The Boy in the Window: A Mennonite Memoir

by Bobby D. Eaton, Andrew Weaver (Narrator)

Growing up as a Ragland boy meant a one-way street to nowhere—until the Mennonites moved to town.Robert Ragland toiled every day on his family’s Appalachian tobacco farm as a young boy. His father, an impoverished and illiterate sharecropper, spent his earnings on alcohol and beat his children and wife constantly.And Robert couldn’t take one more strike.Meanwhile, Mennonite families had moved to town, providing food and comfort when Robert’s mother broke her leg. Witnessing compassion from these people, Robert wondered, What would it feel like to belong to a group where I was wanted, loved, and appreciated? What if I could break free my father’s abuse and the Ragland destiny?What if I could become one of them?Desperate to escape his lot in life as a white trash failure, Robert joins the Mennonite church, gets married, and becomes a father. Despite his new life, Robert hides dark secrets and deep wounds from his Mennonite family.The Boy in the Window is a powerful true account of heartbreak, defeat, and failure. But most of all, it’s an inspirational story of redemption, healing, and hope.

236 pages, Paperback

Published April 7, 2020

About the author

Bobby D. Eaton is an entrepreneur with many business interests across the country. As a Christian, he is deeply committed to mentoring and helping those who are less fortunate. Bobby is very involved in his church and community and believes in enriching and empowering others through Christ. As a missionary in Haiti, he saw the devastation of poverty coupled with illiteracy and remains very committed to various mission endeavors. Bobby enjoys hunting, fishing, and college sports. He lives in Salisbury, North Carolina, with his wife of forty-one years, and has eight children and nine grandchildren. He is the author of The Boy in the Window: A Mennonite Memoir.

Reviews

[Haylee Yoder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good story!!!❤️🥹

[Gideon Yutzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in January 2020. Follows the main character's life, from birth to death, weaving in themes of parental neglect, searching for God, and coming to terms with one's past. Includes some gentle, but probably accurate, critiques of conservative Mennonite culture.

[Meg Delagrange-Belfon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man. This book got me good! I couldn't stop reading it. It has more twists and turns than I expected! And it's probably the best-written memoir I've ever read. It's so good, with an ending of hope and restoration that will inspire the reader!

[Bernie Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gripping, devastating, and ultimately hopeful story. It's well-written and something that sits with you for several days after reading it. I highly recommend this memoir.

[Kivalina Mauck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad start

Sad ar the first ,there is lots os very sad parts but many happy parts. Kind of confusing at times.

[Richard Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author knows how to write. That was my first impression when I started reading The Boy in the Window. He wasn’t trying too hard, and he wasn’t lazy; he just told his story and made it easy to follow and understand. Robert Ragland’s story of childhood abuse and poverty is heartbreaking, but Bobby D. Eaton doesn’t tell it to get sympathy. He’s not looking for pity. He’s looking to help others who might have had similar experiences, and that intention is clear in every paragraph.
The memoir does, in fact, read like a novel with a very clear and defined character arc of redemption. The chapter detailing the technicalities of tobacco farming could have been broken up with some story action, because it felt like an “info dump”. Looking back, I think it was important, but the presentation bored me. Fortunately, I stuck with it, because the rest of the book was enthralling! Robert’s journey through the treacherous land of self-discovery is highly relatable and inspiring. Religion plays a major role in Robert’s life, and I feared that the book would be “preachy”, but it wasn’t. It simply witnessed Robert’s journey.
If you have any guilt about absolutely anything in your life, if you have any shame about any experience, if you have not yet found your true calling and purpose in life, if there is anything at all that disturbs your inner peace, I recommend that you read The Boy in the Window: A Mennonite Memoir.

[Elizabeth Wharton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author’s style is as easy to read as sitting down with a friend over coffee as they tell their story. This is a story that will stay with me. As I read, I felt the pain of his story, but ultimately I was left with a feeling of hope and the beauty of seeing a life of wholeness come out of a tragically broken past.

He dealt with some very difficult subjects with care and without overly graphic descriptions. The most painful part to read about only took up a page or so. I am fairly sensitive to reading about childhood trauma and I was ok with this. I was, however, left still wanting resolution and justice for the atrocities that prompted the title of the book. It would have been nice to know ahead of time that there wouldn’t be closure there.
Well written memoir. I absolutely recommend reading it.

[Luann]

The Boy in the Window is a riveting redemption story. I couldn't write a better review than this one found inside the pages of The Boy in the Window.

