Thrill of the Chaste

Valerie Weaver-Zercher is a writer and editor whose work has been published in the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Mennonite Weekly Review, and elsewhere.

• PrefaceAcknowledgments1. Slap a Bonnet on the Cover2. The DNA of Amish Romance Novels3. An Evangelical and an Amishman Walk into a Barn4. Taking the Amish to Market5. Is Amishness Next to Godliness?6. An Amish Country Getaway7. Virgin Mothers8. Amish Reading Amish9. Something Borrowed, Something True10. Happily Ever AfterBibliographyIndex

The promise of the cover is borne out by the content: an engaging analysis of 'bonnet rippers' and their audience. -- Marilyn Dahl Shelf Awareness Weaver-Zercher's book is a fascinating read, that raises some questions about this increasingly popular genre, but also tries to add complexity to our understandings of how Amish fiction functions. Femonite Thrill of the Chaste is an entertaining read... [Weaver-Zercher's] light, engaging voice makes her ideas accessible. I found myself caught up in her rich, often humorous descriptions... Weaver-Zercher redeems the genre and its readers. -- Melanie Springer Mock Mennonite World Review The unusual subject of Amish romance is treated engagingly in this crossover book... Highly recommended. Choice Weaver-Zercher's book-length exploration is not only a groundbreaking contribution to an area that deserves more study, but also an excellent read, as all-consuming and hard to put down for this scholar of American literature and popular culture as Amish romance novels are for their devoted fans. Mennonite Quarterly Review Thrill of the Chaste is a well-written, well-researched, and very readable study of this fast growing fictional subgenre, and Weaver-Zercher sheds much light on the importance of these texts for understanding contemporary American culture... A major contribution to literary analysis, this book will fascinate all who have wondered about the Amish and why so many people want to read about them. -- Karen M. Johnson-Weiner Yearbook of German-American Studies Weaver-Zercher has made a significant contribution to the field with a very comprehensive and scholarly approach to the "bonnet fiction" phenomenon of the 21st century... Thrill of the Chaste is of interest to anyone working with reader-response theories, the uses and functions of popular literature, and the commodification of culture and cultural products. Weaver-Zercher's book is importantly about the history and evolution of the genre; however, the most significant contribution that the book makes is its examination and evaluation of the publishing industry that is both meeting and creating demand for the genre. -- Lorie Sauble-Otto Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature Articulate, relevant and beautifully written... [ Thrill of the Chaste] is very accessible to those who will give themselves to it. Those who choose to read it will undoubtedly find themselves more discriminating readers. -- Pauline Stevick Brethren in Christ History and Life In this comprehensive book, Valerie Weaver-Zercher explores the recent phenomenon of Amish "bonnet fiction"... In well-written, engaging prose, Weaver-Zercher argues convincingly that this genre is production-drive in nature. -- Beth E Graybill Nova Religio Timely and engaging... Thrill of the Chaste is an eminently readable book... This is a welcome text for a number of fields; we will, indeed, be writing about it for some time. -- Robert Zacharias Conrad Grebel Review Weaver-Zercher's energetic and witty study reaches beyond an examination of the popularity of Amish fiction for individual readers. -- Dawn LLwellyn Journal of Contemporary Religion