Journalism alumna Holly Payne, '94, reads from her third novel Kingdom of Simplicity Nov. 6
Journalism alumna Holly Payne, ’94, will read from her latest book, Kingdom of Simplicity, on Friday, November 6 at 8:30 p.m. in the Jepson Alumni Center’s Bottomley House living room as part of the University of Richmond's Homecoming Weekend celebration.
Kingdom of Simplicity is Payne’s third book. Set against the backdrop of the Pennsylvania Amish community, the book shines a light on Payne’s very personal struggle with forgiveness.
Shortly after her graduation from the University of Richmond in 1994, Payne was struck by a drunk driver while stopping to help two bicyclists on the roadside. Payne didn’t walk for a year, and in 1995 she received a letter from the driver—asking for her forgiveness.
“I was too angry and still in too much pain, with too much uncertainty about my body and my future to respond to what was a very sincere apology and his wishes for my forgiveness someday,” Payne said.
Twelve years later, Payne reread the letter and realized that, subconsciously, she had responded to his letter… with a book.
Kingdom of Simplicity follows the journey of Eli Yoder, a misguided Amish youth, who, unable to forgive the driver who killed his five sisters, leaves home during rumspringa to search for acceptance in the Outside World. Away from the Amish community, he confronts the biggest question of his life: how to let go of the past and heal.
A native of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Payne was inspired by the Amish practice of forgiveness, which was tragically highlighted for her while writing the book. When five Amish girls were shot and killed in a one-room school house in Lancaster County in October 2006, Payne was struck by the fact that the Amish community immediately forgave the shooter, who had killed himself, and even attended his funeral on the same day the community buried the five girls.
Kingdom of Simplicity is the winner of a Marin Arts Council Grant for Fiction. Payne's first novel, The Virgin's Knot (Dutton/Plume 2002), published in nine countries, was a Discover Great New Writers book and a Border's Original Voices selection. Her second novel, The Sound of Blue (Dutton/Plume 2005), is based on the true story of a Serbian refugee she befriended while teaching English in Hungary, where she healed and learned to walk again.
The University of Richmond Alumni Association will present Payne with the Alumni of the University of Richmond Award for Distinguished Service during her November visit to Richmond.
Posted July 27, 2009