Jack Weyland is the pioneer of LDS fiction. Back in 1980 when he wrote and published “Charly,” his most famous novel to date, LDS fiction was scarcely heard of. Suddenly, with the success of that book and its sequel “Sam,” published in 1987, LDS fiction came to life, blooming where it never had before. Those early seeds planted by a daring author have grown into trees, with books on every limb created especially for the LDS market.
“Charly” tells the story of a young woman who is full of life and fire, and Sam, dull as dishwater. Sam was raised in the church, is a return missionary, leads an orderly, righteous life, and doesn’t want anything to disturb the peaceful serenity of his life. When he meets Charly, all his plans fly out the window. She’s impetuous, she’s outgoing, and she’s not a member. They hardly like each other at all, but as they get to know each other, a friendship, and then a romance, ensues. She joins the church and Sam thinks that everything is perfect, until he finds out that her past is a bit more colorful than he would have liked, and he has to learn a strong lesson about the power of the Atonement.
In “Sam,” we find Sam struggling to raise his son and put his past behind him. Along comes Laura, responsible, sedate, and the exact opposite of Charly, and he keeps trying to make her into Charly. Finally he comes to realize that he has to accept Laura for who she is, a wonderful woman who can lift his spirits and help him raise his son.
While nearly every LDS person who reads is familiar with “Charly” and “Sam,” they may not be aware of the other books Jack wrote afterwards. I thought I would take a blog or two to mention, in no particular order, the novels Jack has since created so you can see the continuing contribution he has made to the market.
“Jake” was published in 1998 by Deseret Book and is the story of a young man who has pretty much everything a guy could want – dazzling good looks, a thriving career as a television star, and he has never lacked for female companionship. But when he meets Andrea Warner, he realizes that maybe he doesn’t have everything he wants after all. He sets out to win her, feeling sure that he’ll succeed, but there’s a little problem – Andrea’s a Mormon, and he’s, well, not. He’s actually a selfish manipulator and miles away from what she’s looking for. What is he willing to give up to get the girl?
Stay tuned for part two of “The Books of Jack Weyland,” coming soon to your favorite media reviews website.
Related Blogs:
Genres in Literature, Part Two
The Movie of Jack Weyland’s Charly