In the spring of 1999, nearly a dozen Christian publishers confirmed the need for establishing a Christian fiction award to recognize novelists and novels of excellence in half a dozen genres of Christian fiction. By late summer, ideas and planning had come together to launch The Christy Award, named in honor of Catherine Marshall’s novel and of her contribution to growth of the fiction Christians love to read!

The following is a listing of Christy Award winners owned by the Sachem Library.

Hannah Alexander
Hideaway. Steeple Hill, 2003.
After her own sister dies in her ER, Cheyenne Allison retreats to an isolated farm in Hideaway, Missouri, where she finds herself attracted to two very different men. But peace and solicitude are proven to be elusive even here as a dangerous vandal terrorizes the community. Winner in the Romance category (2004).

Lynn Austin
Hidden Places. Bethany, 2001.
Eliza, a young widow raising three children during the Great Depression, faces mounting debts and the realization it is up to her to run Wyatt Orchards alone. Then a stranger appears at her doorstep searching for work and his familiarity with which Gabe Harper tends to the farm raises many unanswered questions. Winner in the North American Historical category (2002).

Candle in the Darkness. Bethany, 2002.
Caroline Fletcher, whose family owns a large plantation in Virginia, has been raised to believe that slavery is God-ordained. But a trip North opens her eyes to the suffering of the men and women who have cared tirelessly for her. Caroline finds herself torn between her culture and her principles. Book 1 in the Refiner's Light series. Winner in the North American Historical category (2003).

Fire by Night. Bethany, 2003.
Book 2 in the Refiner's Light series. During the American Civil War, spoiled rich girl Julia Hoffman volunteers as a Union nurse as a means of capturing the attention of an abolitionist and learns some harsh truths about human suffering. She also Phoebe, who has made her way to the front lines for a very different reason. Winner in the Historical category (2004).

Jan Beazely & Thom Lemmons
King's Ransom. WaterBrook, 2004.
During the horrors of WWII, Tsar Boris III, King of Bulgaria, makes an extraordinary effort to save his country’s Jewish population from Hitler’s concentration camps. Winner in the Historical category (2005).

T. Davis Bunn
The Great Divide. Doubleday, 2000.
Attorney Marcus Glenwood resigns from his prestigious corporate law firm to try to rebuild his life after a devastating personal tragedy.He has no idea that he is about to be drawn into the biggest, most emotionally difficult case of his career, involving the disappearance in China of a young woman who was investigating the slave-like practices of New Horizons, the world's largest manufacturer of sports shoes and athletic gear.. Winner in the Suspense category (2001).

Drummer in the Dark. WaterBrook, 2001.
Jackie Havilland is working in an Orlando detective agency when she is hired by Esther Hutchings, wife of Congressman Graham Hutchings, to find out who is behind a smear campaign to destroy her husband, who has recently suffered a debilitating stroke. Meanwhile, successful businessman Wynn Bryant, is pressured by his brother-in-law--who happens to be the governor of Florida--to take the place of Hutchings in order to swing an important vote his way. Both Both Bryant and Havilland find their individual investigations leading to the same source and a deadly secret plan. Winner in the Suspense category (2002).

Jack Cavanaugh
While Mortals Sleep. Bethany, 2001.
Joseph Schumacher , a pastor in Berlin, witnesses the influence of the Nazi youth movement. How will this effect his family and congregation when Josef can no longer remain silent? Winner in the International Historical category (2002). Followed by His Watchful Eye (Bethany, 2002), in which one of the young people Schmacher has tried to keep on the path of righteousness, Konrad Reichmann, becomes a member of the Hitler Youth movement, but once stationed on the Russian Front, has discovered that the brutal reality os war bears no resemblance to the glory of the Third Reich he was promised. When the slaughter of innocents further disillusions him, Konrad embarks upon a bold and dangerous plan. Book two in the Songs in the Night series. Winner in the International Historical category (2003).

W. Dale Cramer
Bad Ground. Bethany, 2004.
17-year-old Jeremy Prine honors his mother’s dying wish by seeking out the estranged uncle who was disfigured in the accident that killed Jeremy’s father. He finds Uncle Aidan working as a hard-rock miner in the south, and although a bitter and lonely man, Jeremy senses more beneath the surface. Against Aidan's wishes, Jeremy takes a job as a miner and soon his young faith is tested by his rough co-workers, the threat of danger, and the possibility of love. Winner in the General category (2005).

Ted Dekker
Thr3e. WestBow, 2003.
When Kevin Parson, a young seminarian, picks up his cell phone while driving, a mysterious voice tells him has has three minutes to "confess his sin" before his car will explode. He pulls over and barely escapes before his car gores up in flames. Thus begins a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, but Kevin has no idea what "sin" his tormentor is talking about or why he is obsessed with the number "3." Winner in the Suspense category (2004).

Philip Gulley
Home To Harmony. Harper SanF, 2004, 2002.
In these delightful stories, Sam Gardner, pastor of Harmony Friends Meeting, tells the moving and humorous adventures of his first year leading the hometown church. Winner in the Contemporary category (2001).

Karen Hancock
Arena. Bethany, 2002.
After volunteering for a secretive psychology experiment, Callie Hayes is transported to a terrifying alien world, with little more than a few cryptic words to guide her. There she finds herself engulfed in a perilous battle, for both freedom and her life. She must unravel the mysteries that shroud her only route of escape, or risk succumbing to the deadly deception of the Arena. Winner in the Allegory category (2003).

The Light of Eidon. Bethany, 2003.
Abramm expects to be blessed for his devotion and sacrifice after tending the Sacred Flame of Eidon. but he is betrayed by his spiritual mentor and sold into slavery by his own family. Forced to compete as a gladiator, Abramm discovers that his suffering has molded him to serve a purpose he never imagined. First book in the Legends of the Guardian-King series. Winner in the Fantasy category (2004). Followed by: The Shadow Within (2004), winner in the Visionary category (2005).