I have just received the most lovely review from an American reader who also happens to be a Christian. Now, although my publisher Lion Fiction is part of a Christian publishing company (and their American distributor, Kregel, is a Christian company too), Lion’s aim, and mine, is not to write ‘Christian fiction’. It is to write great fiction, compatible with a Christian worldview, that can be enjoyed by anyone. So I never describe what I write as Christian fiction and am grateful that in most bookshops The Jazz Files is listed simply under historical mystery and crime.
For me, faith – or the lack of it – is part of the fabric of life. So it is inevitable that faith will seep into my writing. That would happen whether I was writing for a Christian publisher or not. My novel The Peace Garden (published by Crafty Publishing) is not a ‘Christian book’ in any way, but some of the characters are Christian (and some Jewish and some Muslim). And of course themes of redemption, forgiveness and reconciliation run through the book. The same is true of the Poppy Denby Investigates series. It has been read and reviewed by people of faith and no faith – and that’s just the way I want it to be. It is also stocked in general bookshops such as Waterstones here in the UK. So if people of no faith – or a different faith – get back to me and say they think I am trying to Bible bash them, I would think I had failed as a novelist. And, I suppose, general bookshops might stop stocking it and that would prevent a whole lot of readers – who would never buy a book from a so-called ‘Christian’ bookshop – having access to it.
I am not a Christian novelist (although I am a novelist who happens to be a Christian). I am first and foremost a storyteller. I simply want to write about real people with messy lives. In Poppy’s case that means struggling with the faith she has been brought up with as she tries to find her own way in the world. That includes thinking about what she believes in God, for herself, not just what her upbringing has taught her. A few – and fortunately only a very few – Christians have been offended that I have put my character in the midst of ‘sinners’ and felt she was not ‘Christian’ enough. Well perhaps the Poppy Denby Investigates series is not their cup of tea. But how heartening it is to receive reviews from Christian readers who really seem to get it. One of those reviewers was Beth Milinski on her wonderful blog, For the Love of Books. She said:
“I enjoyed all of the characters in this book but I absolutely LOVED Poppy Denby. She is a great character with a natural curiosity and instinct to find out the truth. She struggles with what is right and wrong, making choices to honor her beliefs. Poppy loves her Aunt Dot and is motivated by Dot’s confidence in her. All of the characters in this book are real, their lives are messy, trouble happens, people get hurt, good people do bad things to try to help, and good can triumph over evil.”
Thank you Beth. It’s good to be reminded that we are all people with messy lives. And yet, we are still loved.
Fiona, I hear you. To me it is false to deliberately omit anything to do with faith or thoughts about God in a character who just is that way inclined, in life as well as in fiction. Many, many people wrestle with the issue of whether or not to subscribe to the faith of their youth; many people’s thoughts turn to God in times of trouble and strain (even if it comes out in the form of a swear word). To assume that all the world is 100% secular in their views and that every character of fiction should be too, is just unreal. Its like protesting TOO much. I love Poppy Denby and I don’t think of The Jazz Files as a Christian book. I do recognise though that Poppy is and many of her decisions are informed by her worldview. What’s new? Isn’t everyone’s? Don’t change Poppy! She is loved JUST as she is.
Thank you Gill. Questions have been raised about some of the other character’s behaviour which apparently I and Poppy have not obviously ‘frowned upon’ – and as a Christian, it was felt that she should. Perhaps that’s because Poppy loves people just as they are too. However, people are free to dislike my books for whatever reason they choose. Fortunately there are lots of other books to choose from.
A new comment on an old post from a new reader…
I’m listening to The Jazz Files and after the scene at the asylum between Poppy and Liz I was curious if this series was ‘Christian lit’ due to all the mentions of faith. But what really made me curious wasn’t the mentions themselves but the fact that, unlike with many other CL books I had accidentally picked up over the years, I was thoroughly enjoying the story and characters.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t good writers who specifically do categorize themselves as CL authors. I’m just one of the readers you mentioned who would avoid a Christian bookshop like the plague because the books tend to be very, very, very Christian and, as you put it, do “Bible bash” a bit. Which is great, if that’s what the reader is looking for, but I’ve personally never found the hyper virtuous, never-questioning characters who often feature as protags to be very relatable or realistic. I know plenty of Christians and would categorize myself as one as well and we’re all flawed and varied humans who make mistakes, bend the rules, and have very different interpretations of what is and isn’t acceptable. Humans exist in a gray area, after all.
So, I genuinely appreciate that the novel so far has been populated with characters that feel real. Poppy not immediately jumping to reassure Daniel that God is real and he cares stands out as an example. She didn’t preach at him, however kindly intentioned, she acknowledged that what he had been through and seen was something that made a lot of people question or even lose faith. That isn’t the way such scenes have gone in other stories I’ve read. And it’s the sort of thing that landed almost all of them (I can think of only one CL book that I’ve finished) in the did-not-finish pile.
Again, this isn’t a dig at those who create more idealized worlds for their stories. As a reader, I understand that books are a often a bit of escapism and we don’t necessarily want complete realism and I fully understand why a reader would want a story where the main character is unrelentingly faithful and ‘good’. And, as someone who also writes, I understand that the muse shall do what the muse very well pleases, so if it pleases to write squeaky clean characters then that’s what will happen. But as someone who does prefer a bit of realism in the personalities populating the pages of the novels I read, I love that Poppy is just as human as I am. She isn’t always sure she’s doing things 100% the right way, even if she means well, and she doesn’t judge those who are at different places or hold different views than her own. She’s not perfect, she’s curious, she asks questions, and she thinks for herself. That she happens to be Christian is a part of who she is, not the all of her personality. It’s refreshing and I’m so genuinely glad to have found this series. For those who are a bit mad that Poppy isn’t Christian-y enough, you’re right. This series isn’t for them. But it’s definitely for me. And I thank you for writing it.
Dear Ashley,
Thank you so much for your very thoughtful and generous comment. And thank you for your explanation of what it is you do and don’t respond to in books that include faith. I hold the same views. You’ve obviously read the article, so no need for me to repeat my rationale here. I hope you continue to enjoy the rest of the series. There are six of them. And – spoiler alert – no one ‘gets saved’ in the series. Poppy’s own relationship with the church and Christianity goes through some twists and turns, but that is never central to the plot. And Daniel … you’ll have to read all the way to book 6 to find out what happens there
Unfortunately, there won’t be any more Poppy books for a while. I am working on a new series with a new publisher – not Christian Fiction and not a Christian publisher. There is nothing of formal faith in the first book, the second though touches on it. An announcement will be made later this month, so I can’t say any more about it now! But I hope you enjoy the rest of this series and might try out my new one down the line.
Happy reading, Ashley. Or should I say happy listening!
Fiona