If you don't use it, you lose it: for students of foreign languages, part I

I'm sure anyone who has studied a foreign language has heard the phrase, "If you don't use it, you lose it."  As college language courses fade further into the reaches of the past, I find myself losing that education for which I paid so highly.  Also, as a former language student who no longer has access to easy language practice (classes, groups of people who speak those languages, etc), it is hard to get motivated to keep up on those skills. 

If there is no one to speak with, reading is typically the best way to maintain or even improve one's skills, but I have to say, finding interesting reading material in the States that is neither English nor Spanish is quite the challenge.  There are some classics floating around in their original languages, but English classics can be hard enough to read, let alone foreign classics.  Thus I was excited to discover that a number of novels by Christian authors have been translated into foreign languages!  These involve typically simpler (or at least, more modern) language than classics, while on subjects and with stories that I already know I like.

How do books get chosen to be translated anyway?  On the blog Writes of Passage, Jody Hedlund (author of Rebellious Heart and A Noble Groom) has an article "It's a Small World: International Readers," which delves into how her books came to be published internationally in foreign languages. Sometimes the book looks almost exactly the same, but sometimes the cover art and titles change considerably in the marketing and translation process.  Newer novels take time to be translated, so it is unlikely to find books that were published more recently than a full year ago. 

Thus I have compiled a list of Christian historical fiction that has been translated into foreign languages (I'll work on contemporary fiction for a later post).  There are a lot more than I had anticipated!  Most titles can be found in print, and some are available on Kindle - it probably depends some on where one looks.  Amazon carries a number of titles, if you have a title that you can use to find them, along with other book sites.  The publishers of course carry them, but you would have to check to see if they are available to be shipped overseas.  However, it is fun to look at the publisher websites to find out just how much they have!

Languages are arranged alphabetically, with books arranged alphabetically by author, and within that by publication date (oldest to most recent) if applicable.  Because this has become a significantly larger project than expected, on the major publishers (German, Dutch) I'll list books by my favorite authors and note other authors with how many books are available. 

Danish translations through Lohse:

By Lynn Austin:

Guds konger (Gods and Kings)

Dutch translations through Kok -Voorhoeve (unless otherwise noted.  Just so you know, this is the tip of the iceberg - Veerhoeve has a ton of translations!):

By Tamera Alexander (through Van Wijnen):
De erfenis (The Inheritance)
Een blijvende indruk (A Lasting Impression)

By Lynn Austin (+ 19? more - they have multiple editions for some):
Laatste Vlucht (Fly Away) - published by VBK 
Eva's dochters (Eve's Daughters)

In Wonderland (Wonderland Creek)

De plantage (All Things New)

By Lori Benton:
Het land van mijn vader (Burning Sky)

By Laura Frantz: 
De pioniersdochter (The Frontiersman's Daughter)
Terug naar de rode rivier (Courting Morrow Little)
In het fort van de kolonel (The Colonel's Lady)
De dochters van de meestersmid (Love's Reckoning)
De tweestrijd van Elinor (Love's Awakening)

By Trisha Goyer/Mike Yorkey:
De jacht op de Mona Lisa (Chasing Mona Lisa)

By Jody Hedlund:
De prediker's bruid (The Preacher's Bride)
De zendelingsvrouw (The Doctor's Lady)
Zoeken naar Daisy (Unending Devotion)
Een echte heer (A Noble Groom)
Opstandig hart (Rebellious Heart)

By Melissa Jagears (through Grace Publishing):
Een bruid om van te houden (A Bride for Keeps)

By Julie Klassen (+3 more):
Onvoorwaardelijk (The lady of Milkweed Manor)
De stille gouvernante (The Silent Governess)
De jongedame in het poorthuis (The Girl in the Gatehouse)
De dansmeester (The Dancing Master)

Sarah E. Ladd:
De erfgename van Winterwood (The Heiress of Winterwood)

By Sarah Sundin (through Mozaïek):
Een verre melodie (A Distant Melody)
Op zilveren vleugel (A Memory Between Us)

By Karen Witemeyer (through Grace Publishing):
Geknipt voor elkaar (A Tailor-Made Bride)
Hoofd in de wolken (Head in the Clouds)
Het geheim van de smid (To Win Her Heart)
Strootjes bruid (Short-Straw Bride)
Buit gemaakt (Stealing the Preacher)

Tessa Afshar (3), Deeanne Gist (7), Robin Lee Hatcher (1), Liz Curtis Higgs (2), Lisa Norato (1), Janette Oke (4), Francine Rivers (17),  Kim Vogel Sawyer (7), MaryLu Tyndall (1), Susan May Warren (2)


French translations through ADA-inc: 

By Laura Frantz:
La rançon de l'amour (Love's Reckoning)
L'éveil de l'amour (Love's Awakening)
La richesse de l'amour (Love's Fortune)

By Tracie Peterson/Judith Miller:
L’héritage de Fanny (A Daughter's Inheritance)

German translations through Francke-Buch (unless otherwise noted):

By Tamera Alexander:
Die Rückkehr des Fremden (Rekindled)
Hoffnung am Horizont (Revealed)
Land der Sehnsucht (Remembered)
Geerbtes Glück (The Inheritance)
Geliebte Fälscherin (A Lasting Impression)
Wie ein Flüstern im Wind (To Whisper Her Name)

