Bonnet books are sometimes labeled Amish pulp fiction by disparaging critics.
But, if true, it is pulp fiction without the sex. In fact, the main characters may well go an entire book, or series of books, without exchanging so much as a kiss.
The lack of lust notwithstanding, as Lisa Miller points out in a recent article for Newsweek,
Amish romances follow familiar plotlines. An innocent girl, torn between a hot, dangerous boy and a cute, upstanding one, has to make a choice. Disapproving parents, difficult siblings, nosy neighbors—not to mention the warring impulses of lust and restraint—need to be wrestled with and vanquished. But in the bonnet books, passion is beside the point. The aspiration here, for the Amish heroine (and, by extension, her readers), is inner peace, a stable and cohesive community, and obedient children—the result of a right relationship with God.
This is chick lit for the woman who knows her place in a traditional, God-fearing society:
Like most other sub-genres of romance fiction, critics are quick to disparage such books, despite the fact that these books hold a profound appeal for many people. As Miller astutely observes,
[i]n a world where little girls dress like tarts for Halloween and all children seem to imagine that a Wii for Christmas is a God-given right, a description of kids playing quietly with handmade rag dolls during a three-hour church service would rouse any parent’s envy. And in a world where family life is a chaos punctuated by the constant ring of a text-message bell, the Amish emphasis on mealtimes and face-to-face interactions (not Facebook) taps into our collective desire for something saner: something more regulated, more communal, more conscientious.
Publishers have taken notice. Beverly Lewis, the acknowledged doyen of the sub-genre, has sold close to 14 million copies of her various bonnet book titles. Although she first achieved success as an author of children's literature, Lewis' foray into adult fiction is something she clearly cherishes:
"The sales response for my work is astonishing, but even more heartwarming are thousands of letters a year pouring in from readers." Fans describe how her books have "touched a nerve, creating a curiosity about the Old Ways of the Amish... a yearning for a simpler life and return to traditional values in the mainstream society, where an impersonal, high-tech lifestyle reigns paramount," she explains. Bev still takes time out of her busy schedule to answer her readers' letters.
Another popular author of these books, Cindy Woodsmall, has seen two of her titles hit the New York Times bestseller list. Woodsmall uses an Amish friend to check her titles for accuracy in such matters as religious and cultural beliefs and the correct usage of Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch.
Publishing success is not limited to the romance genre. The Amish-Country Mysteries of P. L. Gaus, for example, have recently been re-packaged and re-published to ride the coattails of bonnet books' increasing popularity....
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