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Plain Secrets: An Outsider Among the Amish
Joe Mackall has lived with the Amish for more than 16 years. And not just any Amish - his neighbors belong to a particularly conservative community that rejects not only electricity, but also indoor plumbing, padded chairs, and the tradition of rumspringa - the "running around" period some sects allow their teens. In this account, Mackall chronicles the experiences of one particular family as it struggles to maintain its Amish identity. Discussing the virtues and absurdities of their way of life, Mackall is refreshingly candid, voicing his criticism when a girl dies in a buggy accident caused in part because of the sect's rejection of safety lights. It's an insightful and informative window into a community that's often misunderstood. --- from book's back cover
351 pages, Hardcover
First published May 15, 2007
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March 1, 2019
There is nothing in this quiet book about the author's close friendship with an Amish family that could be called gripping, exciting or even mildly thrilling, yet its a page-turner. It's quite unputdownable and having finished it, I still couldn't tell you why.
Perhaps it is because its so beautifully-written, perhaps because it is honest about the strict Amish ways but doesn't romanticise their differences as many books and documentaries do. We are curious about people who have rejected "the good life" (as we see it) and this is a clear-glass window into the lives of people the same as us but who have chosen 'the path less travelled'.
Even if it wasn't such a good read, it would still get five-stars from me because the writing is such a joy to read.
Perhaps it is because its so beautifully-written, perhaps because it is honest about the strict Amish ways but doesn't romanticise their differences as many books and documentaries do. We are curious about people who have rejected "the good life" (as we see it) and this is a clear-glass window into the lives of people the same as us but who have chosen 'the path less travelled'.
Even if it wasn't such a good read, it would still get five-stars from me because the writing is such a joy to read.
October 1, 2007
An objective, informative, and interesting look at the world of the Amish. I really appreciated this read after having lived next door to a few Amish families for two years of my childhood and growing up in and around communities of Amish in Middlefield, Ohio. Joe's "inside" look is fair and honest - as an "outsider among the Amish," he is respectful of the Amish family and Amish community while not neglecting his conflicted feelings about their lifestyle and choices they've made. His perspective is refreshing, and his position as an onlooker allows for observing the intimacy of the Swartzentruber Amish community and witnessing the "leaving" of an Amish young man.
I would recommend this book to those who have lived among, around, or near the Amish of any sect, those who are curious about the Amish community, and those who enjoy good writing.
I would recommend this book to those who have lived among, around, or near the Amish of any sect, those who are curious about the Amish community, and those who enjoy good writing.
August 7, 2010
Joe Mackall has written a personal account of the Swartzentruber Amish based on his friendship with a particular family, the Shetlers, who belong to this type of Amish group. Mackall tries to be objective showing many aspects of Swartzentruber Amish life without passing judgment, but there is definitely a bias based on his friendship with them. He is reluctant to show them in any type of light that might offend them, he treads lightly. Even so, what I came away with is they are basically a cult. I am sure Mackall would be appalled that this is my take-away from this book, but honestly the more he revealed about this group the more it sounded like a cult; total and blind faith in one person (their bishop), total adherence to the Ordnung (Amish rule book), limited education (up to 8th grade only), patriarchal system, no personal identity (i.e. everyone must dress the same), a closed community (outsiders are kept at a cordial distance and anyone who leaves the community is shunned formally or informally if they have not yet been baptized).
I certainly know more about the Amish in general and specifically about the Swartzentruber Amish, the most conservative of the already conservative Amish, than I did before reading this book, however it brings to mind more questions than it answers. There seem to be so many contradictions in their rules. Here are some examples: Why can they wear rubber boots but not have rubber tires on their buggies? Why are they allowed to buy candy bars and potato chips at the local Wal-Mart when the idea is they are supposed to be in this world but not of this world? Wal-Mart and junk food are the epitome of American Consumerism. Why does the Lodi group of the Swartzentruber Amish get to use gas powered engines as long as they are connected to a belt? It’s still a gas powered engine-so who came up with that exception and why, and why on only some appliances and power tools? One of the problems with this book is the author does not explain any of this. I’m not sure if he just never tried to find out, or if he asked the Shetlers and they didn’t know, as was the case when he asked them why they are not allowed to have upholstered furniture; they just shrugged and smiled. He was the one that had to tell them historical things about their own religion such as when it was formed and where and why they have two communions a year; things you would think that Samuel Shetler, a minister in his district, would know. This seems to indicate absolute blind faith in their religion and their way of life. So not only are they only formally educated up to the eighth grade, they’re not even knowledgeable about the history of their own religion. Do they have no intellectual curiosity?
Another idea that crossed my mind while reading this was about creativity. Are they not allowed to do anything creative other than maybe woodwork. Are they allowed to paint (other than the barn or the house), write creatively (other than their newsy letters to family and friends), and since they can’t listen to music I’m pretty sure playing a musical instrument is out. Are these activities considered too focused on the individual, or are they considered too frivolous and not pleasing to God? Or perhaps they can do some of these activities but Mackall never mentions them.
Mackall did accomplish one thing he set out to do, and that was to unveil the Swartzentruber Amish and the mystery that surrounds them. In this respect he accomplishes his goal. However he had also said he didn’t want to romanticize them, but in fact he waxes on throughout the book about how much fuller and richer their lives are than modern American’s lives. He is such good friends with the Shetler’s he makes excuses and justifies anything that their religion forbids or is a tenant of their faith. He even shames himself at questioning to himself their dangerous buggy riding. The things he does point out as contradictory or clearly wrong he does not press with the Shetlers, and he puts many of these items within his text as a small parenthetical remark. As he did with telling the reader they are not allowed to listen to music, perhaps hoping we would miss that? He portrays the mother, Mary, and her children as barefoot and always happy and laughing, thrilled with their life. Is he implying ignorance is bliss?
I do not deny there are benefits to a simpler and more sustainable life, but their version means having only an 8th grade education, not being allowed creative expression or appreciation of the arts, not being taught or encouraged to be a critical thinker, and becoming a sheeple (someone who unquestioningly follows the herd); this price is too high for me.
