Catherine Marshall is a name well-known in Christian fiction. Perhaps her most popular novel is Christy, which was also the inspiration for a TV show of the same name. But Catherine Marshall was a prolific writer. She authored over thirty books, both fiction and non-fiction.
Catherine was born in 1914 to the pastor of a Presbyterian church and his wife. She graduated from Agnes Scott College in 1936 and married Peter Marshall shortly thereafter. Her husband was also a Presbyterian minister and the Chaplain of the United States Senate. After her husbands death in 1949, Catherine wrote the book A Man Called Peter, partly to support her and her nine-year-old son, Peter John Marshall. This book, about her husband's life was later made into a film by the same name.
Her novel Christy was written in 1967 and is based on the experiences of her mother as a teacher to the impoverished children living in the mountains of Appalachia. This book was the inspiration for the TV show, "Christy," which starred Kellie Martin in the title role.
The Christy Award is inspired by this author and her work. According to christyawards.com, this award, which was established in 1999, was created to:
- Nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview.
- Bring a new awareness of the breadth and depth of fiction choices available, helping to broaden the readership.
- Provide opportunity to recognize novelists whose work may not have reached bestseller status.
This year's Christy Awards will be presented on Friday, June 26. There are nine categories in which a book can be nominated. Synopses of all the finalists can be read by clicking on the links below.
Contemporary Romance and Contemporary Series, Sequels, and Novellas
First Novel, Contemporary Stand-Alone and Historical
Historical Romance and Suspense
The "Christy" television series produced by CBS is available on DVD.
Comments
Great information - I loved Christy, think may have to read again in near future... Hope you don't mind but I linked to you from my Lansing Children's Books Examiner page.
I liked the books of Catherine Marshall and loved the show Christy.
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