The Whitney Chronicles: The Whitney Chronicles, Book 1 (Life, Faith & Getting It Right #1) (Steeple Hill Cafe) [Paperback]

Judy Baer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006

- She is the author of over 65 novels for Bethany House, Tyndale and Zondervan.
- This story unites the inspiration of Steeple Hill with the "chick lit" editorial of Red Dress Ink and will attract a younger audience.
- She has written a YA series for Bethany House called Cedar River Daydreams.
- The Whitney Chronicles marks Ms. Baer's debut for Steeple Hill.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Think of a sanitized Bridget Jones Diary or a scripture-filled Shopaholic and you have this latest fun but problematic foray into evangelical Christian chick lit. Just like Bridget, Whitney Blake is an overweight, still-single gal who writes journal entries about her two major goals: to lose weight and gain a man. Unlike Bridget, Whitney wants her man to be a Christian and finds the key to her weight loss at church. Chick-lit readers will appreciate all the components of a girl-friendly fantasy read: drop-dead gorgeous men, details about sumptuous meals and a clumsy, chubby girl's sudden apparent attractiveness. Quirky characters enliven the story, and flashes of genuine humor keep even the poignant segments about Whitney's friend Kim's cancer and depression from becoming too heavy. With 65 books to her credit, Baer knows how to spin a good tale, but her handling of Christian content will feel laid on with a trowel even to the most conservative readers (consider a comparison between a Christian putting on the armor of God and Whitney putting on her "armor" for a date: "The shoes were the strappiest I own, to represent the humble sandals of the Carpenter"). There's also a plethora of well-worn jokes and clichés. But when Baer's not preaching or relying on one-liners to be funny, the results are genuinely enjoyable.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

With The Whitney Chronicles, Baer has written a sort of Bridget Jones Diary (1998) for evangelicals. There's no sex, in other words. Nonetheless, Baer's Whitney Blake worries endlessly about men, at least when she's not counting calories. At 30, Whitney is "stuck somewhere between death and puberty," and her mother and friends feel she will never meet Mr. Right. Of course, Mr. Right must be handsome, successful, and a Christian, a combination about as likely as peace in Israel. But this is a romance, after all, and it's often amusing--and Baer does bring a certain poignancy to the plight of the good girl who is growing older.

John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Steeple Hill (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373785267
• ISBN-13: 978-0373785261
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,762,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Judy was born and grew up on a farm on the prairies of North Dakota. An only child, she spent most of her days with imaginary people--either those she read about or those she made up in her head. Her most ambitious conjuring did not succeed, however. She kept a clean stall with fresh hay and oats for the horse she imagined would arrive. Unfortunately it didn't come, at least not until she was an adult. After she was unexpectedly given three horses, she bought even more and began raising foundation quarter horses.

She graduated from Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota with majors in English and education and a minor in religion. At the time, she was simply studying what interested her, but now realizes that she was educating herself for her future career as a Christian writer. Her first book was written with a toddler on her lap. Judy would type a few words and say "Now, Jennifer." He two year old daughter would hit the space bar so Judy could continue writing. It was't the fastest way to work but it was a very cozy time.

In 2001 Judy became a certified professional life coach. In 2008 Judy completed her Master's program. She studied in the areas of writing and coaching. Now certified in three coaching disciplines, Judy coaches primarily professional and aspiring writers. She is also a faculty advisor in the Department of Human Development at St. Mary's University in Minneapolis, MN. She is married, lives in Minnesota, has two daughters and three step children.

She is the author of more than 75 books. She grew up in rural North Dakota and has done many of the things her Hilltop characters experience.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars it made me laugh and touched my heart with life's fragility, January 10, 2005

By 

mamareadssomuch "mamareadssomuch" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Whitney Chronicles: The Whitney Chronicles, Book 1 (Life, Faith & Getting It Right #1) (Steeple Hill Cafe) (Paperback)

I loved every bit of this book! I laughed outloud silly during the first part of the book and then things got serious when Whitney's friend, Kim, is diagnosed with breast cancer. I do wish the summary on the back cover hinted to a serious plot twist but it was fine. The author wove it all in beautifully and there were laughs amid tears.
Book is filled with prayer guidance as well as scripture references that I found inspiring and perfectly fit in the story. I would like to think we will see Whitney again in another journaling type book. hint hint!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching Christian chick lit, April 14, 2005

By 

Lorimanilow "Lori" (WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Whitney Chronicles: The Whitney Chronicles, Book 1 (Life, Faith & Getting It Right #1) (Steeple Hill Cafe) (Paperback)

I love chick lit, but often the subject matter doesn't fall in line with my beliefs. I had no idea that there was good Christian chick lit out there, and now I'm hooked! This book was very entertaining and also inspiring. Reading about Whitney's transformation and her eventual peace in giving every aspect of her life over to God really touched me. I was also inspired by her weight loss, and have made note of several verses that were in the book.

I'd defnitely recommend this book to a non-believer, especially one who is in the process of learning about Christianity. It will also challenge even the most steadfast Christian to make sure that they are really giving God glory in their everyday lives. What a fun read!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laugh Out Loud, December 15, 2006

By 

Galora_K (Central NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Whitney Chronicles: The Whitney Chronicles, Book 1 (Life, Faith & Getting It Right #1) (Steeple Hill Cafe) (Paperback)

This is a sort of Christian girl's alternative to Bridget Jone's Diary and I can honestly say I was enthralled from beginning to end.

Until I started reading chick lit I was never a fan of first person POV but it really works with these sorts of books. Part of me is a bit stunned that I am of the age where I am identifying with these women but another part of me rejoiced and cried with them. I really enjoyed the way each woman's faith played a part in her search for love. And I loved the way Whitney found love in the end.

This book is one that I highy recommend. It's a great summer or beach read.