Tell us a bit about yourself and your writing.
I’m the daughter of Mennonite farmers and grew up in central Indiana. My family has always carefully preserved its history, which is not unusual among the Amish and Mennonites. They tend to have a great interest in family history and the history of their faith.
That’s probably why I became interested in history as a young person. I never expected to be a writer, though, even though I’ve been a voracious reader ever since first grade. If nothing else is available, I’ll read the back of the breakfast cereal box. My real ambition, however, was to be an artist in the mold of Caravaggio, Rembrandt, or Andrew Wyeth, not a writer.
Then what led you to begin writing?
Well, I had this dream. Seriously. I had a dream one night back in 1977 that was so intriguing I had to write the story to figure out who these people were and why they were doing what they were doing. That turned into my medieval epic tragedy, which I swear I’m going to finish and get published someday!
What kind of books do you write?
I write mainly historical novels, though I have written one contemporary—which is my latest release, One Holy Night. My other published books are Daughter of Liberty and Native Son, books 1 and 2 of the American Patriot Series set during the American Revolution. Book 3, Wind of the Spirit will release in January 2009.
As we can find time in our busy schedules, my cousin, author Bob Hostetler, and I are working on a historical novel set during the French and Indian War that we’ve entitled Northkill. We’re doing a fictional treatment of the story of our Amish ancestors, who came to this country seeking religious freedom and got caught up in the war when their home was attacked by a band of Indians. Three members of the family were massacred. The three survivors were carried off into captivity and returned home some years later. It’s a really exciting and inspiring story, and we hope we can do it justice.
Tell us about your latest release, One Holy Night.
One Holy Night is at heart a modern-day nativity story, but it isn’t a story only for Christmas. It deals with all the gritty issues that impact our lives every day—intergenerational and interracial conflict, violence in various forms, addictions, war, illness, death, divorce. Brokenness of one kind or another affects every family and individual. And the more I thought about it, the more I questioned how we can make sense of our lives and find reconciliation in our relationships. Where do we find purpose, strength, and healing.
I first started tinkering with the idea for this story back in the late 1980s. Then the Gulf War came along and shaped my thinking some more. Life happened, and the story lay fallow until 9-11. Right around that time a young woman in our church was diagnosed with colon cancer, and then died within a year. Shortly thereafter, my parents both died as the result of a car accident. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were in all the headlines, and opposition was growing along with the casualty count. Commentators were beginning to compare the war in Iraq with the quagmire of Viet Nam—a conflict I was well acquainted with since I was in high school and college during those years.
So all these things started to find their way into this story set during 1967 about a family in a small town in Minnesota that is faced with these issues while the son is away serving in Vietnam. The conclusion I came up with is pretty well summed up in the little blurb for the book:
On this bleak Christmas Eve, God has in mind a miracle. As on that holy night so long ago . . . in a world torn by sin and strife . . . to a family that has suffered heart-wrenching loss . . . there will be born a baby . . .
Who did you write One Holy Night for? What is the audience for this story?
I think this story will appeal to anyone who is looking for a moving story that is a good read. It’s especially directed to readers who are searching for answers to the difficult issues of life, for hope and encouragement when things look scary and out of control, and for healing for broken relationships.
One Holy Night addresses war, specifically WWII and Vietnam. It deals with one of the main characters’ unresolved issues from his service in the South Pacific in WWII, issues that leak over into his concern for his son, who is now serving in Vietnam, and for his wife, who is dealing with cancer. The basic message is that we find hope and healing in a source greater than ourselves, in a beneficent being who has a purpose and plan for our lives and will carry us through when our own strength and understanding fail.
The Iraq War is becoming increasingly controversial. Do you see parallels with the Vietnam War? And what position do you, as a former Mennonite, take on war in general?
I do see parallels between the Vietnam War and the Iraq War. It’s pretty obvious that we’re bogged down in a quagmire that doesn’t seem to have an easy solution—if it has any solution at all—just like in Vietnam. Having grown up Mennonite, of course, my response should be that war is never justified, that the commandment not to kill includes resorting to war. And I am generally opposed to violence as a solution to the world’s problems.
But I guess I have a more complex view of war, and that’s reflected in One Holy Night. My sense of this issue is undoubtedly due to the fact that when my father, raised Amish, was drafted in late 1940, he chose to enter the Army in March 1941 for a one year enlistment. Of course, we all know what happened. He ended up in the South Pacific until September 1945. Growing up, I heard a lot of stories about his experiences, and that shaped my thinking a great deal. It also shaped my brother’s thinking, and even though he opposed that war, as did many of the men and women who served, he did a tour in Vietnam.
I’ve come to believe that God calls some to stand as witnesses against war and violence. Where would the world be if there weren’t those who opposed war? But I also believe God calls other men and women to take a stand against great evil that seeks to overcome the world, as our men and women did during WWII. Edmund Burke who said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” So I tried to take an evenhanded approach in One Holy Night and to depict all sides of the issue with honesty and respect.
I was in high school and college during the Vietnam War, and like many of my peers, I opposed it. But I have nothing but respect for our service men and women who served in that war and in all the other wars this country has been engaged in. A large part of the reason I wrote One Holy Night is to honor our service men and women and their families who make incredible sacrifices to preserve our freedom even when it isn’t a popular thing to do. In fact, I’m also writing a historical fiction series set during the American Revolution to honor our founding generation who handed down to us this precious legacy of liberty.
You're married and you have children and grandchildren. How does your family figure into the equation of being an author?
As Yoda said to Luke Skywalker: “Never here, you are. Always somewhere else is your mind.” Or words to that effect. When I’m actively writing, I feel somewhat schizophrenic, like I have a foot in two different worlds at the same time. I’m talking to my family members and doing things with them, but my responses come a bit slowly because I’m really in a time long, long ago and a place far, far away. That can be annoying to the people who love you and want your attention.
Family members keep you grounded, however. They keep you from taking yourself too seriously. They’re patient with the crazy urge you have to immerse yourself in fictional worlds. And they make sure you eat from time to time and get out and do stuff instead of sitting bathed in the blue glow of your computer monitor for weeks at a time. For that, I’m very grateful!
Where can readers find your books?
My books are available at most bookstores, but if a copy isn’t on the shelf, the bookstore personnel can order it for you. You can also order my books from the major online retailers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
How can readers find you on the Web?
My Web site is located at www.jmhochstetler.com. The Sheaf House Web site is www.sheafhouse.com, and you can find more information about One Holy Night at oneholynight.blogspot.com. I’m also a regular contributor to the Favorite PASTimes historical fiction blog at favoritepastimes.blogspot.com.