“Every face carries a story, and every story has elements that are exclusive and unusual. However, some life stories are so extraordinary that they border on the bizarre. These stories, when well told, hold us spellbound as we watch them unfold before us. This book contains one of those well-told stories. I was completely engulfed in this book as the story unfolded, sometimes in tears. This is truly a life-impacting, hope-giving, redemption story of a spiritual journey that needs to be heard.”
— Steve Stutzman, Stutzman Family Singers & Strait Paths Foundation

The book is available at Amazon for $0.99. You will get your dollar's worth.

[Diane Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I was reading this book I kept thinking that things couldn't get worse and yet they did. It amazed me how long the author lived in hypocrisy before truly finding Christ. But many things changed in his life after becoming a Christian. God surely has done marvelous things! I would not, however, consider this a Mennonite memoir. It's not really that in my opinion. It's more the life story of a man who grew up in a poor family and struggled for years to defy the poverty that he was brought up in. He did have many experiences with Mennonites but that is not what the majority of this book is about.

[Lois Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story of redemption

A gripping story of a painful childhood, the rocky road of adulthood looking for truth & the freedom of finding that lasting peace in Jesus! I read this story to my preteen & teenage boys. They were pulled in just as much as I was & we speedily read this book cover to cover! The story is well written, an easy way to bring up the good & hard conversations with my boys.

[Ruth Scaife Scaife · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad story of overcoming with the power of God!! I can relate to this book as I have a husband who went through similar cicumstances....We are now part of a Mennonite Church here in NJ. Praise God for His Grace!! I would highly recommend this book to those who have gone through trials throughout their childhood and growing up years. I would not recommend this book to anyone e under 13. God Bless you as you continue to walk in the light of the Lord!!!

[Alison Peachey]

This was my Sunday afternoon nap time pick and it sucked me in and I ended up reading the whole book in one sitting. Such a heartbreaking, bizarre and intriguing story of Appalachian poverty, alcoholism and generational dysfunction, with an encouraging ending. If only the Mennonites would have known how to understand and navigate trauma’s effect on someone’s life and behavior, and had less emphasis on a proper appearance alone, he surely could have found help much sooner.

[David Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Story of Forgiveness

Bobby's story is a terrible mess. A life marred by abuse, severe family disfunction, alcohol, drugs, lies and self-destruction. The things that he went through would tear anyone apart. But, discovering the truth of God's healing power, through the act of forgiveness, turns Bobby's mess into His message.

[Mary Burkholder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tragic yet hopeful story of poverty, alcoholism, abuse and a boy's search for identity. The story is easy to read and written discreetly, but I would not recommend it for children. it is a powerful story of grace, forgiveness and love. I only wish Bobby could have received the help he needed much sooner in life.

[Marty Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much worth the read!

This is a truly moving memoir. I cried many times because of his honesty. He is so blessed to have come to the end of his long journey and to experience so much healing. I am blessed to have read his story. Our stories really do contribute to who we are and how we live. It's encouraging that he came through so much brokenness.

[Lynn Kleinsasser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting!

I was deeply moved by this riveting account of redemption, defying a childhood of poverty, abuse, and despair. I wept for the lonely, abused little boy, and rejoiced with the man who finally experienced the forgiveness and overwhelming love of His Heavenly Father.

[Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book until way too late into the night, I could not put it down. What a story. Only God could produce this much peace and freedom in a man who suffered so much and caused pain to others as well. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

[Kay Schrock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting tale

Honest, thought-provoking memoir of a man’s journey from abuse and failure, to freedom in Christ. This is not another dreary tale of abuse, but truthful pain woven skillfully into a great redemption story.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read on Gods redemption

[Twila Overholt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

I felt the full gamut of emotions while reading this memoir. A difficult but beautiful story of mercy and forgiveness, showing what a difference Jesus can make!

[Hannah K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story of redemption and grace. Not really a novel style, more like an extended testimony with a memoir-like feel. Always neat to hear stories of God's grace!

[Stennett Eberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping, life-changing.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredibly written, rich story. Bobby opens up his heart and honestly shares a journey that keeps the pages turning.

[Janell Hege · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart-wrenching story, but very encouraging in the end.

[Shelly Mast · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really difficult read, heartbreaking. But there is so much redemption in the end!

[Becca Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

My boss gave me this book to read, he knows the author, and it is such a good story but so sad when you realize it is based off of someone's real life. I am sure most of the people who have read this probably had some connection to the author or their family because I do not think it is a very popular book, but I have passed it on and the story like I said is very deep and important I think for people to understand their past.