I certainly know more about the Amish in general and specifically about the Swartzentruber Amish, the most conservative of the already conservative Amish, than I did before reading this book, however it brings to mind more questions than it answers. There seem to be so many contradictions in their rules. Here are some examples: Why can they wear rubber boots but not have rubber tires on their buggies? Why are they allowed to buy candy bars and potato chips at the local Wal-Mart when the idea is they are supposed to be in this world but not of this world? Wal-Mart and junk food are the epitome of American Consumerism. Why does the Lodi group of the Swartzentruber Amish get to use gas powered engines as long as they are connected to a belt? It’s still a gas powered engine-so who came up with that exception and why, and why on only some appliances and power tools? One of the problems with this book is the author does not explain any of this. I’m not sure if he just never tried to find out, or if he asked the Shetlers and they didn’t know, as was the case when he asked them why they are not allowed to have upholstered furniture; they just shrugged and smiled. He was the one that had to tell them historical things about their own religion such as when it was formed and where and why they have two communions a year; things you would think that Samuel Shetler, a minister in his district, would know. This seems to indicate absolute blind faith in their religion and their way of life. So not only are they only formally educated up to the eighth grade, they’re not even knowledgeable about the history of their own religion. Do they have no intellectual curiosity?
Another idea that crossed my mind while reading this was about creativity. Are they not allowed to do anything creative other than maybe woodwork. Are they allowed to paint (other than the barn or the house), write creatively (other than their newsy letters to family and friends), and since they can’t listen to music I’m pretty sure playing a musical instrument is out. Are these activities considered too focused on the individual, or are they considered too frivolous and not pleasing to God? Or perhaps they can do some of these activities but Mackall never mentions them.
Mackall did accomplish one thing he set out to do, and that was to unveil the Swartzentruber Amish and the mystery that surrounds them. In this respect he accomplishes his goal. However he had also said he didn’t want to romanticize them, but in fact he waxes on throughout the book about how much fuller and richer their lives are than modern American’s lives. He is such good friends with the Shetler’s he makes excuses and justifies anything that their religion forbids or is a tenant of their faith. He even shames himself at questioning to himself their dangerous buggy riding. The things he does point out as contradictory or clearly wrong he does not press with the Shetlers, and he puts many of these items within his text as a small parenthetical remark. As he did with telling the reader they are not allowed to listen to music, perhaps hoping we would miss that? He portrays the mother, Mary, and her children as barefoot and always happy and laughing, thrilled with their life. Is he implying ignorance is bliss?
I do not deny there are benefits to a simpler and more sustainable life, but their version means having only an 8th grade education, not being allowed creative expression or appreciation of the arts, not being taught or encouraged to be a critical thinker, and becoming a sheeple (someone who unquestioningly follows the herd); this price is too high for me.
May 19, 2008
Great work from Mackall! I have read many books claiming to portray the Amish life and all fell short. This book is the best yet to give a fairly accurate account of the Amish, The Swartzentrubers none the less. Unlike the 'Economic Amish' or more liberal groups that are Amish for economic reasons, the Swartzentrubers are very elusive and less likely to reveal anything about their life and believes. They deeply believe and feel they must follow in the believe of what their elders (forefathers) believe in order to respect their elders. This is an example of taking the Bible literally to them and also of obedience.
This book is well written and easy to read and understand. It can be brutally honest at times and brought back some pleasent and also not so pleasent memories for me.
I was born and raised Swartzentruber Amish and incidently, not only know who the family is that the book is based on but live with in five miles from them. The Swartzentrubers are also not likely to keep records such as the ordnung which makes it all the more difficult to trace and understand them. Many of the Amish themselves do not know the exact rules, instead relying in the leadership to make these determinations. This is quite ironic to many outsiders, but not, so at all to the members. Many instead follow in blind obedience which can be very dangerous and non-democratic to say the least.
With all the confusing and other misguided creeds of religion these days it is refreshing to many to see and understand a religion that has had so little change since Luther and consequently Ammon founded the Amish. -John P Miller slimmiller@yahoo.com
This book is well written and easy to read and understand. It can be brutally honest at times and brought back some pleasent and also not so pleasent memories for me.
I was born and raised Swartzentruber Amish and incidently, not only know who the family is that the book is based on but live with in five miles from them. The Swartzentrubers are also not likely to keep records such as the ordnung which makes it all the more difficult to trace and understand them. Many of the Amish themselves do not know the exact rules, instead relying in the leadership to make these determinations. This is quite ironic to many outsiders, but not, so at all to the members. Many instead follow in blind obedience which can be very dangerous and non-democratic to say the least.
With all the confusing and other misguided creeds of religion these days it is refreshing to many to see and understand a religion that has had so little change since Luther and consequently Ammon founded the Amish. -John P Miller slimmiller@yahoo.com
July 21, 2013
A look into the struggles of an Amish man who tries to leave his Amish family life. My parents were raised Amish, but became Mennonite; I heard stories from my dad about the strictness of the bishops and church life, although they were not from the same area as the author. Very interesting book that fills you with sympathy for the oppressed in religious circles.
May 20, 2017
I don't normally read non-fiction prefer a little escapism but this did sound interesting and it was. Fascinating insight into the Amish way of life the different sects and what happens when you try and leave the order. Well worth the read
December 1, 2007
Everything I'd seen about the Amish before had been skewed to portray them as either picturesque and quaint, or incestuous party animals who can't quite keep any sense of decency during rumspringa. This book tells the story of a growing friendship between an English and an Amish man, neighbors, and offers a glimpse into the life of a family living as part of the most conservative Amish sect. Little details and explanation of their ways provided a new insight. He chronicled his neighbors, as well as their extended family, which included a young man who decided to leave the Amish before he was to be baptised. It looked at the struggle it takes to try to make it on the outside, and really clarified that the Amish are a people apart in our country. The author wavered between admiration and almost envy of his neighbor's peace and simplicity and an attitude of what the hell are they thinking. Which is how I suppose I would feel if I were so entwined in the lives of an Amish family.
November 24, 2023
Appreciated the honest and respectful but not at all romanticized glimpse of the Amish lifestyle.
January 28, 2016
What a wonderfully thoughtful book. Mackall has never been and presumably never will be Amish, but his neighbours are—and the better he got to know them, the more he saw the complexities of the 'plain life'. Plain Secrets is neither an exposé nor a paean. He has deep respect for the Shetlers (for how hard they work, their honesty, etc.) while also struggling to reconcile his own modern views with some parts of Amish life: that the Swartzentrubers won't allow for buggy modifications that would make the buggies more visible to motorists in the dark, for example, or that life for Amish women is by and large limited to wife-and-mother. It's not an unsympathetic portrait (in fact, it's quite sympathetic), but it's complicated.
It is worth noting that Mackall could not have written this book without the support of the Shetler family—not only because they willingly gave him a level of access that he wouldn't have had otherwise (and at some risk to their own standing within the community), but because he wasn't interested in betraying their trust.
