Christy Award Finalists – Historical Fiction

What are the Christy Awards?

The Christy Award is destined to nurture creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview and showcase the diversity of genres. These 2025 finalists are books published in 2024. 

How does this Giveaway work?

You select ONE of the Historical Fiction finalists you would like to receive if your name is drawn. Mention the title in a comment. If you win that’s the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy. Here are the finalists. (I have provided links to my reviews of the books I have read.)

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

Giveaway details may vary with each book (print, ebook only or winner’s choice of either, plus audible options for Canadians.) Edition availability will be noted in bold after the title/author/publisher of each entry. ALSO NOTE: Giveaway is for US and Canada OR ebook international if you have US Kindle account.

All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee – Tyndale Publishing House – Giveaway Options: US – paperback or ebook, Canada – ebook or audible, International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account.

She was so sure she knew her family’s story . . . Now she wonders if she was wrong about all of it.

1969. When Mattie Taylor’s twin brother was killed in Vietnam, she lost her best friend and the only person who really understood her. Now, news that her mother is dying sends Mattie back home, despite blaming her father for Mark’s death. Mama’s last wish is that Mattie would read some old letters stored in a locked trunk, from people Mattie doesn’t even know. Mama insists they hold the answers Mattie is looking for.

1942. Ava Delaney is picking up the pieces of her life following her husband’s death at Pearl Harbor. Living with her mother-in-law on a secluded farm in Tennessee is far different than the life Ava imagined when she married only a few short months ago. Desperate to get out of the house, Ava seeks work at a nearby military base, where she soon discovers the American government is housing Germans who they have classified as enemy aliens. As Ava works to process legal documents for the military, she crosses paths with Gunther Schneider, a German who is helping care for wounded soldiers. Ava questions why a man as gentle and kind as Gunther should be forced to live in the internment camp, and as they become friends, her sense of the injustice grows . . . as do her feelings for him. Faced with the possibility of losing Gunther, Ava must choose whether loving someone deemed the enemy is a risk worth taking, even if it means being ostracized by all those around her.

In the midst of pain and loss two women must come face-to-face with their own assumptions about what they thought they knew about themselves and others. What they discover will lead to a far greater appreciation of their own legacies and the love of those dearest to them.

Includes discussion guide for book groupsStandalone Southern, historical family drama about enduring hope amid personal tragedyClean, suspenseful historical fiction, perfect for fans of Susan Meissner or Lisa WingateDual timeline set during the Vietnam War and WWII.

Born of Gilded Mountains by Amanda Dykes – Bethany House / Baker Publishing Group – Giveaway Options: US – paperback or ebook, Canada – ebook or audible, International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account.

When newcomer Mercy Windsor arrives in Mercy Peak in 1948 after a scandal shatters her gilded world as Hollywood’s beloved leading lady, she is determined to forge a new life in obscurity in this time-forgotten Colorado haven. She purchases Wildwood–an abandoned estate with a haunting history–and begins to restore it to its former glory.

But as she does, her every move tugs at the threads of that mountain’s lore, unearthing what became of her long-lost pen pal, Rusty Bright, and the whereabouts of the infamous Galloping Goose Engine No. 8, which vanished years ago, along with the mailbag it carried, whose contents could change the course of countless lives. Not to mention another fabled treasure that–if found–could right so many wrongs.

Among the towering mountains that stand as silent witnesses, the ghosts of the past entangle with the courage of the present to find a place where healing, friendship, and hope can abide amid a world forever changed.

The Queen’s Cook by Tess Afshar – Bethany House / Baker Publishing Group – Giveaway Options: US – paperback or ebook, Canada – paperback, ebook or audible, International: ebook if you have a US Kindle account.

In the heart of ancient Persia, the empire’s Jewish citizens face an ominous edict that threatens their very existence. Roxannah, the daughter of a once-privileged but now impoverished Persian lord, is devastated by the news. Her father sees this edict as a stroke of good fortune, an opportunity to settle his mounting debts by killing the Jewish physician, Adin, and seizing his belongings, but instead he meets his own untimely end, leaving Roxannah destitute and adrift. Desperate and determined to support her mother while settling the debt, Roxannah approaches Adin–the man whose kind eyes still haunt her–to help her find employment in Queen Esther’s kitchens.

In the opulent palace of Susa, Roxannah strives to overcome prejudice and adversity as she ascends through the ranks in the royal kitchen. Her culinary talent earns her the trust and mentorship of Queen Esther herself, a woman of grace and wisdom, who is navigating treacherous palace politics and whispers of her inability to produce an heir after six years of marriage. Amid this unfolding connection, Roxannah and Adin uncover a sinister plot against Amestris, the king’s most powerful wife and Esther’s archenemy. As secrets unravel and alliances are tested, the fate of Amestris and Esther’s reign hang in the balance.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 25 2025 (after 12 pm)  REMEMBER TO CHECK GIVEAWAY EDITION AVAILABILITY FOR EACH TITLE!

53 thoughts on “Christy Award Finalists – Historical Fiction”

  1. Born of Gilded Mountains is fantastic! I love Amanda’s books!

    I’ll pick All We Thought We Knew by Michele Shocklee. Thanks for the chance to win, Kav!

    whthomas13 at yahoo dot com

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  3. I would love to read The Queen’s Cook. I’m actually reading Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar right now.

    Thanks for the chance!

    Alisha L.

    mzlpanda (at) aol (dot) com

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      1. I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s so no interest in that book and not really interested with anything that set in hollywood.

        Like

  5. If I were fortunate enough to be selected, I would LOVE the opportunity to read ALL WE THOUGHT WE KNEW by Michelle Shocklee. I love reading dual timeline stories. And with this story set during the Vietnam War and WWII, it’s a no brainer that I’d desire to read it since my father was in the army through both of those wars (plus Korea). On top of all that, it sounds like a wonderful story.

    Thank you for the wonderful chance to win a copy!

    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  11. I need to add more Biblical fiction to my reading palate and I’ve heard good things about Tessa’s books. So that’s my choice today 😊

    The Queen’s Cook by Tessa Afshar

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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      1. The one and only author who writes Biblical fiction in that I have read is Jill Eileen Smith. Most of her books are about little known women in the Bible & I think she accurately describes them & the time they live in. She never fails to bring it to life for me!! I’ve learned a lot through her books…. they always make me want to go back in scripture and read whatever she has written about.

        I think my favorite one is “The Prophetess”….its Deborah’s story in the Bible. I never even knew about her until I read this one!! It brought her to life for me as well as her story in scripture. I would highly recommend adding Jill to your reading list. She’s an amazing author & person!

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  16. I loved both Born of Gilded Mountains and What we Thought we Knew and have Born of Gilded Mountains already on my keeper shelf. Since I am not brave about reading biblical fiction either, my choice is What we Thought we Knew.
    Sandyavery at Comcast dot net

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  17. I would choose All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee because I’m woefully behind on her novels.  The bonus is the dual timeline of which I am a big fan of!

    perrianne (DOT) askew (AT) me (DOT) com

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  20. Born of Gilded Mountains was wonderful and the other two are on my wish list. I choose All We Thought We Knew. Thank you leliamae54(at)aol(dot)com

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  21. I would choose All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee. Her books are always so thought provoking. I’ve already read (and loved) Born of Gilded Mountains.

    pmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com

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