And while Burning Sky has a strongly sympathetic and accurate Native American component, including a Mohawk main character, it has broken into the mainstream Christian historical fiction market with an epic splash. Her triple Christy Award-winning debut novel Burning Sky has been gathering awards like bees to nectar this past year, and deservedly so. That’s just one reason why I love Lori Benton and her books so much. Still, I wish as writers, readers, and publishers, we might find a way to come together in representing more the fullness of Christ’s body in the books we write to honor Him. Shouldn’t Christian artists be the ones to lead the way in embracing diversity, with verses like Acts 17:26 and John 17:22-23 to set us straight? I know I don’t understand all the complexities behind this issue. It’s not just that writers aren’t writing characters of color, but that those who do, or who come from non-white backgrounds thems elves, tend to have a tougher sell no matter how strong their stories.

But they’re few and far between, and seldom in the spotlight. Quality books with culturally diverse characters do exist, like Neta Jackson’s Yada Yada series and even an occasional historical like Lynn Austin’s A Light to My Path. Never mind the large and vibrant populations of Asian-American, African-American, and Hispanic-American Christians in this land-in most Christian novels, non-Caucasian characters seem largely relegated to minor or sidekick roles, much like in most Hollywood movies. But with a few notable exceptions, the main characters are almost always… white. Oh, the covers might be beautifully colorful, with lavish historical costumes and inviting landscapes. But one thing that sometimes bothers me about the genre is its color…or lack thereof. Enter below for a chance to win a signed copy of The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn!

Veil of Pearls by MaryLu Tyndall