Notes from the book:
Every other week an entire Swartzentruber church group gathers in somebody's home for church. Amish reject having services in church or in meetinghouses. They do not want church to be somewhere their people go only once a week. Because there should be no separation between church life and home life, the Amish worship in a neighbor's home. (24–25)
I often think that Amish bilingualism could teach America and its immigrants something about the ability to become bilingual without sacrificing cultural identity. The Amish learn English because it's practical to learn English. Although they take their separateness seriously, they know the America surrounding them is filled with monolingual English-speaking people with litter tolerance for those who can't speak the language. Another language is merely another tool. (45)
I've never admired the Swartzentruber Amish more than at the time of Sarah's death. For weeks and weeks Amish families visited the Shetler family, unannounced and welcome visits, always reminding them that to be a member of the Swartzentruber Amish is never to be alone. (55)
Unlike non-Amish ministers, who choose their calling, most Amish men—at least the Amish men I know best—hope beyond hope they will not be called, that the lot will not fall on them. If it does, the minister is a minister for life. The job comes without pay but with many responsibilities, serious ones. All the preparation that goes into the position is done on top of farming and family. The last thing Samuel wanted was to become minister, but he was chosen, so he had to serve. (115)
The same reason I and most other Americans love our cars is the same reason the Amish reject them: ease of mobility. The Amish have not thrived in this country by making it easy for their people to take off on a whim. (151)
I've learned that Samuel does not focus much on what he's not allowed to do. He's busy enough doing all he can and all he has to do. (197)
It is worth noting that Mackall could not have written this book without the support of the Shetler family—not only because they willingly gave him a level of access that he wouldn't have had otherwise (and at some risk to their own standing within the community), but because he wasn't interested in betraying their trust.
Notes from the book:
Every other week an entire Swartzentruber church group gathers in somebody's home for church. Amish reject having services in church or in meetinghouses. They do not want church to be somewhere their people go only once a week. Because there should be no separation between church life and home life, the Amish worship in a neighbor's home. (24–25)
I often think that Amish bilingualism could teach America and its immigrants something about the ability to become bilingual without sacrificing cultural identity. The Amish learn English because it's practical to learn English. Although they take their separateness seriously, they know the America surrounding them is filled with monolingual English-speaking people with litter tolerance for those who can't speak the language. Another language is merely another tool. (45)
I've never admired the Swartzentruber Amish more than at the time of Sarah's death. For weeks and weeks Amish families visited the Shetler family, unannounced and welcome visits, always reminding them that to be a member of the Swartzentruber Amish is never to be alone. (55)
Unlike non-Amish ministers, who choose their calling, most Amish men—at least the Amish men I know best—hope beyond hope they will not be called, that the lot will not fall on them. If it does, the minister is a minister for life. The job comes without pay but with many responsibilities, serious ones. All the preparation that goes into the position is done on top of farming and family. The last thing Samuel wanted was to become minister, but he was chosen, so he had to serve. (115)
The same reason I and most other Americans love our cars is the same reason the Amish reject them: ease of mobility. The Amish have not thrived in this country by making it easy for their people to take off on a whim. (151)
I've learned that Samuel does not focus much on what he's not allowed to do. He's busy enough doing all he can and all he has to do. (197)
January 26, 2011
Having grown up near the area this book takes place in, I was very interested to read it. About the Amish, most specifically about the Swartzentruber sect of Amish, it is of the author's experience and interaction with one particular family. He manages to grow close over a period of years and really see what life is like in the most strict of the Amish sects.
Mackall manages to become a close trusted friend of the Shetlers (names changed to protect privacy) an Amish family who moves in near him and becomes his neighbors. Over the course of the years he visits with them and their children, learns their ways and about their family, and even trades favors with them. Because of this relationship, when he asks if he can write a book on their family, they agree. There isn't really a timeline to the novel, it covers a forward moving piece of time in which a young boy leaves the order and his struggles with becoming "English" and the book also covers the life of Samuel Shetler and his immediate family.
Mackall details the house Samuel is building and what his family does day to day. He touches on some of the religious aspects and rules the Swartzentruber's have for their order. He also offers his opinion on everything he sees. This author does not sit back and tell about the family, he immerses himself in their life and comments on what he thinks about it. He tells you what he thinks is good, what is bad, and what areas are just shaded grey.
Mackall has a clear writing style and he does a great job at describing the people he's writing about. I did find some fault however. It seems that he might have written this book in parts, and as such, there are many trivial details that are repeated throughout the different chapters. Most of this is needless because the reader isn't reading one chapter every month or so and doesn't need to be reminded of these details. Also, his opinions are very waffling. He constantly can't decide whether their life is good or bad or if ever approached if he would help one leave the order. While these are all good thoughts and opinions by him, they take up quite a bit of space in the book sometimes.
I did enjoy reading about the Amish and this particular family. It was a great glimpse into the life of the Amish. Even knowing a couple Amish I had never realized just how rule bound their life was or even some of the more simple day to day things they had to do. This is a great book for learning a bit more about some of the most intriguing people in America.
Plain Secrets
Copyright 2007
248 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2010
Mackall manages to become a close trusted friend of the Shetlers (names changed to protect privacy) an Amish family who moves in near him and becomes his neighbors. Over the course of the years he visits with them and their children, learns their ways and about their family, and even trades favors with them. Because of this relationship, when he asks if he can write a book on their family, they agree. There isn't really a timeline to the novel, it covers a forward moving piece of time in which a young boy leaves the order and his struggles with becoming "English" and the book also covers the life of Samuel Shetler and his immediate family.
Mackall details the house Samuel is building and what his family does day to day. He touches on some of the religious aspects and rules the Swartzentruber's have for their order. He also offers his opinion on everything he sees. This author does not sit back and tell about the family, he immerses himself in their life and comments on what he thinks about it. He tells you what he thinks is good, what is bad, and what areas are just shaded grey.
Mackall has a clear writing style and he does a great job at describing the people he's writing about. I did find some fault however. It seems that he might have written this book in parts, and as such, there are many trivial details that are repeated throughout the different chapters. Most of this is needless because the reader isn't reading one chapter every month or so and doesn't need to be reminded of these details. Also, his opinions are very waffling. He constantly can't decide whether their life is good or bad or if ever approached if he would help one leave the order. While these are all good thoughts and opinions by him, they take up quite a bit of space in the book sometimes.
I did enjoy reading about the Amish and this particular family. It was a great glimpse into the life of the Amish. Even knowing a couple Amish I had never realized just how rule bound their life was or even some of the more simple day to day things they had to do. This is a great book for learning a bit more about some of the most intriguing people in America.
