Amish Knitting Circle-Complete Series
Author:
Karen Anna VogelPublisher:
Trestle PressPublication Date:
03-25-2012ISBN:
9781622080250Subjects:
FictionReligious
Available as:
Electronic book text, 9781622080250Description:
Pickwick Papers (Charles Dickens), Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Conan Coyle) , Anne of Green Gables ( Lucy Maud Montgomery), and The Mitford Years, (Jan Karon) have two things in common; they started as continuing short stories and became classics. I’ve always felt we should learn from the best, and to me, a continuing short story invited readers to participate in the storyline, helping the author see their blind sides.
Amish Knitting Circle would have been a different story had it not been for reader input. The character, Maryann, would have been terminated if my younger sister hadn’t clucked her tongue and said, “You can’t kill her!” There are characters that were going to move away from Smicksburg, but Amish Literatures on Facebook protested. Then there’s the character of Lavina, who was going to be in just one episode. Readers just loved this hurting teenager, so I made her a major character.
The story seemed to really take on deeper meaning when readers started to call themselves, “one of Granny’s girls”. Many said they didn’t have a granny they could talk to, and were prompted to go other older woman for advice. This is the Amish way of thinking, and I hope our culture shifts to make it an American way again. Respect for the elderly and the sage advice they give needs to be restored.
Granny also taught many how to pray. Her “casting off prayers” became popular as each episode ended with Granny Weaver casting her cares on the Lord. This became a mainstay, since so many told me they learned to pray; Granny is frank and talks to God like she would a friend.
I’m so encouraged because other readers are reaching out to women they see hurting, like Granny Weaver, believing women are stronger spun together. Oh women, we do need each other. We are more beautiful spun together; we are the nurturers of the world, and are needed.
This series wouldn’t have come about if it wasn’t for Giovanni Gelati and the team at Trestle Press. Giovanni’s Blogtalk Radio show, G-Zone, has authors as guests. When Suzanne Woods Fisher was on, he asked her to write this series. Being contracted out to write books for Revel, she told them to contact me. I was thrilled because I’m a huge Jan Karon fan, having all the Mitford books on my bookshelves, and a continuing short was appealing. But I wouldn’t have made it through the thirty weeks it took to write the series if it wasn’t for the kindness of everyone at Trestle Press. It’s to them that I dedicate this book to.
My editor at Trestle, Anne Bracelli, along with readers, encouraged me to write more about Granny Weaver and her girls. So look for Amish Friends Knitting Circle, another continuing short, soon.
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