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In Plain View: The Daily Lives of Amish Women
A fresh view into a life that is anything but simple.
What does the life of an Amish woman really look like? Over the course of a decade, author Judy Stavisky, a curious outsider, spent hundreds of hours getting to know the women of Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County Amish community to find out the answer to this question. She joined mothers and grandmothers, unmarried women and teens, on their shopping excursions for household items, fabric, and groceries. They drove miles between undulating fields and shared hundreds of hours of conversation on everyday topics—laughing together about sneaking healthier entrees into their family’s evening meals, sharing concerns about their children, and trading family remedies for persistent coughs. As relationships evolved into enduring friendships, she grew to understand firsthand how Amish women bind their families and communities together.
In Plain View draws the reader inside a community governed by faith and separated by time, taking a closer look at the roles Amish women assume within their families and community, their fierce work ethic, and their camaraderie. Hundreds of years of shared traditions comes to life through a personal connection with Amish women, their own soft voices gently opening their world to an outsider.
What does the life of an Amish woman really look like? Over the course of a decade, author Judy Stavisky, a curious outsider, spent hundreds of hours getting to know the women of Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County Amish community to find out the answer to this question. She joined mothers and grandmothers, unmarried women and teens, on their shopping excursions for household items, fabric, and groceries. They drove miles between undulating fields and shared hundreds of hours of conversation on everyday topics—laughing together about sneaking healthier entrees into their family’s evening meals, sharing concerns about their children, and trading family remedies for persistent coughs. As relationships evolved into enduring friendships, she grew to understand firsthand how Amish women bind their families and communities together.
In Plain View draws the reader inside a community governed by faith and separated by time, taking a closer look at the roles Amish women assume within their families and community, their fierce work ethic, and their camaraderie. Hundreds of years of shared traditions comes to life through a personal connection with Amish women, their own soft voices gently opening their world to an outsider.
- GenresNonfictionAmishReligion
208 pages, Hardcover
Published August 2, 2022
5 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 25, 2022
This is a book about the Amish. I found this book to be very interesting, and I really loved the pictures in this book. I think this book helps you understand the Amish better. I found this book to be easy to read, and it helped me picture what it is like to be Amish. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Herald Press) or author (Judy Stavisky) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
August 9, 2022
My blurb …
PLEASE, please, please — if you write Amish novels, stories, or novellas, BUY THIS BOOK. If you are an avid Amish story reader, you’ll want this book.
Why? For a decade, the author, a driver for the Amish, talked with the Amish women of Lancaster County, PA — married and unmarried. She joined in their tasks, what they thought, and shared about how they truly live as Amish. Not a boring textbook-type of read but a fascinating fresh view unlike anything out there.
My review …
What a fantastic resource book! Filled with interesting information about Amish women which includes their families, church, weddings, gardening, courting …
The book shows the lives of Old Order Amish women and their families; a high percentage of the Amish in Lancaster are of the Old Order sect.
I can’t help it. I absolutely LOVED this book. Finally, a book that told me things I really wanted to know about the Amish.
You see, I grew up near Jamesport, Missouri where the Old Order Amish settled in the early 1950s. My first school — a one-room schoolhouse attended by all eight grades, became the first Amish school also attended by all eight grades. Moved to a new location, of course. I would wonder who was sitting at my desk.
Being around the Amish from age 9 until I left for college, I feel like I owe portraying them in fiction books need to be accurately acceptable.
Now writers have a resource for even small details of Amish life. I want this book in my personal library for my own research. Right now it is only available in hardcopy even though I read it in e-ARC format.
The author, Judy Stavisky, tells us “real-life” stories of Amish life. I highlighted SO many passages that I wanted to revisit. One Amish mother tells her that the Amish know far more about the “English” than we know about them. Ms. Stavisky tells us that just because they dress the same does not mean they ARE the same. These are individual people with a common core of beliefs and values.
One of the things I enjoyed the most was …
… the memories it brought back. I was a farmer’s daughter so the gardening, caring for animals, and chores after school. The concept of “hard work starts early” when you are Amish. The same was true for us farmers’ kids. You played AFTER your chores were done. Some took most of the day. I remembered after reading about garden planning that my mother would plan her garden long before my dad ran the cultivator over the earth. One of the things I got to do was go with her to get the seeds.
