Thrill of the Chaste: The Allure of Amish Romance Novels (Young Center Books in Anabaptist and Pietist Studies)
The promise of the cover is borne out by the content: an engaging analysis of 'bonnet rippers' and their audience.(Marilyn DahlShelf Awareness)Weaver-Zercher’s book is a fascinating read, that raises some questions about this increasingly popular genre, but also tries to add complexity to our understandings of how Amish fiction functions.(Femonite)Thrill of the Chasteis an entertaining read... [Weaver-Zercher's] light, engaging voice makes her ideas accessible. I found myself caught up in her rich, often humorous descriptions... Weaver-Zercher redeems the genre and its readers.(Melanie Springer MockMennonite World Review)The unusual subject of Amish romance is treated engagingly in this crossover book... Highly recommended.(Choice)Weaver-Zercher’s book-length exploration is not only a groundbreaking contribution to an area that deserves more study, but also an excellent read, as all-consuming and hard to put down for this scholar of American literature and popular culture as Amish romance novels are for their devoted fans.(Mennonite Quarterly Review)As Valerie Weaver-Zercher tracks the sources, emergence, and sudden rise of Amish romance fiction, she looks deeply at the writers, readers, and cultural changes that conspired to create the phenomenon. She writes with passion, principle, and wit, raiding academic disciplines to create a more-than-intelligent analysis of 'bonnet books.'(Julia Spicher Kasdorf, author ofThe Body and the Book: Writing from a Mennonite Life)Readable and engaging,Thrill of the Chastestudies the exploding subgenre of Amish fiction from every angle: Why is it so popular? What are readers seeking? Do these stories truly reflect the Amish? What motivates the authors? The publishers? Sometimes hard-hitting but always fair, Weaver-Zercher's fascinating book is a must-read for anyone interested in the plain life.(Suzanne Woods Fisher, author of Amish fiction and host ofAmish Wisdom)The scholarship is sound—the author deftly incorporates theoretical, historical, and sociological research into her extensive study of the genre, its producers, and its readers. The prose is both lovely and lively. Quite simply, a delight to read.(Lynn Neal, Wake Forest University)