely on my bucket list of things I want to do. I like your list of favourite authors — another person listing Wanda Brustetter. I guess that means I should really take notice! Must see what books my library has from her. Happy Reading, rubynreba!

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