The Amish help each other when someone is injured or dies. One of my great memories was driving the tractor pulling the hay wagon as bales were picked up by usually two men, one on each side, and tossed up. Then another man stacked the bales just right so a lot could be taken back to the barn to be stored BUT not tip and fall off. There’s a skill to that stacking. BTW, I was nine years old when I became a “haying” tractor driver. Oh — those other men? Our neighbors. And when the hay was put up on their farms, my dad would go to help them.
In many ways, I could identify with the true stories in In Plain View. One-room schoolhouse. Early responsibilities for animals. Washing hung outside. Like the Amish, my mother hung the “unmentionables” where they were not easily seen. If you came into our backyard, you STILL wouldn’t see them because we had a double line and those were at the back BEHIND the first clothesline. My mother did a LOT of canning. We had a huge garden.
So, I am going to repeat the first words of this post: PLEASE, please, please — if you write Amish novels, stories, or novellas, BUY THIS BOOK. If you are an avid Amish story reader, you’ll want this book.
I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of In Plain View via NetGalley from the publisher, Herald Press. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Rating: 5 stars — I’d give it 10 if I could.
#InPlainView #NetGalley #JudyStavisky
Genre Amish, Reference
Pub. Date 2 Aug 2022
Pages 191
Publisher Herald Press
Cover Great cover for this book
Rating 5 stars
PLEASE, please, please — if you write Amish novels, stories, or novellas, BUY THIS BOOK. If you are an avid Amish story reader, you’ll want this book.
Why? For a decade, the author, a driver for the Amish, talked with the Amish women of Lancaster County, PA — married and unmarried. She joined in their tasks, what they thought, and shared about how they truly live as Amish. Not a boring textbook-type of read but a fascinating fresh view unlike anything out there.
My review …
What a fantastic resource book! Filled with interesting information about Amish women which includes their families, church, weddings, gardening, courting …
The book shows the lives of Old Order Amish women and their families; a high percentage of the Amish in Lancaster are of the Old Order sect.
I can’t help it. I absolutely LOVED this book. Finally, a book that told me things I really wanted to know about the Amish.
You see, I grew up near Jamesport, Missouri where the Old Order Amish settled in the early 1950s. My first school — a one-room schoolhouse attended by all eight grades, became the first Amish school also attended by all eight grades. Moved to a new location, of course. I would wonder who was sitting at my desk.
Being around the Amish from age 9 until I left for college, I feel like I owe portraying them in fiction books need to be accurately acceptable.
Now writers have a resource for even small details of Amish life. I want this book in my personal library for my own research. Right now it is only available in hardcopy even though I read it in e-ARC format.
The author, Judy Stavisky, tells us “real-life” stories of Amish life. I highlighted SO many passages that I wanted to revisit. One Amish mother tells her that the Amish know far more about the “English” than we know about them. Ms. Stavisky tells us that just because they dress the same does not mean they ARE the same. These are individual people with a common core of beliefs and values.
One of the things I enjoyed the most was …
… the memories it brought back. I was a farmer’s daughter so the gardening, caring for animals, and chores after school. The concept of “hard work starts early” when you are Amish. The same was true for us farmers’ kids. You played AFTER your chores were done. Some took most of the day. I remembered after reading about garden planning that my mother would plan her garden long before my dad ran the cultivator over the earth. One of the things I got to do was go with her to get the seeds.
The Amish help each other when someone is injured or dies. One of my great memories was driving the tractor pulling the hay wagon as bales were picked up by usually two men, one on each side, and tossed up. Then another man stacked the bales just right so a lot could be taken back to the barn to be stored BUT not tip and fall off. There’s a skill to that stacking. BTW, I was nine years old when I became a “haying” tractor driver. Oh — those other men? Our neighbors. And when the hay was put up on their farms, my dad would go to help them.
In many ways, I could identify with the true stories in In Plain View. One-room schoolhouse. Early responsibilities for animals. Washing hung outside. Like the Amish, my mother hung the “unmentionables” where they were not easily seen. If you came into our backyard, you STILL wouldn’t see them because we had a double line and those were at the back BEHIND the first clothesline. My mother did a LOT of canning. We had a huge garden.