Plain Secrets
Copyright 2007
248 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2010
December 4, 2010
Author Joe Mackall is in the unique position of having a close friendship with the Shetler family, who are members of the Swartzentruber Amish, the most conservative and restrictive sect of Amish. He is welcome in the family home. He and his wife are the only English who were permitted at a funeral for a family member. He clearly has unusual access to the culture and yet he does remain an outsider in some important ways. After all, separation is the name of the game if you're Amish.
Mackall's close friend is aware of the book being written and participates willingly in providing information about the culture in a matter-of-fact way. The author illuminates a great many of the values held most dear by the Swartzentruber Amish and what distinguishes them from the other main sects of Amish. He does so without excessive sentimentality or a hypercritical mindset. Mackall largely succeeds in presenting a fair portrayal even as he shares his thoughts on both the beautiful and the upsetting aspects of Amish belief and life.
The Shetler family experiences births, deaths, and the ordination of the patriarch as a Minister (promotion from status as a Deacon), which threatens to make the friendship and cooperation with the author more difficult if not impossible since the duties of Minister are close shepherding of the flock to make sure adherence and obedience by all in the community is carefully maintained. The experience most trying for all is when a relative of the Shetlers opts to leave Amish life. Mackall observes the both the expected and unexpected difficulties in crossing over and the wedges it drives in various relationships.
An intriguing read.
Mackall's close friend is aware of the book being written and participates willingly in providing information about the culture in a matter-of-fact way. The author illuminates a great many of the values held most dear by the Swartzentruber Amish and what distinguishes them from the other main sects of Amish. He does so without excessive sentimentality or a hypercritical mindset. Mackall largely succeeds in presenting a fair portrayal even as he shares his thoughts on both the beautiful and the upsetting aspects of Amish belief and life.
The Shetler family experiences births, deaths, and the ordination of the patriarch as a Minister (promotion from status as a Deacon), which threatens to make the friendship and cooperation with the author more difficult if not impossible since the duties of Minister are close shepherding of the flock to make sure adherence and obedience by all in the community is carefully maintained. The experience most trying for all is when a relative of the Shetlers opts to leave Amish life. Mackall observes the both the expected and unexpected difficulties in crossing over and the wedges it drives in various relationships.
An intriguing read.
July 20, 2009
This is a true account of life in a strict Amish community, written by and "English" neighbor and friend of the family. The names of the Amish were changed by the author to protect their privacy. It is unusual for the Amish to have such a close and trusting relationship with a non-Amish person. I learned that all Amish are not alike; different branches within the Amish have slight diffenences in how they live their lives. For example, while almost all Amish use horse pulled buggies as their mode of transportation, the strictest Amish refuse to put reflectors or lights on their buggies, placing themselves at greater risk to motorized traffic than the Amish who do use reflectors, lights and signs to mark their buggies. There is information about daily living, the simple pleasure in life, religious beliefs, leaving the Amish life and dating customs. I found it fascinating and ageed with the author who, on one hand, admires & respects those who choose to live without modern conveniences and live simply off the land, but on the other, has a hard time understanding such rigid resistence to accepting some conveniences that would make life easier.
May 19, 2009
I found this book as I was browsing the religion section of my library, looking for a translation of the Tao de Ching. It jumped out at me, feeding my fascination with religious groups that exert such (to me) extreme control over their members. Since the Amish don't proselytize, you are born into the life. As a young adult, you make the choice to join the church or not.
Mackall does a decent job of revealing what insight he could gain as an outsider. He clearly has great respect for most of these people and the lives they lead even while he finds some of their positions untenable (the danger of the unlighted horse and buggy on Ohio highways).
Mackall does a decent job of revealing what insight he could gain as an outsider. He clearly has great respect for most of these people and the lives they lead even while he finds some of their positions untenable (the danger of the unlighted horse and buggy on Ohio highways).
July 5, 2012
I am fascinated by the Amish - their ability to live the lifestyle they've chosen is amazing and irritating to me at the same time. This book was touted to be an inside look into a very strict sect of Amish life by a close English friend. The book was good but not compelling. However,I'm glad I read it and added to my mental folder of Amish info.
July 19, 2013
Enjoyed this book - objective yet heartfelt observations and thoughts from an "English" friend of an Amish family - makes me wonder if the father of the Amish family ever read the book and what he thought - similar to the last lines of the author's book. Recommended to non-fiction readers and those who enjoy learning about different cultures.
January 27, 2010
Good quick read and I felt it was an honest observation of the author's neighbors...an Amish family. Makes you think about simplicity and the importance of not crowding your life with technology to where you forget what is important.
July 5, 2011
Mackall brings the reader into this somewhat "shy" or secretive community with a respectful approach, but he also engages the more difficult aspects of the Amish community. The book seems deeply honest, clear-eyed, well-written and the story told of the Amish community deeply compelling.
September 6, 2015
Mackall writes about the Amish --and a extremely right-wing sub-sect (Swartzentruber), at that-- not as an anthropolgist or curiousity seeker, but as a next-door neighbor. As he writes, he examines some of the ways that many of us in America romanticize the Amish and (Devil's Playground) sensationalize them by taking outliers and telling their stories as if they were typical. Another book I read recently, about American Jewish views of the ultra-Orthodox, also discussed the romanticization of the odd cultural and religiously restricted life. That author reflected briefly on the conflicts American Jews feel about their relationship to and practice of Judaism; Mackall notes (p. xviii) "They reveal more about what outsiders need to see in the Amish than about who the Amish really are."
Throughout the book Mackall feels, and helps the reader to feel, a conflict: the simple beauty of Amish living --a life centered on the land, on hard work, on community, and on faith that functions less like a belief and more like a recognition of the facts of reality-- on the one hand, and on the other, the fear for the Amish children, who have fewer and lower quality (in his eyes) options than his daughters, less access to education and the choice that comes with it, even for their lives as they have less access to medical care (he writes of his neighbor's daughter's cut stitched up by a veterinarian down the road) and the simple danger that comes with driving unlit black buggies on the roads at night. (This sect rejects the safety lighting that many of the more mainstream Amish permit.) He is explicit in pointing out that the Amish permitting education only until 8th grade prevents them not only from developing feelings of pride (in the negative sense), but also "children who do think of leaving the fold will have to face the propsect of employment in twenty-first century American armed with only a grade-school education." (p. 179) Jonas, who received As and Bs throughout his eight years of Amish school, reads only on a second-grade level.
