Catherine Marshall’s Christy celebrates its 50th anniversary
Catherine Marshall’s Christy
celebrates its 50th anniversary
A new
edition of the classic story of determination and devotion to be released
Some stories are evergreen, their themes and lessons
standing the test of time and connecting with readers generation after
generation. One such book is Catherine
Marshall’s Christy (Evergreen Farm, an imprint of
Gilead Publishing/October 17, 2017/ ISBN 9781683701262/$24.99), originally
released in 1967 and now celebrating its 50th anniversary with the
release of a new hardcover edition and its first-ever release as an e-book.
Based on Marshall’s mother’s life, the story of Christy is one of determination, devotion and commitment to making
a difference in the world.
Marshall’s
best seller tells the story of nineteen-year-old teacher Christy Huddleston who
moves from her home in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1912 and finds herself in
Cutter Gap, a Smoky Mountain community that feels suspended in time, trapped by
poverty, superstitions and century-old traditions. Christy struggles to find
acceptance in her new home, and some of the Cutter Gap residents see her — and
her one-room school — as a threat to their way of life. Her faith is challenged
by trial and tragedy, and her heart is torn between two strong men with
conflicting views about how to care for the families of the Cove.
Christy landed on the New
York Times list on November 5, 1967. Since then, more than 10 million
copies have been sold worldwide, and the book blazed a trail for the new Christian
fiction genre. In 1994, more families were introduced to the beloved character,
Christy, and to the works of Marshall when the story inspired a CBS television
movie pilot starring Kellie Martin that was so well received, it became a TV
series.
“The story of
Christy has endured because of its timeless themes. A young person, barely 19,
is inspired to contribute her time and talents to make a difference,” states
Nancy LeSourd, Evergreen Farm’s publisher and spokesperson for the Marshall
family. “Christy is a tale of
courage, determination, and passion. Christy and other key characters in the
novel have to learn how to take who they are, and what they have to give, and
serve a community that challenges them in ways they cannot anticipate. Even
though the story took place 100 years ago, these key characters’ approaches to making
a difference is not unlike the Millennial generation today.”
In conjunction with the bestselling book’s Golden
Anniversary, the e-book will be available for the first time. Readers can
purchase the digital edition through online retailers, and libraries can now
include the digital book in their OverDrive collection. Its re-release will
introduce a new generation of readers to the story that has delighted millions and
inspired many authors in the Christian genre. Christy will also mark the first release under Gilead Publishing’s
Evergreen Farm imprint, specializing in books written by both Catherine
Marshall and Dr. Peter Marshall.
“There is a whole generation of readers who
aren’t familiar with Christy, and we
want to introduce them to her story,” explains Dan Balow, CEO and Publisher of
Gilead Publishing. “Our intention was to create a book to be read, not placed
in a shelf as a keepsake, so readers won’t find commemorative features. The
book being available in digital format for the first time is an avenue of
reaching a vast new audience.”
The Christy Awards™, the industry's premiere award program for recognizing
excellence in Christian fiction, was named in honor of the book. This award
promotes the power of story written from a Christian worldview in nine
categories. This year’s The Christy Awards™ will be awarded November 8, 2017,
in Nashville in association with
The Evangelical Christian Publishers
Association’s (ECPA) Publishing University (PubU) and The Art of Writing
conference.
Learn more about the
50th anniversary of Christy
plus download a free map of Cutter Gap by visiting www.christybook.com. Readers can also keep
up with news on future Evergreen Farm releases via Facebook (@gileadpublishing) and Twitter (@GileadPub).
About the
Author
Catherine
Marshall (1914-1983), the New
York Times best-selling author of 30 books, is best known for her novel Christy. Based
on the life of her mother, Christy captured the hearts of millions and became a
popular CBS television series. Around the kitchen table at Evergreen Farm, as
her mother reminisced, Marshall probed for details and insights into the rugged
lives of these Appalachian highlanders.
She also shared the story of her husband, Dr.
Peter Marshall, Chaplain of the United States Senate during World War II, in A Man Called Peter. The movie version,
an immediate box-office hit, was nominated for an Academy Award. A decade after
Dr. Marshall’s untimely death, Marshall married Leonard LeSourd, Executive
Editor of Guideposts. The writing
team collaborated often at Evergreen Farm on Christy and 17 other books.
A beloved inspirational writer and speaker, Marshall’s
enduring career spanned four decades and six continents and reached more than
30 million readers.
About the
Spokesperson
Nancy
LeSourd, is the daughter-in-law of Catherine
Marshall and spokesperson for the Marshall and LeSourd families. She grew up in
Atlanta, Georgia, during the turbulent civil rights era of the 1960s, where she
learned first-hand as a teenager the impact that a young person can have on
history. She taught history in middle school and high school before becoming a
lawyer and has more than 30 years of experience as an intellectual property
attorney, helping nonprofit organizations maximize their publishing assets.
LeSourd also serves as publisher for
Evergreen Farm, an imprint of Gilead Publishing. Nancy and her husband, Jeff,
live at Evergreen Farm in Lincoln, Virginia, and have two delightful grown
children.
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