Book Chat - CLOSED by original moderator discussion

Please help me to keep my disabled sister supplied with books. She is age 60, former elementary/Special-Ed teacher, now mentally disabled. She's read everything by Danielle Steel. We’re desperate to find other similar author(s).

Local librarians provided the following, all rejected by my selective sister: Barbara Delinsky, Diana Palmer, Fern Michaels, Mary Higgins Clark, Susan Mallery, Robyn Carr, Jude Deveraux, and Katie Forde.

Following are qualities my sister requires (and why she loves D. Steel):
- Clean romance (can be read aloud to family without embarrassment).
- Emphasis on family ties (value of family relationships)
- Short and sweet writing style (sister now has mind of a fifth grader).
- Simple vocabulary (she has very limited vocabulary).
- Consistent theme whereby tragedy and adversity are met with resilience, resulting in a happy ending (not my sister's words, but what she loves).
- Prefers main characters from the United States.
- Prefers adult characters (so, a young-adult author is likely not suitable).
- NOT suspense or mystery genre.

It's tough to solicit specific turn-offs, but, so far: My sister disliked a setting of a horse ranch. This will be updated as I learn more.

Thanks!

[author:Debbie Macomber, Susan Wiggs
These are two really great authors who write books that are easy to read, can be read aloud and Ms. Macomber has a series "Blossom Street" that follows a group of woman that meet at a yarn shop and go from there. Susan Wiggs will take you to Texas and all over with her love stories. I got my Mom hook on these two when she wasn't able to get out any longer. Good luck!

Beth wrote: "...."

Thanks, Beth. Very helpful!

There is an English author who satisfies all of your requirements apart from the main characters coming from the USA. She's called Miss Read. She was born in the early 20th century and she invented two imaginary English villages. Her books follows the ups and downs of the villagers (so you will need to find out how your mother feels about books set in an English village). My mother loves them and they are really popular. Even though the first books were written decades ago I think they are all still in print.
Otherwise, have you looked at Fern Michaels or Barbara Delinsky? They are both American authors who have been suggested to me as authors my mother might like since she likes Miss Read. I've not checked them out yet though, so I can't vouch for them against your criteria.

KeenReader wrote: "There is … Miss Read …."

Thank you, KeenReader, for your thoughtful contribution. I definitely will give Miss Read a try. A central character (schoolteacher -- just like my sister was! ) throughout many books sounds PERFECT. I'm sure my sister will adjust to the English setting.

I myself had thought B. Delinsky would be a great fit, but somehow, my sister didn't agree. She also rejected F. Michaels. Alas, in my disabled sister's child-like, black-&-white world, there's only Steel, and non-Steel. I'll re-introduce the rejected authors at a later time. Maybe Miss Read can be the bridge to the gray!

I'm sorry, I read your comment and completely missed Fern Michaels and Barbara Delinsky in your list of authors you've tried. I worry about my reading comprehension sometimes!
If you think a school setting might interest your mother, another British author you might want to suggest to her is Gervase Phinn. He was a school teacher for years and writes a series of books based in and around a school in an English village. You might want to check out an example of his writing style though, I'm not sure it would be simple enough. His sentences can be rather long.
Another set of books you might want to try are the Ladies Number One Detective Agency Stories. They start with (The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, I think they would definitely meet your requirement for a short and sweet writing style. They may be set in a detective agency but they are not suspense books and the mysteries normally hinge around some aspect of human nature such as misunderstandings or the need to be kind to one another. They do contain romances (yes! more than one), also some reflections about married life (but nothing remotely X rated). I don't think the romance aspect really gets going until a few books in, but I can't remember for sure. They are set in Botswana though, but I think they will score really highly on all of your other aspects, so I think they are worth considering. If either of these are any good let me know and I might be able to think of other authors that might also be worth considering. Just be aware that Alexander McCall Smith (the author the N01 Ladies Detective Agency) writes several series. I don't think your mother would enjoy the others.

KeenReader wrote: "... If you think a school..."

Thank you for your generous brainstorming, KeenReader. I'll note everything you've said. My plan is to try one thing, then another, then another, including all your ideas eventually, because there are many years of reading ahead (she's my 60-year-old SISTER, by the way, not my Mom, so there's plenty of time to try things with her).

Sorry about writing "mum" when it's your sister you are trying to find authors for. I think it's because my mum's requirements for books were very similar to your sister's so I got confused. My mum has now moved onto biographies which is a move I never saw coming, but she loves them!