Today I’m talking about the Books I Wish Had a Sequel. The
first of these came immediately to mind because I have wished for it more
than once. The others required some extra thought because most of the books I’ve read either
have sequels, will have sequels, or are satisfactory standalones.
Christy by Catherine Marshall – This beautifully written Christian novel makes me wish Catherine Marshall had written more fiction in general, not just its sequel. Her only other novel, Julie (unrelated), was also a good read, but Christy, with its deep themes of faith and its gorgeous setting in the Great Smokies, has left me aching for a continuing story. Most significantly, the resolution to a very important piece of the plot is left to our imaginations. Oh, Mrs. Marshall, why did you never finish that sequel?
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton – This novel is a recent edition to my hall of great books. Although the ending is satisfying, I cared about the characters and their land and wished I knew what happened to them in later years, especially the young people.
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell – Again, this one’s ending filled my heart, but in such a way that my love for it needed somewhere else—like hundreds of more pages—to go. We know what happens to Margaret Hale and John Thornton, but we certainly need to see more of them!
Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens – Like North and South and Cry, the Beloved Country, Little Dorrit ended well but left me craving more. Two of my favorite literary characters, Amy Dorrit and Arthur Clennam, simply need more page-time.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett – Maybe we don’t always want to know what happens to beloved child characters when they grow up, but Mary, Colin, and Dickon are full of such promise by the end of the book that I’d love to see the turns their lives would take in later years.
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