She Does the “Write” Thing

Kristen Randle says she writes about “real life—hurt and joy and adversity and choice and the effort of man to live well and faithfully.” With a number of novels to her credit, she recently branched into the national U.S. book arena. Last year the Michigan Library Association named her book The Only Alien on the Planet its “Best Book of the Year for Young Adults.”

Sister Randle takes a subtle, values-oriented approach in her national-market books. Her teenage characters are lively and confused at times but determined to do right—and they attend church.

The mother of four, Sister Randle loves to be involved in the lives of her children and their friends. Recently she helped her son’s Scout troop complete a service project. The group canvassed the ward for old stuffed animals, which they cleaned and personalized before delivering them to a shelter for battered women.

Sister Randle appreciates the gospel’s influence on her young friends. “These kids are so alive and so unburdened by the darkness that hovers over so many,” she says. She serves as choir leader in the Lakeside Sixth Ward, Provo Utah West Stake.—Benson Y. Parkinson, South Ogden, Utah