Over the course of the book, Mackall tracks his contact with Jonas, his neighbor's nephew, who is attempting to leave the sect. In a story similar in many ways to OTD (off-the-derech) Hasidic/Hareidi narratives, he struggles with finding employment, with his education level, and with his father's refusal to help him obtain the documentation required to prove his citizenship (he was born in Canada to American parents, but can't prove his parents' status because they won't give him the documents, and he can't get them from the government unless his parents are dead) -- without which he, of course, cannot work. While people looking to leave ultra-Orthodox sects have some ability to sneak off and live double-lives, Amish looking to leave feel intensely that they will get caught and their families will suffer for their behavior. Still, an ex-Amish support group founder believes that most Amish live double lives. "Jonas' suspicions...are not merely a product of paranoia. The Amish do keep an eye on each other...[because of a] dire responsibility to keep members in the church." (p. 140) Jonas, luckily, is male. "The girls and young woman always seem to get the worst of it...When an eighteen-year-old guy leaves the Amish, he'll often crash with other guys...If a girl [does that] she is putting herself in a vulnerable position. She's lived her life with the knowledge that she's a second-class citizen. Among the Swartzentruber Amish, the Ordnung [church rules, updated and ratified yearly] doesn't appear to neglect a thing when it comes to women. Women are not permitted to wear bras or use tampons; they usually use a torn piece of a bedsheet for their menstrual needs." (p. 173) He describes his neighbor's wife's nonstop house-drudgery, but at the same time, "I have walked past the Shetler home numerous times...Her whistle, her smile, her easy laughter, and her love of her family all tell me she is happy, that she loves her life." (p. 174) Still, boys who want to leave the fold at least have manual-labor (carpentry, often) and some handicrafting skills, which can be lucrative. Girls can do nothing but what they've been trained for: housekeeping and childrearing. Still, "Amish girls...do not seem plagued by the messages about body image that have led to so many cases of eating disorders among their English counterparts. Without television, movies, and popular magazines" their model of female beauty is set within the group.
Throughout, there are little vignettes that point out things about the Amish life: "He's had false teeth since his early thirties. The Amish I know use toothpastes with fluoride, so their teeth should be as healthy as anyone else's, but getting false teeth is often a financial decision. Rather than pay to see a dentist for each toothache...they pay once to have their teeth removed and dentures put in." The family doesn't identify their dentist, for fear of getting him in trouble. "As far as I can tell, the 'dentist' is an Amish man with a hidden and marketable vocation, or an English [non-Amish] chiropractor who does dental work, illegally, on the side." (p. 112)
All-in-all, an excellent book, balanced and nuanced and clearly examining the author's sense of conflict about what he sees in his neighbor's society. It was hard for me to read it without comparing and contrasting with the religiously segregated group I'm familiar with, right-wing Orthodox Jews, in terms of education, women's matters, how leaving the fold is handled, and in terms of the general sense of happiness with their lot that each group projects.
Throughout the book Mackall feels, and helps the reader to feel, a conflict: the simple beauty of Amish living --a life centered on the land, on hard work, on community, and on faith that functions less like a belief and more like a recognition of the facts of reality-- on the one hand, and on the other, the fear for the Amish children, who have fewer and lower quality (in his eyes) options than his daughters, less access to education and the choice that comes with it, even for their lives as they have less access to medical care (he writes of his neighbor's daughter's cut stitched up by a veterinarian down the road) and the simple danger that comes with driving unlit black buggies on the roads at night. (This sect rejects the safety lighting that many of the more mainstream Amish permit.) He is explicit in pointing out that the Amish permitting education only until 8th grade prevents them not only from developing feelings of pride (in the negative sense), but also "children who do think of leaving the fold will have to face the propsect of employment in twenty-first century American armed with only a grade-school education." (p. 179) Jonas, who received As and Bs throughout his eight years of Amish school, reads only on a second-grade level.
Over the course of the book, Mackall tracks his contact with Jonas, his neighbor's nephew, who is attempting to leave the sect. In a story similar in many ways to OTD (off-the-derech) Hasidic/Hareidi narratives, he struggles with finding employment, with his education level, and with his father's refusal to help him obtain the documentation required to prove his citizenship (he was born in Canada to American parents, but can't prove his parents' status because they won't give him the documents, and he can't get them from the government unless his parents are dead) -- without which he, of course, cannot work. While people looking to leave ultra-Orthodox sects have some ability to sneak off and live double-lives, Amish looking to leave feel intensely that they will get caught and their families will suffer for their behavior. Still, an ex-Amish support group founder believes that most Amish live double lives. "Jonas' suspicions...are not merely a product of paranoia. The Amish do keep an eye on each other...[because of a] dire responsibility to keep members in the church." (p. 140) Jonas, luckily, is male. "The girls and young woman always seem to get the worst of it...When an eighteen-year-old guy leaves the Amish, he'll often crash with other guys...If a girl [does that] she is putting herself in a vulnerable position. She's lived her life with the knowledge that she's a second-class citizen. Among the Swartzentruber Amish, the Ordnung [church rules, updated and ratified yearly] doesn't appear to neglect a thing when it comes to women. Women are not permitted to wear bras or use tampons; they usually use a torn piece of a bedsheet for their menstrual needs." (p. 173) He describes his neighbor's wife's nonstop house-drudgery, but at the same time, "I have walked past the Shetler home numerous times...Her whistle, her smile, her easy laughter, and her love of her family all tell me she is happy, that she loves her life." (p. 174) Still, boys who want to leave the fold at least have manual-labor (carpentry, often) and some handicrafting skills, which can be lucrative. Girls can do nothing but what they've been trained for: housekeeping and childrearing. Still, "Amish girls...do not seem plagued by the messages about body image that have led to so many cases of eating disorders among their English counterparts. Without television, movies, and popular magazines" their model of female beauty is set within the group.
Throughout, there are little vignettes that point out things about the Amish life: "He's had false teeth since his early thirties. The Amish I know use toothpastes with fluoride, so their teeth should be as healthy as anyone else's, but getting false teeth is often a financial decision. Rather than pay to see a dentist for each toothache...they pay once to have their teeth removed and dentures put in." The family doesn't identify their dentist, for fear of getting him in trouble. "As far as I can tell, the 'dentist' is an Amish man with a hidden and marketable vocation, or an English [non-Amish] chiropractor who does dental work, illegally, on the side." (p. 112)
All-in-all, an excellent book, balanced and nuanced and clearly examining the author's sense of conflict about what he sees in his neighbor's society. It was hard for me to read it without comparing and contrasting with the religiously segregated group I'm familiar with, right-wing Orthodox Jews, in terms of education, women's matters, how leaving the fold is handled, and in terms of the general sense of happiness with their lot that each group projects.
