ASK THE AUTHOR: Annie Wald

LATEST PROJECT: Walk With Me: Pilgrim’s Progress for Married Couples (September).

PUBLISHER: River North Fiction (Moody Publishers).

When did you first become acquainted with The Pilgrim's Progress and has it been a well-loved classic in your life? I first read the story to our children, using the beautifully illustrated “Dangerous Journey” version. I also enjoyed Cheryl Ford’s wonderful retelling in contemporary English.

Was there something in particular that inspired you to rework it for married couples? As our daughters became adults, I wanted to share with them the hard, but good lessons I had learned about living out the gospel in marriage. Since I’m a fiction writer, telling a story seemed the best way for me, and Bunyan’s classic, with its focus on God’s Word, was an ideal pattern to follow.

Where do you see you and your husband in this book? In our own marriage, we visited many places in the book. We were stuck in the Swamp of Selfishness for a long time and struggled through the Plains of Distance. However, we eventually experienced the Healing Springs and the Warming Hut of Revelation. Thanks to God’s grace, we are now enjoying the Highlands.

Could you reflect on one or two of your favorite passages or lessons of the book for our readers? Peter’s courageous act of obedience when he leaves the Honey Woman by the River of Unfaithfulness and returns to Celeste is a key turning point in the journey to the King’s City. Later, Celeste has to make her own difficult sacrifice when she climbs to the top of Skull Hill to give up her expectation of being loved by Peter. Yet we see how these painful choices brought them closer to the King.

Do you see this as a book that will benefit engaged couples on up to long-married couples? Absolutely. Many engaged couples think they will be the exception to the rule, while couples who have been on the marriage journey for a while can doubt whether change is possible. Wherever we are, we need to be continually reminded of what it looks like to love like Jesus.

Did you have a connection with Eugene Peterson before he wrote the foreword to your book? The Message has been instrumental in making God’s Word alive and active in my life. It was also a significant inspiration as I wrote Walk With Me so Peterson was the natural choice to ask to write the foreword.

How would you encourage Christian retailers in selling Walk With Me? Sooner or later a married person’s hope for ideal love meets the disillusioning reality of daily living. Christians are stunned to discover how selfish they can be (and their spouses too!). But they also believe their faith can make a difference, and they are hungry for encouragement to help them persevere. Walk With Me applies the wisdom of God’s Word to the heartfelt struggles of married couples.

Finally, is there another classic to adapt in your writing future? There are so many treasures from the past that deserve a fresh telling to a new generation. But I may return to Bunyan’s classic again and follow Peter and Celeste’s children as single Christians.

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