A Change and A Parting: My Story of Amana

by Barbara Selzer Yambura, Eunice W. Bodine, Deborah Walkoczy (Illustrator)

This book traces the history of the Amana Colonies through the eyes of the author who was among the last group of young people to reach adulthood in one of the seven villages (Homestad) ruled by the elders of the religious sect, The Community of True Inspiration. An off-shoot of Lutheranism, the Amana people came to America in 1844 seeking freedom from religious persecution. The church still exists today only in the Colonies. The Amana people are not Amish, although they trace to a peaceful Anabaptist heritage.

264 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 1986

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have lived near the Amana Colonies for most of my life. I have visited their shops and restaurants dozens of times. However I didn't understand the design and ingenuity of their religious community living until reading this beautiful narrative. Only someone who lived within and was raised with "True Inspiaration" could have so much detail. It's a beautiful read of respect for her people and growing up in the Amanas. Sometimes, in order to learn and appreciate our own beliefs, we need to study someone else's.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best book I have read describing the unique life that Amana residents lived. The book was interesting and keep my interest.

[Jo Young Switzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book because it gave a full, personal view of what it was like to grow up as a child in the Amana Colonies of Iowa. Barbara Selzer Yambura grew up with her widowed mother and brother in Homestead during the early part of the 1900s. She experienced the fullness of the communal life, including the high standards for behavior expected by the elders. Her descriptions of life, work, food, friends, and religious services were fleshed out in words so that readers could almost feel present in the conversations. While she was a teenager during the Depression, the Amana Colony faced terrible financial threat and changed from a religious communal order to one in which the families handled their own earning and spending. It is a wonderful picture into a distinctive religious sect in the United States. The book is well worth the time to read it, and a trip to the Colonies will make it even better since the buildings, practices, flowers & gardens, and warm welcome still reflect the values of the earliest members.

[CmPete Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good picture of Amana in the early part of the twentieth century.