An unlikely growth category: Amish fiction

The International Christian Retail Show just wrapped up in Denver this week and here's a somewhat surprising headline from that event: One of the hot genres for Christian publishers is Amish fiction. It seems the sect's simplicity, conviction, and stress on forgiveness are powerful draws for readers.

According to the Washington Post, the genre was born in 1997 with "The Shunning" by Beverly Lewis, who wrote a story based on her grandmother, who left Old Order Mennonite upbringing to marry a Bible college student. The book has sold more than 1 million copies.

Wanda Brunstetter, another popular author of Amish fiction, told the Post that readers are especially attracted to stories about the Amish during tough economic times.

"People are learning from the Amish novels how they can simplify and set their priorities straight," said Brunstetter.