Readers Find Simple Faith in Karons Books Essay -- Jan Karons Mitfor

Readers Find Simple Faith in Karons BooksSince 1994 Jan Karons Mitford series of novels has sold more than three million copies, with the latest, A New Song, occupying the number one position on Amazon.coms list during the last week of April this year (Jones 71). The Mitford books focus on inspirational stories, spiritual themes, and sm only townspeople humor. Readers identify with the realistic characters in the stories. Rogene Kellar, 83, in a Newsweek article said she has read each book four times. Kellar further remarked, I think you looking better having read them, but its not goody-goody. Kellars daughter, Carol Montgomery 57, said, It gives you peace. The Mitford books enjoy a following of devoted readers and have also become marketable in another way. Hallmark plans to release the Mitford collection of greeting cards and collectible knick-knacks soon. Penguin Books publishes a quarterly Mitford reading group discussion guide and the newsletter, More from Mitford. Additionall y, regard womens magazines such as Victoria have retained Karon as Writer in Residence publishing pieces of short fiction about Mitford. However, despite all of the attention, some readers want more of Karon. Lauren Winner in a recent article, Karons Agenda, published in Christianity Today finds The Mitford books are strikingly bereft of anything controversial--no women priests or church service wardens, for example, are ever mentioned, nor is the issue that is currently threatening to divide the Episcopal church in America--homosexuality. . . .I believe Karon would only do her readers a service by tackling these admittedly explosive questions head-on. (Winner 65)Winner asserts Karon avoids such issues in the books presumably because they... ..., but they remain the issues that most, common, citizens face in their communities. So perhaps a simple, day-to-day opinion is sufficient after all. twists CitedJones, Malcolm. Touched by Angels. Newsweek May 3, 1999 71-72. Karon, Jan. At Home in Mitford. New York Penguin Books, 1994. Karon, Jan. A Light in the Window. New York Penguin Books, 1995. Kaorn, Jan. These High, atomic number 19 Hills. New York Penguin Books, 1996. Karon, Jan. Out to Canaan. New York Penguin Books, 1997. Karon, Jan. A New Song. New York Viking Books, 1999. The Student Bible New International Version. Grand Rapids Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1986. Tompkins, Jane. Sensational Designs The Cultural Work of American Fiction 1790- 1860. New York Oxford University Press, 1985. Winner, Lauren. Karons Agenda. Christianity Today July 12, 1999 64-65.