I love to review books on this blog, but my “must-read books” list usually highlights non-fiction Christian topical books. Today, though, I want to recommend what I truly believe are the best works of contemporary Christian fiction out there. If you are looking for a book for yourself or for a friend, these are perfect.
The Derby series by Jamie Langston Turner includes novels that are equal parts delightful storytelling, heartbreaking drama, and Christian truth displayed in the kinds of messy situations that reflect our real lives.
The truth is that I was actually afraid to read these books. You see, I was a student of the author, Jamie Langston Turner, and I thought she was an amazing teacher. Although I never intended to write fiction, as a literature major, I needed to take a writing class. I chose creative writing for my writing credit, and Mrs. Turner opened a whole new appreciation for and understanding of what goes into writing a book or poem. I learned so much from her class!
I knew she was an author of Christian fiction, but my experience with that genre hadn’t been so great in the past, so I actually avoided reading her books. I greatly admired her, and I was afraid that if I read what she’d written, I would be disappointed. (After all, didn’t they say, “Those who can’t, teach“?) I liked her too much as a teacher to risk being disappointed with her as an author.
I couldn’t have been more wrong! I don’t know who first recommended one of her books to me, but I ended up reading Some Wildflower in My Heart. This book, with its beautiful and hopeful title, actually holds a dark story of abuse, bitterness, and anger. I had never read anything that dealt with such a difficult subject with such grace and truth. Toward the end of the book, I couldn’t put it down, reading late into the night to see it to the conclusion. To this day, it’s one of the most powerful novels I have ever read. I have loved the entire Derby series.
Set in the fictional town of Derby, South Carolina, these stories do not need to be read in any particular order. Each focuses on a different main character, and the timeline is not incredibly important. I love how different characters pop up throughout, giving you a taste of how God is changing them and continuing His work in their lives.
I don’t want to give away any of their plots, so I will stop there. You can read short descriptions of each book if you go here on Amazon, so that might help you to decide where to start. But of course, my recommendation is to start either with book 1 (Suncatchers) or with Some Wildflower in My Heart. Just have a box of tissue on hand, and maybe a friend that you can call.
“Margaret Tuttle’s story is one of love unsought, for she had been perfectly content with the well-ordered and conveniently predictable life she had arranged for herself. But something dark lurks beneath the surface of her placid and uncluttered being, something dusty with neglect, yet painful to the touch. Birdie Freeman is everything Margaret is not: homely, humble, and generous. It is Birdie who manages, through nothing but acts of love, to dredge up Margaret’s memories of things better left buried.” (Amazon description)
“Plain and dutiful, Sophia Hess has lived most of her life without ever knowing genuine love. Her professor husband had married her for the convenience of having a typist for his scholarly papers. The discovery of a dark secret opens her eyes to the truth about her marriage and her husband.” (Amazon description)
Have you read any of this series? Which book was your favorite?
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