So, I am going to repeat the first words of this post: PLEASE, please, please — if you write Amish novels, stories, or novellas, BUY THIS BOOK. If you are an avid Amish story reader, you’ll want this book.
I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of In Plain View via NetGalley from the publisher, Herald Press. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Rating: 5 stars — I’d give it 10 if I could.
#InPlainView #NetGalley #JudyStavisky
Genre Amish, Reference
Pub. Date 2 Aug 2022
Pages 191
Publisher Herald Press
Cover Great cover for this book
Rating 5 stars
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June 7, 2022I was looking forward to reviewing this book, but Edelweiss only gave me a 24 page introduction. It's probably quite interesting, but I cannot review a book which I haven't read!
August 2, 2022
In Plain View: Amish Women at a Glance by Judy Stavisky provides information on the day to day lives of Amish families. Judy spent time with the Amish in Lancaster County to get a firsthand look at their busy lives. The book is easy to read thanks to the author’s casual writing style. She recounts the stories like she is chatting with friends. We learn about the clothing the Amish wear, where they purchase their fabric, where they do their grocery shopping, schooling, appliances, gardens, canning, and so much more. We see the complexities of their life as well as the joys. The Amish live in close knit communities where faith and family are foremost. It is a daunting task to feed a large Amish family. I cannot imagine the long, hot hours spent in a kitchen canning produce and meat. There are pictures as well. We get to see what it is like to live without modern technology (no air conditioning, microwave, dish washer, a dryer, a regular washing machine). You can tell that the author spent many hours with the Amish. It is clear that she developed friendships and respects their lifestyle. In Plain View is for anyone who is curious about the Amish and the way they live.
August 2, 2022
From an advanced PDF of the book:
Judy Stavisky’s comprehensive yet intimate first-hand immersion into Amish culture describes a constellation of seeming strictures – loyalty to family and community, uniformity and harmony, uncomplaining self-reliance and unstinting public-spirited altruism – that by implication offers guiding lights for our own divided, self-absorbed, and unstable world. Hearing many anonymous quotes from Amish women grants authority to Ms. Stavisky’s view of what it is like to live Amish. The gracefulness of her writing seems to emerge out of the grace of the Amish community it describes. Her book is a gift.
Henry Alan Paper is a photographer and writer whose book of linked short stories, My Search for the Meaning of Life: The Myron Stories, is due out this month.
Judy Stavisky’s comprehensive yet intimate first-hand immersion into Amish culture describes a constellation of seeming strictures – loyalty to family and community, uniformity and harmony, uncomplaining self-reliance and unstinting public-spirited altruism – that by implication offers guiding lights for our own divided, self-absorbed, and unstable world. Hearing many anonymous quotes from Amish women grants authority to Ms. Stavisky’s view of what it is like to live Amish. The gracefulness of her writing seems to emerge out of the grace of the Amish community it describes. Her book is a gift.
Henry Alan Paper is a photographer and writer whose book of linked short stories, My Search for the Meaning of Life: The Myron Stories, is due out this month.
August 22, 2022
I write as a Mennonite who has returned to Lancaster County 55 years after I left home. I am also an author, having written about my childhood in my own memoir: Blush: A Mennonite Girl Meets the Glittering World. I have some familiarity with the Amish due to their historical and theological connection to Mennonites and to the fact that Mennonites and Amish settled on farms close to each other in PA, OH, IN. As an academic, I am familiar with the historians and sociologists who have earned the trust of the Amish and sometimes represent them to the outside world.
When I read that a new book on Amish women has been published by Herald Press, the publisher of my memoir, I was intrigued. When I learned that the author was a Jewish woman from Philadelphia, I was doubly intrigued. As soon as I heard her talk (at Aaron's Books in Lititz), I knew I would enjoy reading the book. And I certainly have.
The book began when she first encountered the Amish in her travels, read about them, and found an expert on the Amish, coming from Philadelphia to Elizabethtown College once a week for a semester to take a class with the expert. She didn't just show up at doorsteps. After being invited into a research project, she enters respectfully into the homes of many Amish women, takes them shopping, and attends church and school services. She must have taken a lot of notes because she describes processes in great detail from baking bread to hitching up horses to cleaning and shopping.
