Pilgrims and Plus-sized Heroines
It’s officially mid-January. The chill isn’t leaving my apartment, so I’m writing while snuggling under a fluffy robe and a blanket. My Christmas tree is still up. I’m not ready to let it go just yet. I’m trying to convince myself to get up and pour another cup of tea, but if I get up, I know I’ll also need to throw a load of darks into the washer and empty the dishwasher. It makes me wonder if that hot, sweet brew is worth it.
Who am I kidding? Of course, it is.
I know I’m not alone in enjoying my early winter coziness. So many readers are practically giddy at the thought of being snowed in with their stacks of books and cups of hot chocolate. I live near Las Vegas, so the snow is a no-go. However, I AM an introvert, and hunkering down at home to write is my normal.
So is lurking on social media. I go online to keep up with what people say about books (and to watch cat videos, but that’s another blog post). This week, two particular posts caught my eye. One was outrageous, and the other was sweetly humble. They couldn’t have been more different. Yet, the reactions to the posts were oddly similar.
The first was a reel on Instagram by a “Christian influencer” saying that the Christian fiction alternatives to popular fiction—which she’s never read because there are “always Pilgrims on the cover”— aren’t good. We’d be better “staring at the ceiling” than reading them.
For reference, here is a shot of my ceiling that I accidentally took and have yet to delete from my phone’s storage. Enjoy.
My first thought was, why are there still gatekeepers to Christian fiction? And why do they denigrate an entire genre of literature while simultaneously admitting they’d never actually read any of it?
Of course, I already know the answers to these questions. There are still gatekeepers because there are still people who love having power over others. They ignore the presence and work of the Holy Spirit and take its place as the consciences of their followers. They denigrate others to make themselves look more spiritual, intelligent, and superior to the lowly readers who enjoy something as common as fiction.
Entertainment gatekeepers have always been around. I grew up in churches where gatekeeping was done from the pulpit. We were told what television shows to boycott, what books to ban, what albums to burn, and what clothes to wear. There was no need for the Holy Spirit, with the pastor and his friends telling everyone what to do. The only difference between that old-fashioned gatekeeping and the new is how it’s transmitted. The influencer in the IG post used her “platform” to shame readers away not only from “worldly” books but from Christian books as well. Again, she stated that she’s “never read them,” but she doesn’t “think they’re good” because they have “Pilgrims on the cover.”
Maybe she isn’t heartless or hateful. Maybe she’s just misinformed (she’s already confessed she doesn’t read). OR this whole thing could be her scam, and she’s purposely stirring up conflict among the Christian community on IG just to get views — a modern-day establishment of power.
One of the benefits that came out of her self-righteous posturing was the many authors and readers who generously offered her examples of great Christian fiction available to her with a click of a link. Classics, historical fiction, Biblical fiction, suspense, mystery, romance, and Contemporary fiction all made the cut — as did the gentle correction that what she referred to as “Pilgrim” books were likely in the genre of “Amish fiction.” The result was hundreds of titles being shared on her post. Hopefully, those who follow her will check them out. They will discover that Christian authors write as they are called by God into His service and many write about the “big” subjects.
The second post was much less frustrating to me as a reader and writer. It was a comment on a Christian fiction page where a reader asked for books featuring plus-sized characters. The reason? She’s a curvy girl herself and wanted to read a novel where she felt seen and represented. The response of readers and writers was as generous as that given to the “no Pilgrims” poster. There was kindness and care as they shared their favorite titles.
One of the repeated titles was Invisible by Ginny L. Ytrupp. Like many of the commenters, I’ve read this book multiple times. It’s beautifully written, realistic, and sweet. It’s classic Ytrupp. Any title you pick up from this author will be a winner.
For biting, laugh-out-loud humor, Sarah Monzon’s Nicole is top-notch. From the first chapter, I was invested in Nicole, her frustration with “plus-size designers,” and her passionate sense of right and wrong.
Another was P is for Perfect by Heidi Gray McGill. It was the first book of Heidi’s that I read, and it made me a fan. It’s cute and funny and so well done that I became a fan of Heidi’s and have since read everything she’s written.
I left my own comment since every one of my books features a curvy girl character, and most have her as the main character. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KG9WQFW?binding=kindle_edition&ref_=dbs_s_ks_series_rwt_tkin&qid=1705172043&sr=1-1
https://thelitlady733988438.wordpress.com/
So how were the reactions to both posts similar? In both cases, the commenters were generous and kind. They were excited to share their favorite books and authors. They cared about the posters and wanted to brighten their day with good information and support. Even if they (like me) were annoyed or frustrated by the “no Pilgrims” poster, they treated her with kindness and compassion. Once again, I was reminded that MOST Christian fiction readers tend to be lovely people who want nothing more than to share their appreciation of stories with whoever asks — genuine seekers and gatekeepers alike.