By Amanda Cabot:
Der Sommer, der so viel versprach (Summer of Promise)

By Carol Cox (through Hänssler):
Detektivin aus Leidenschaft (Love in Disguise)

By Cathy Marie Hake:  
Mehr Charme als Etikette (Letter Perfect)
Kein Job für eine Lady (Fancy Pants)  
Ein Schuss Liebe kann nicht schaden (Forevermore) 
Ein Wirbelwind namens Millie (Whirlwind)
Ärztin In Rot (That Certain Spark) 
Rose der Prärie (Serendipity)

By Jody Hedlund:
Die Assistentin des Fotografen (Unending Devotion)

By Julie Klassen (through Hänssler):
Die Lady Von Milkweed Manor (The Lady of Milkweed Manor)
Das Geheimnis Der Apothekerin (The Apothecary's Daughter) 
Das Schweigen Der Miss Keene (The Silent Governess)
Das Mädchen im Torhaus (The Girl in the Gatehouse)
Die Magd von Fairbourne Hall (The Maid of Fairbourne Hall)
Die Tochter des Hauslehrers (The Tutor's Daughter)
Das Geheimnis des Tanzmeisters (The Dancing Master)

By Francine Rivers (through Gerth Medien):
Rapha - Die Tore von Ephesus (An Echo in the Darkness)

By Sarah Sundin:
Der Klang deiner Gedanken (A Distant Melody)

Der Duft der Freiheit (A Memory Between Us)

By Jen Turano (through Gerth Medien):

Die falsche Gouvernante (A Change of Fortune)

By Lori Wick:
Die Lady von Ravencroft (The Hawk and the Jewel)
Und hinter dem Horizont das Glück (Sophie's Heart)

By Karen Witemeyer:
Eine Lady nach Maß (A Tailor-Made Bride)

Sturz ins Glück (Head in the Clouds)

Kann es wirklich Liebe sein? (Short-Straw Bride)
Entführerin wider Willen (

Lynn Austin (15), Lisa T. Bergren (5), Deeanne Gist (7 Gerth Medien), Judith Pella (2), Tracie Peterson (3 Francke, 8 Hänssler), Kim Vogel Sawyer (6 Hänssler), Stephanie Grace Whitson (3)

Hungarian translations through General Press:

By Julie Klassen:
Álruhás szerelem (The Maid of Fairbourne Hall)


Indonesian translations through Gloria Graffa:

By Cathy Marie Hake:
Cinta Pahit Manis (Bittersweet)



Norwegian translations through Lunde Forlag:

By Lynn Austin:
Det som en gang var (All She Ever Wanted)
Damer i dongeri (A Woman's Place)
Når vi ikke lenger ser hverandre (While We're Far Apart)
Dett kalles nåde (All Things New)

By Francine Rivers:  
Ufattelig kjærlighet (Redeeming Love)
Varsler i vinden (A Voice in the Wind)
Ekko i mørket (An Echo in the Darkness)
Demring i nord (As Sure as the Dawn)
Tamar (Unveiled: Tamar)
Datteren (Her Mother's Hope)
Datterens drøm (Her Daughter's Dream)


Portuguese translations:

By Lynn Austin (through Hagnos):
Lugares Escondidos (Hidden Places) - Hagnos


By Sarah Sundin (through Quinta Essência):
Nas Asas do Amor (A Distant Melody)
Nas Asas da Memória (A Memory Between Us)
Nas Asas do Amanhã (Blue Skies Tomorrow)


Romanian translations through Casa Cărţii:

By Lynn Austin (+8 more):
Zei şi regi (Gods and Kings)
Cântecul izbăvirii (Song of Redemption)
Tăria braţului Său (The Strength of His Hand)
Credinţa părinţilor mei (Faith of My Fathers)
Printre zei (Among the Gods)
Fiicele Evei (Eve's Daughters)
Tărâmuri ascunse (Hidden Places)
Tot ce ea îşi doreşte (All She Ever Wanted)

By Janette Oke (+14 more):
Învăluiţi de iubire (Love Comes Softly)
Promisiunea neclintită a iubirii (Love's Enduring Promise)
Drumul lung al iubirii  (Love's Long Journey)
Bucuria nepieritoare a iubirii (Love's Abiding Joy)
Moştenirea veşnică a iubirii (Love's Unending Legacy)
Visul împlinit al iubirii (Love's Unfolding Dream)
Zborul îndepărtat al iubirii (Love Takes Wing)
Căminul regăsit al iubirii (Love Finds a Home) 

By Jill Eileen Smith:
Mical (Michal)
Abigail (Abigail)

Batşeba (Bathsheba)



Slovakian translations through Vydavateľstvo:

By Tessa Afshar:

Perla v piesku (Pearl in the Sand)

Perla z Moabu (In the Fields of Grace)

By Kate Breslin:

V pravej chvíli (For Such a Time)

By Julie Klassen:

Učiteľova dcéra (The Tutor's Daughter)

Učiteľ tanca (The Dancing Master)

Turkish translations through NoktaKitap:

By Cathy Marie Hake: 

Gözyaşı Yoksa Aşk Yoktur (Letter Perfect)

If you know of any good Christian fiction written by foreign authors (not in English!), I'd love to hear about it, as well as any other translated titles!