October 26, 2021
A rare 4 from me for a book, and especially non-fiction. This book is by a man who not only lived in an Amish-heavy environment, but became close personal friends of decades with an Amish family doing what friends do: sharing meals, heartaches, joys and perspectives on life.
The result is not a bonnet romance, or a scandalous shocker but a fairly nuanced look at a hidden world seen through the eyes of a person both an outsider and a friend.
The result is not a bonnet romance, or a scandalous shocker but a fairly nuanced look at a hidden world seen through the eyes of a person both an outsider and a friend.
June 15, 2021
The topic of this book was very interesting—interesting enough that I could not put it down and ended up finishing it in 4 days. That being said, as a piece of nonfiction writing I found that it was clunky at times. Each chapter contains multiple flashbacks and historical asides, and sometimes I found myself losing track of the main storyline of the book.
Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone who is curious about Amish life.
Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone who is curious about Amish life.
July 12, 2016
I was fascinated to learn that there is a category for "Amish Scholars". Naturally, it is not people who are both Amish and scholars, since the two are antithetical, but rather an actual school (sociology?) that studies the Amish. The writer may be among them. He is certainly unusual in that he has been a neighbor and friend of a very strict sub-sect of the Amish for over a decade. As other reviewers have noted, the same friendship that makes him privy to all sorts of information that other "English" may not access, may be the very thing that gets in his way. As he anguishes, as part of his narrative, about what may become of his friendship with Samuel and his family once the book, which Samuel knows will be written, comes out, the reader must also wonder whether information has been withheld for the very same reason. We may never know.
The narrative is interesting and engaging. It certainly helped answer my main question, which was why more Amish children don't choose to leave what seems to me to be an irrationally restrictive lifestyle. The writer himself wonders why, if they must hang onto their buggies rather than buy cars, they can't have a small lantern on each side of the vehicle to help prevent an inordinate number of Amish fatalities (not to even mention the horses). Why would anyone take a child who has what may be mortal injuries to a chiropractor or worse yet, a veterinarian, rather than an emergency room? Why would something as arbitrary as the Ordnung hold sway over basic matters of safety like refrigeration and inoculations?
Mackall points to the sabotage done by Amish communities in order to keep their young people with them through social force. It isn't just being shunned that is so fearful. Lots of young people are ready to walk away and keep on walking. But young people are not permitted to go to high school for the very reason that the knowledge they gain there may empower them. They may get an opportunity to learn to drive; to apply for an identification card; get a social security number; be trained to do a job. Their communities conspire to keep all of these things from them, and so many teenagers leave with a bit of money saved, if they have some sort of mentor on the outside who will house them for a time, but since they have no birth certificates and can't get them without an affidavit they will never, ever get from a relative saying how long they have lived in the USA, they have nowhere, ultimately, to go for a livelihood but straight back home, to baptism, the church, and that same hidebound, arbitrary, overly-romanticized microculture.
For all Amish, and these folks all the more so, analytical thought is the enemy. A woman who wonders WHY she isn't allowed to buy a box of tampons or vote is as powerless as the children she will undoubtedly bear. Like all cultures that enforce rote-learning and strict conformity, it is a culture (my own conclusion, not the author's) that values mediocrity.
The writer notes these things, but also (almost stridently) speaks up for those who live in "a world where production trumps consumption, where the past is as pertinent as the present...where obedience, humility, and peace are treasured...Give yourself over to the un-American and subversive sentiment that what the individual wants is far less important than what the community needs." One might argue that when production trumps consumption is a capitalist's wet-dream, especially when those who practice same will pay taxes and then let their families starve, or be abused by others within their group who have sicknesses not listed in the Ordnung, rather than involve any of the services that their tax dollars have paid for. Hell yes, let's throw up some buggy lanes! It's a cheap price given what the ruling rich will get back from this passive group of workaholics who want to dominate nobody except their own most vulnerable population.
Small wonder that the outsiders who are willing to help ex-Amish who are just getting their legs under them, often have a religious agenda of their own. They aren't saving the Amish teenagers so that they can live their own dreams; they are saving them for their own, more Christly purposes. Run, kids, run!
I nearly gave this three stars, but the sheer amount of new information presented, along with a strong narrative style in all areas other than the one cited above and at the book's end, make that an unfair evaluation, at least with my own particular yardstick.
But I think I have had enough of the Amish. The fascination is completely gone.
The narrative is interesting and engaging. It certainly helped answer my main question, which was why more Amish children don't choose to leave what seems to me to be an irrationally restrictive lifestyle. The writer himself wonders why, if they must hang onto their buggies rather than buy cars, they can't have a small lantern on each side of the vehicle to help prevent an inordinate number of Amish fatalities (not to even mention the horses). Why would anyone take a child who has what may be mortal injuries to a chiropractor or worse yet, a veterinarian, rather than an emergency room? Why would something as arbitrary as the Ordnung hold sway over basic matters of safety like refrigeration and inoculations?
Mackall points to the sabotage done by Amish communities in order to keep their young people with them through social force. It isn't just being shunned that is so fearful. Lots of young people are ready to walk away and keep on walking. But young people are not permitted to go to high school for the very reason that the knowledge they gain there may empower them. They may get an opportunity to learn to drive; to apply for an identification card; get a social security number; be trained to do a job. Their communities conspire to keep all of these things from them, and so many teenagers leave with a bit of money saved, if they have some sort of mentor on the outside who will house them for a time, but since they have no birth certificates and can't get them without an affidavit they will never, ever get from a relative saying how long they have lived in the USA, they have nowhere, ultimately, to go for a livelihood but straight back home, to baptism, the church, and that same hidebound, arbitrary, overly-romanticized microculture.
For all Amish, and these folks all the more so, analytical thought is the enemy. A woman who wonders WHY she isn't allowed to buy a box of tampons or vote is as powerless as the children she will undoubtedly bear. Like all cultures that enforce rote-learning and strict conformity, it is a culture (my own conclusion, not the author's) that values mediocrity.
The writer notes these things, but also (almost stridently) speaks up for those who live in "a world where production trumps consumption, where the past is as pertinent as the present...where obedience, humility, and peace are treasured...Give yourself over to the un-American and subversive sentiment that what the individual wants is far less important than what the community needs." One might argue that when production trumps consumption is a capitalist's wet-dream, especially when those who practice same will pay taxes and then let their families starve, or be abused by others within their group who have sicknesses not listed in the Ordnung, rather than involve any of the services that their tax dollars have paid for. Hell yes, let's throw up some buggy lanes! It's a cheap price given what the ruling rich will get back from this passive group of workaholics who want to dominate nobody except their own most vulnerable population.
