Classic Christian Fiction

Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke

Oke is known as “the grandmother of Christian fiction”; this novel was her first, and the one that virtually created the entire genre of contemporary evangelical fiction. A touching story about a young widow in Iowa who remarries a widower with a young daughter to raise.

Ashes on the Wind by John Fischer

A mix up of the ashes of loved ones drives the action of this very funny yet ultimately uplifting novel that ends with an uproarious climax set at a revival service.

Christy by Catherine Marshall

An annual award in the best of Christian fiction is named after this famous novel based on the author’s mother. A young schoolteacher moves to the Smoky Mountains, bringing her faith and optimism to the poverty-stricken people there.

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon

A classic of both Christian fiction and gentle reads, this is the first in Karon’s series which follows the middle-aged Episcopal rector Tim Kavanagh and his eccentric parishioners in the little town of Mitford.

On the Road with the Archangel by Frederick Buechner

A “delightful, sometimes hilarious fable” (according to critic John Mort), this novel has the archangel Raphael answering two prayers in the early days of Jewish history.

The Keys of the Kingdom by A.J. Cronin

Made into a 1941 film with Gregory Peck, Keys is about a Scottish priest and his banishment to a distant province of China, where, despite the conditions, his hard work and humility make him a success.

 The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West

A series of connected short stories about a Quaker couple who become active in the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. The source of the famous movie with Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire, and Anthony.

Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley

This begins Gulley’s well-known Harmony series, with anecdotal stories-cum-sermons. Gulley is considered by many to be the funniest contemporary Christian writer.