The writing is always crisp and translucent, like an Amish woman's cap. The focus never leaves the women to center on the author, even though the author sometimes observes things that surprised her or that serve as counter-cultural markers of values (trying to dress to fit in rather than stand out, signing art on the back rather than front of the page, and not entering into competition to outdo one's neighbors).
Who should read this book? Tourists who want to go deeper, locals like me who have not been invited into as many intimate spaces as Stavisky, writers who want a master class on how to go into vivid detail, sociologists who want a participant-observer experience, and anyone interested in how Amish women find agency and meaning in a patriarchal culture. Come to think of it, I can't think of any group who would not enjoy this book.
Most of the photos throughout the book were taken by Dennis Hughes, who gave his collection to the Elizabethtown College library. I was surprised that his name appeared only twice. The photos greatly enhance the beauty of the book. The design of the cover, the individual pages, type, and interior artwork are equally beautiful.
When I read that a new book on Amish women has been published by Herald Press, the publisher of my memoir, I was intrigued. When I learned that the author was a Jewish woman from Philadelphia, I was doubly intrigued. As soon as I heard her talk (at Aaron's Books in Lititz), I knew I would enjoy reading the book. And I certainly have.
The book began when she first encountered the Amish in her travels, read about them, and found an expert on the Amish, coming from Philadelphia to Elizabethtown College once a week for a semester to take a class with the expert. She didn't just show up at doorsteps. After being invited into a research project, she enters respectfully into the homes of many Amish women, takes them shopping, and attends church and school services. She must have taken a lot of notes because she describes processes in great detail from baking bread to hitching up horses to cleaning and shopping.
The writing is always crisp and translucent, like an Amish woman's cap. The focus never leaves the women to center on the author, even though the author sometimes observes things that surprised her or that serve as counter-cultural markers of values (trying to dress to fit in rather than stand out, signing art on the back rather than front of the page, and not entering into competition to outdo one's neighbors).
Who should read this book? Tourists who want to go deeper, locals like me who have not been invited into as many intimate spaces as Stavisky, writers who want a master class on how to go into vivid detail, sociologists who want a participant-observer experience, and anyone interested in how Amish women find agency and meaning in a patriarchal culture. Come to think of it, I can't think of any group who would not enjoy this book.
Most of the photos throughout the book were taken by Dennis Hughes, who gave his collection to the Elizabethtown College library. I was surprised that his name appeared only twice. The photos greatly enhance the beauty of the book. The design of the cover, the individual pages, type, and interior artwork are equally beautiful.
July 31, 2022
IN PLAIN VIEW by Judy Stavisky is an intimate and respectful journey that allows the reader to accompany some Amish women during their daily lives. Her thoughtful curiosity elicits an openness that allows the women the comfort to share their experiences. Through this vantage point one gets an understanding of the attitudes and behaviors that have maintained the community’s bonds for generations. Her caring relationships with the women developed over 10 years brings the reader into the details of household management that are the focal point of family life. How their lives express the community values while transmitting them to the children becomes clear. Her book enriches the reader’s appreciation behind the apparently simple life of these our neighbors. It is enlightening to get a glimpse of the attention paid to the web of personalities within the family. It is also stunning to read about how they manage the complicated organizing needed to support the family and community’s cohesion.
Plain is not the same as simple.
Plain is not the same as simple.
August 8, 2022
I have been very interested in the Amish for a long time. I have read many Amish fiction books. Those books incorporate many of the Amish traditions in them, but it is also enjoyable to hear true life stories which are told by the Amish themselves. The author is not Amish, but she has provided transportation for Amish people through the years. She has chatted with them and heard their stories. Most of them willingly tell her about their way of life. In this book, she describes the many traditions they follow, and she uses some of the quotes that they have used in conversation. (She does not use their real names in the book.) She also includes many beautiful pictures of the landscapes and Amish lifestyles. The Amish generally don't like to be photographed, but her photos did not show their faces. This was a very informative and uplifting book about the lives of the Amish. I definitely recommend it. I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.