Small wonder that the outsiders who are willing to help ex-Amish who are just getting their legs under them, often have a religious agenda of their own. They aren't saving the Amish teenagers so that they can live their own dreams; they are saving them for their own, more Christly purposes. Run, kids, run!
I nearly gave this three stars, but the sheer amount of new information presented, along with a strong narrative style in all areas other than the one cited above and at the book's end, make that an unfair evaluation, at least with my own particular yardstick.
But I think I have had enough of the Amish. The fascination is completely gone.
March 23, 2017
Author Joe Mackall is a Ashland University professor who has lived in the same area as the Swartzentruber Amish in Ashland, Ohio for over sixteen years. He established a firm friendship with a neighboring Swartzentruber Amish farmer/minister over the years and received his permission to write about his family and their way of life in this book...quite a remarkable feat when you consider how intensely private the Amish people are.
The Swartzentruber Amish are the most bedrock conservative of all the various Amish groups. They cook on wood stoves and still use outhouses. They do not use electricity, of course, but also do not use tile, linoleum, carpet or cushioned chairs. Perhaps the only concession to modernity is the washing machine they are allowed to have, except it can not be electrical and must be run a belt connected to a gasoline engine. They buy no insurance nor do they use credit cards. They resist using a slow-moving sign on their buggies....these remarkable people CHOOSE to live an austere lifestyle based on the land’s productivity and their intense commitment to their community of like-minded believers.
The author tells us about the life of his Amish friend, his wife, and family of ten children while also following the story of his friend’s nephew who struggles to leave the Swartzentruber group and become “English”. What I strongly admired about this book was its evenhanded and friendly telling of the lives of these remarkable and gentle people....because any people who voluntarily give up the creature comforts of life in the practice of their religious faith are to be admired for such strength of spirit. Most of us do not come close to this kind of sacrifice and commitment.
There was a lot of interesting information in this book and I highly recommend it. It was displayed in one of the ‘librarian’s choice’ alcoves at my local library and I was delighted to find it. Thank you, librarians!
The Swartzentruber Amish are the most bedrock conservative of all the various Amish groups. They cook on wood stoves and still use outhouses. They do not use electricity, of course, but also do not use tile, linoleum, carpet or cushioned chairs. Perhaps the only concession to modernity is the washing machine they are allowed to have, except it can not be electrical and must be run a belt connected to a gasoline engine. They buy no insurance nor do they use credit cards. They resist using a slow-moving sign on their buggies....these remarkable people CHOOSE to live an austere lifestyle based on the land’s productivity and their intense commitment to their community of like-minded believers.
The author tells us about the life of his Amish friend, his wife, and family of ten children while also following the story of his friend’s nephew who struggles to leave the Swartzentruber group and become “English”. What I strongly admired about this book was its evenhanded and friendly telling of the lives of these remarkable and gentle people....because any people who voluntarily give up the creature comforts of life in the practice of their religious faith are to be admired for such strength of spirit. Most of us do not come close to this kind of sacrifice and commitment.
There was a lot of interesting information in this book and I highly recommend it. It was displayed in one of the ‘librarian’s choice’ alcoves at my local library and I was delighted to find it. Thank you, librarians!
July 25, 2012
It’s no secret that I am and always have been a pretty staunch heretic. That said, I am oddly drawn to both the ethnographic study of spirituality and the religious practices of very small and specific fringe groups.
Take the Swartzentruber Amish, for instance. Did you know that there are multiple groups of Amish with vastly different beliefs and practices? Probably not. I didn’t either until I read this book. My understanding of Amish culture is unfortunately limited and I am no more immune to stereotyping than anyone else… But, as all good books do, this one taught me a few things!
Originating in Swizterland, the Swartzentruber Amish are the most conservative and traditional of the various Amish sects (no window blinds, couches, electricity, carpeting) and are known to be incredibly private and insular. But, as Joe Mackall discovered in befriending his neighbor Samuel, the Swartzentruber Amish are truly not so different from the rest of us. They love and quarrel, they have families and friends, they spend their days working and playing and growing, their culture sparks joy and contentedness for many, conflict and turmoil for others.
Above all else, I want to praise Mackall for his approach to writing this book. It is rare to find quite this level of openness and honesty in the portrayal of a highly stereotyped and misunderstood group of individuals. Mackall describes (with permission!) both good and bad through the non-judgmental lens of a true friend. The most impressive characteristic of Mackall’s work is that where he finds himself passing judgement (as we all do at times), he immediately and explicitly questions his own biases. That is a difficult task that requires an enormous level of self-awareness- and it marks Mackall as an exceptional ethnographer, friend, and human being. Nicely done, Joe!
Take the Swartzentruber Amish, for instance. Did you know that there are multiple groups of Amish with vastly different beliefs and practices? Probably not. I didn’t either until I read this book. My understanding of Amish culture is unfortunately limited and I am no more immune to stereotyping than anyone else… But, as all good books do, this one taught me a few things!
Originating in Swizterland, the Swartzentruber Amish are the most conservative and traditional of the various Amish sects (no window blinds, couches, electricity, carpeting) and are known to be incredibly private and insular. But, as Joe Mackall discovered in befriending his neighbor Samuel, the Swartzentruber Amish are truly not so different from the rest of us. They love and quarrel, they have families and friends, they spend their days working and playing and growing, their culture sparks joy and contentedness for many, conflict and turmoil for others.
Above all else, I want to praise Mackall for his approach to writing this book. It is rare to find quite this level of openness and honesty in the portrayal of a highly stereotyped and misunderstood group of individuals. Mackall describes (with permission!) both good and bad through the non-judgmental lens of a true friend. The most impressive characteristic of Mackall’s work is that where he finds himself passing judgement (as we all do at times), he immediately and explicitly questions his own biases. That is a difficult task that requires an enormous level of self-awareness- and it marks Mackall as an exceptional ethnographer, friend, and human being. Nicely done, Joe!
March 28, 2014
I am fascinated by the Amish. I think, often, about cultures/societies that are so different from the one I grew up in. How they work, roles of people, etc, etc. Are they happier than us? Are we happier than them. Is it good to have the ability for an individual to follow his/her own interests? Can a person be happy in such a bounded society? Would I be happy in that society? The farming life certainly appeals to me, as does the simpler life. Would I chafe at the role that I would have to play as a woman?
