Interview with Author Rachel Dodge
Photo from RachelDodge.com
Which literary heroine have you always loved? Maybe you always saw yourself in Lizzie Bennet. Maybe you’ve always thought of yourself as a Jo March. Maybe you particularly loved Hermione Granger. Maybe there’s something about Anne Shirley that resonates with you. Maybe you connected with the likes of Katniss Everdeen.
Fictional characters have the power to capture our hearts, to inspire our minds, to make us feel understood and empowered in the story we’re telling with our own life. But they can also lead us to deepen our faith.
This is why Rachel Dodge began to write devotionals inspired by some of the greatest and most beloved pieces of literature, such as Little Women, The Secret Garden, and Anne of Green Gables — connecting our love of literature to our walk with our Creator. And the best part is, her devotionals are warm and inviting, like a freshly-poured cup of tea.
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Rachel to talk about how she first became inspired to write these devotionals, why classic literature is still relevant to our modern lives, and what these stories have to do with our faith.
Read on for the full interview.
Q: What caused you to write devotionals inspired by literary classics?
A: I grew up reading the classics over and over, and I’ve always loved to write! When my children were old enough to start school, I knew God was calling me to use my writing for Him, but I wasn’t sure what that looked like.
At a Christian writers’ conference, I realized God was calling me to be a devotional writer. As I explored that avenue, He put all the pieces together in the most wonderful way. He used my passion for ministering to women’s hearts through Bible studies and devotional content, along with my love for classic literature, and showed me that He had been preparing me to write literature-based devotionals all along.
It is an absolute joy to spend my days writing about my favorite books and connecting faith lessons for my readers.
Q: Why do you think classic literature is relevant to our lives today?
A: I find classic literature relevant because the themes in great literature are still so highly relatable to our lives today. Anyone of any age can read a beautiful classic story and glean lessons from it and be impacted by it.
I think literature also teaches us empathy because it helps us feel connected to the world around us. When we read a great book and relate to the main characters, we not only see bits of ourselves in those characters, but we also learn to see the world through the eyes of someone else.
The best books make an impact on our hearts and our minds and create an emotional and intellectual response. Books also connect us with the people around us. When we read a book and discuss it with others, there is a close bond that forms as we talk about the ways it impacted us.
For instance, when I talk with women about Matthew Cuthbert in Anne of Green Gables, every woman who has read that book feels a strong surge of emotion about the fatherly way he loved Anne from the first moment he saw her and was always there for her, cheering for her and encouraging her.
That’s because most women long for a loving father figure to be there for them, protect them, and support them. Characters like Matthew draw us together in a unique way that only happens when we read something really beautiful and share it together.
Q: How does your love of words and stories intersect with your faith?
A: I look at every story and character and see faith lessons. I look at the world around me and see God’s hand in every detail. And I think stories are one of the best ways we can teach lessons and illustrate who God is, how He works, and how He loves us.
When I read a wonderful story, I am so inspired by the creativity, the kindness of the people, and the humor of the everyday things that happen to us all. I tend to read my favorite books over and over again because I love to dig deeper every time.
The older I get, the more I read missionary stories and Christian biographies in order to fight discouragement. The stories grab my heart, inspire me, and help me see that God is at work in my life and in the lives of the people around me.
Q: Here at Wallflower, we always ask our women of note what their favorite book is — what’s yours?
A: I think my favorite book of all time will always be Anne of Green Gables. I love Pride and Prejudice and Little Women and all the rest, but Anne’s story is part of the fabric of my life.
Growing up, I read it over and over and watched the movies on repeat. My own dad is like a Matthew Cuthbert, always encouraging, always cheering, always seeing the best in me. My mom is a lot like Marilla, a bit tough on the outside but deeply loving and fiercely protective on the inside. I had my own Diana Barry, too. And my husband is very similar to Gilbert!
But mainly, I felt deeply connected to Anne when I was growing up. I was creative, sensitive, and imaginative. I read all the time and used big words and was awkward and gangly and old-fashioned. I wore dresses, rambled around in the orchards on our five acres, and pretended I was in another world. I think, at times, my parents didn’t quite know what to make of me.
When I read Anne of Green Gables, it felt like I was stepping into Anne’s world where I was seen and heard and cherished. Her story gave me hope because Anne is a character people love and admire, despite her quirks. I didn’t meet a lot of people like me in real life, so it gave me comfort to know that there were other “kindred spirits” out there like me.
Most of all, Anne’s character helped me know and understand myself better — and, to this day, Anne helps the people around me figure out what makes me tick!
Q: Tell us about any recent or new projects you’ve been working on.
A: I don’t have any upcoming book releases, but I’m working on a few new projects and proposals to see what God wants me to write next. It’s always a process of prayer and trial and error and living life.
Often, when I experience trials, I know God is getting ready to use that later in my writing and in how I minister to others. That doesn’t happen overnight for me personally. God usually does a long, deep work in me before He defines for me what He wants me to do with what He’s teaching me.
I love knowing what’s next, so God stretches me in the “in between” times as I wait on Him and grapple with the unknowns. I’ve learned that I can’t (and shouldn’t) rush the Holy Spirit. Waiting on God creates an intimacy with Him that can’t be forged in any other way, and He often uses what we love most to refine our hearts.
For me, He uses the writing process to speak to me and teach me and train my ear to hear His still, small voice. He has called me to minister to hearts, and I don’t take that lightly. I’m exploring with God right now can’t wait to see what He wants to do next!
Connect with Rachel
Website: www.RachelDodge.com
Instagram @kindredspiritbooks
Interested in the devotionals?
