[5]‘The Vow’ Tops Times Best-Seller List; Joins Three Other Faith-Based Books
The Vow, Kim and Krickitt Carpenter’s amazing, true story of faith and commitment and the inspiration behind the No. 1 movie in the country, topped the New York Times non-fiction best-seller list in its first week of re-release.
From B&H Publishing Group, The Vow joins three other film-related, faith-based books as national best sellers, including The Resolution for Men, The Resolution for Women and The Love Dare, Nos. 10, 12 and 13, respectively on the Times paperback advice list.
“The phenomenal success of these books — each dealing with the importance of faith and commitment in the family — shows the great hunger for encouraging and inspiring messages today,” said Selma Wilson, B&H Publishing Group president. “The Carpenters, Alex and Stephen Kendrick and Priscilla Shirer are sharing needed and wanted truth and doing so in a way that encourages and engages readers.”
The Vow traces actual events from the 1990s, when Kim and Krickitt Carpenter met, fell in love and married. Just 10 weeks later, the couple survived a terrible car wreck with Krickitt awakening in the hospital married to a stranger. The accident had claimed 18 months of her memories, including all recollection of Kim.
With Kim committed to his marriage vows and Krickitt maintaining her strong Christian faith, even if recent memories were gone, the couple began the long road to a rebuilt relationship, choosing to fall in love again and capping that with a second wedding ceremony and renewal of their vows almost three years later.
Their story inspired the No. 1 movie in the country, THE VOW starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams, which took in over $40 million its opening weekend. The Vow book, in addition to its No. 1 rank on the Times non-fiction best-seller list, also earned the No. 7 spot for combined non-fiction print and e-books. The book, originally released in 2000, launched again Feb. 10 with an additional chapter and photos updating the Carpenter’s story.
“Krickitt and I feel very blessed that our story might give hope to others facing difficult circumstances,” Kim Carpenter said, “and inspire them to stick together for better or worse, in sickness and in health.”
Also from B&H Publishing Group, three more books with connection to faith films maintained best-seller status.
The Resolution for Men by brothers and filmmakers Alex and Stephen Kendrick with Randy Alcorn issues a call to godly parenting, challenging fathers to resolve to be the kind of dads God means them to be and their families need them to be. The book title relates to the film COURAGEOUS, which featured four fathers publicly resolving to lead their families well.
The Resolution for Women, by nationally know speaker and Bible teacher Priscilla Shirer with Alex and Stephen Kendrick, offers help, hope and challenge to women desiring to find God’s will and live it God’s way in their lives and the lives of their families.
The Love Dare also is by Alex and Stephen Kendrick and now marks more than 170 weeks as a Times best seller. Reflected in the Kendricks’ hit movie FIREPROOF, The Love Dare challenges readers to offer 40 days of acts of unconditional love to spouses.