This book is about the strictest sect of the Amish here in the U.S. He is a personal friend of one family and they allowed him a glimpse into their life, which is basically never done. He gives a pretty good glimpse. He juxtaposes the family and their ways and their day to day life with a nephew in the same family who decides to leave the Amish and how hard that is for him. At first I thought the juxtaposition was kind of a sell-out of the Amish, or a diminishing, but I think it works. It provides a needed contrast. He is unhappy. He does not want that life. Here's what he does when he no longer lives that life. One interesting piece of trivia is that the Amish in those counties in Ohio function like undocumented Hispanic workers function in other parts of the country - because they are willing to work for less money, they are used by the "English" (non-Amish) to provide carpentry and milling jobs at a low wage.
A fascinating and rare glimpse. Once again, I thank the library in the small hamlet near where I work for having such a great collection and for being small enough that you can spot the books easily.
This book is about the strictest sect of the Amish here in the U.S. He is a personal friend of one family and they allowed him a glimpse into their life, which is basically never done. He gives a pretty good glimpse. He juxtaposes the family and their ways and their day to day life with a nephew in the same family who decides to leave the Amish and how hard that is for him. At first I thought the juxtaposition was kind of a sell-out of the Amish, or a diminishing, but I think it works. It provides a needed contrast. He is unhappy. He does not want that life. Here's what he does when he no longer lives that life. One interesting piece of trivia is that the Amish in those counties in Ohio function like undocumented Hispanic workers function in other parts of the country - because they are willing to work for less money, they are used by the "English" (non-Amish) to provide carpentry and milling jobs at a low wage.
A fascinating and rare glimpse. Once again, I thank the library in the small hamlet near where I work for having such a great collection and for being small enough that you can spot the books easily.
May 19, 2013
I'm really interested in how others live. I discovered this book as I was browsing Amazon. I thought the perspective would be interesting. The author is a college professor who has lived in Amish country, making friends with the Amish family next door, for well over a decade. Unlike many other books about the Amish, this wasn't written by someone with an ax to grind: a disgruntled former Amish.
The book is remarkably sympathetic to the Amish without romanticizing the Amish life or culture. It's not an easy life. When moving into their new house, he describes the tossing out of toilets, carpets, and other accoutrements of modern life which we consider necessary and the Amish consider superfluous and sinful.
Joe Mackall describes a life of waking up before dawn and working in all kinds of weather and birth and death and the normal cycles of life without many influences of modern technology. He describes a life where community trumps all, even family, in the pursuit of a Christian life. He describes a life where a family eats all meals together and everyone is an active part of the family.
This is a really sypathetic book but, as even Joe Mackall acknowledges, it's told from a man's point of view. I wish he'd had better access to the women to learn their thoughts about their lives.
The book is remarkably sympathetic to the Amish without romanticizing the Amish life or culture. It's not an easy life. When moving into their new house, he describes the tossing out of toilets, carpets, and other accoutrements of modern life which we consider necessary and the Amish consider superfluous and sinful.
Joe Mackall describes a life of waking up before dawn and working in all kinds of weather and birth and death and the normal cycles of life without many influences of modern technology. He describes a life where community trumps all, even family, in the pursuit of a Christian life. He describes a life where a family eats all meals together and everyone is an active part of the family.
This is a really sypathetic book but, as even Joe Mackall acknowledges, it's told from a man's point of view. I wish he'd had better access to the women to learn their thoughts about their lives.
October 25, 2012
Mackall, a college professor at Ashland University in Ohio, resides near a large Amish community He befriended Samuel and his family who , over a 16 year period, agreed that he could write a book about the Swartzentruber Amish, the strictest of the Amish sects. Mackall demythologizes many of the prevalent conceptions about the Amish, especially how they have been marketed as tourist destinations, or conversely disdained as hypocrites who drive cars and use electricity—which some Amish sects permit, though they are condemned by the more fundamental as having gone over to the “English.” Mackall’s story includes the experience of Jonas, a boy who leaves the Amish for a secular life. Throughout the book, the author worries how Samuel will react to his descriptions of the Amish. On the surface, they are friends, Samuel often confides in Mackall, and Mackall’s family has aided the Amish family on many occasions, driving Samuel and his daughter to a funeral in Canada, interceding with insurance companies when an accident threatens Samuel with the loss of his farm, but Mackall never truly penetrates the Amish culture and is always regarded as an outsider. We never learn Samuel’s reaction to Mackall’s published book, though Mackall has warned him throughout that he will present the facts as he sees them, as fairly as possible. It would be interesting to know what Samuel, upon reading this book, really does think.
October 26, 2007
A most interesting book -- I learned a lot about the Swartzentruber Amish located in Ashland Co., OH, a most conservative sect of the Amish population. Where the more modern Amish may have electricity, running water, the orange triangle on the back of their buggies, etc. The Swarzentruber have none of this and do not want to. They also observe Daylight Savings Time and operate 1-hour behind the rest of us in Ohio 7 months of the year.
While they believe that it is God's will if a family member dies (a tragic death), they also will take a family member to the doctor or hospital, if necessary and do whatever it takes to get what they need.
While they believe that it is God's will if a family member dies (a tragic death), they also will take a family member to the doctor or hospital, if necessary and do whatever it takes to get what they need.
September 26, 2007
This book just fascinated me. It's about the most conservative Amish sect, and in particular about one family. It's written by the family's neighbor (with their permission, of course) and offers a deep inside look at the Amish's values and strict codes of conduct. I was absolutely appalled by what to me seemed the senselessness of many rules (e.g. no reflective signs on buggies--resulting in many catastrophic deaths). I would certainly recommend this to anyone who has ever been curious about the Amish way of life.
February 13, 2008
There is a lot more to the Amish than not having electricity or driving cars. Material is derived from author's friendship with a neighboring Amish family. Learn just how wide of chasm separates the Schwartzentruber Amish (one of the most conservative sects) from American society. Did you know that most Amish don't have social security numbers or any kind of verification that they are American citizens? For better and/or worse, its amazing at how a culture within the U.S. has managed to maintain its isolation for so long.
May 25, 2009
Having never read a book about the Amish, and having only the idealized images in my mind that the media puts forth about them, this was a great book! Mackall lives in the middle of Amish country in PA, within a community that proudly calls itself the most strict of the Amish sects. And he's not Amish. It was really enlightening. He approaches their lives with such candor and honesty, and also so careful and respectful. They are, afterall, his friends and not just his book subjects. Highly recommended....
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