August 1, 2022
In Plain View: Amish Women at a Glance is a book to read and savor. Judy Stavisky shares her experiences with Amish women in a way that is very relatable. Learning about, and developing an appreciate for, the Amish way of life is only part of the value of reading this book. From the necessary preparation of a horse and buggy for a shopping trip to the many months spent growing and canning the year’s food, I was awed by the shear amount of work it takes to live a “simpler” life. Through Judy's detailed description of many aspects of daily Amish life, I gained a deeper appreciative for the importance of hard work, faith and family that guides the Amish everyday. While the book ends with what Judy learned from Amish women, my reading ended with a mental list of what I learned and hope to apply, in some small ways, to my life. This book is not to be missed. Read it slowly, learn about the Amish and imagine how a simpler life might feel for you.
July 28, 2022
This is a fascinating look at the daily life of the Amish people. Everything from the children's school, hosting the church meetings, to the massive task of preserving food. Very interesting.
July 19, 2022
As someone who grew up near Pennsylvania as a child, we often visited the Lancaster area. I remember going to many of the different places and seeing the many Amish out and about. I always had full respect for them and how they lived their lives. So simple yet it was so complicated too. Reading this book "In Plain View" has given me a better look into their daily lives and how they continue to live it with none of the technology we thrive on now. If you've ever wondered what it was like to see how the Amish live and how they raise their families, then this book is for you. I highly recommend it to anyone who has always wanted to learn more about them.
July 12, 2022
This book offered up exactly the kind of information that a reader would want to learn more about the everyday life of the Amish. It was very refreshing to read about their daily life told simply as it is. It will surely be of use to anyone curious about how the Amish live and due to the author's careful research and close relationships forged, it has an authenticity that is most likely rare in this world. The photos are lovely. If I have any criticism at all, it is simply that I would have liked even more chapters!
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
August 3, 2022
I think most of us have been or are fascinated by the traditional cultures still in play in today’s society. Hittite, Mennonite, Amish- I’ve read about them all, but i think the Amish get the most play. Judy Stavisky’s book In Plain View offers a feminocentric view into Amish life. Full of gorgeous pictures and fresh quotes answering wisdom and lore, In Plain View offers a new view of Amish life.
July 3, 2022
I enjoyed the insight that the author Judy Stavisky writes about regarding the Amish. She answered many questions I had and I also enjoyed the pictures as well. I appreciate the time and research she put into the book.
All words and opinions are my own. I was given a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.
All words and opinions are my own. I was given a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.
December 21, 2023
A quick read detailing the day to day lives of Amish women in the twenty-first century. Stavisky explains the responsibilities that fall on the mothers in the Amish communities: sewing clothes for all family members, washing and drying the family laundry with a wringer washer and clothesline, planting and caring for the gardens which will yield enough produce to last the entire year, preserving the harvest, shopping for the family’s needs, cooking all of the family meals, keeping their homes clean, and rearing their children in the Amish tradition. While the work done by the male members of this society is mentioned in various places, it is not as elaborated on. I am in awe of how hard the Amish work to maintain their society with all of its stringent rules and beliefs. Yet it seems there is little complaining and much happiness to be gained in living such a life according to the author. Additional questions I would have on this subject include: Do the women ever have any time for leisure? The lack of fine arts and sports in their culture is glaringly obvious. Are these among the reasons why some of the Amish decide to leave their Amish roots?
April 27, 2023
Really enjoyed this book as an inside peek of Amish life from the perspective of women! So interesting to learn about their way of life. I think much can be learned from the Amish, they have a lot of wisdom in their community.
The only downside is I was hoping for more information on what Amish courtship, weddings, marriage, and motherhood is like. Those missing aspects were a bit disappointing.
Definitely an amazing read to get past any misconceptions about Amish life, remove any judgments and learn a thing or to!
The only downside is I was hoping for more information on what Amish courtship, weddings, marriage, and motherhood is like. Those missing aspects were a bit disappointing.
Definitely an amazing read to get past any misconceptions about Amish life, remove any judgments and learn a thing or to!
October 17, 2022
In Plain View
Judy Stavisky
Review by Barbara Bamberger Scott
A longtime friend to the Amish, author Judy Stavisky has compiled a thorough, thoughtful picture of these “plain people,” appropriately focusing her attention of women and their work, which, it often seems from her depictions, is never done, but always done with cheer and a will to share within the community.
Amish women in the region of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, learn discipline from their earliest age, so much of Stavisky’s observations concentrate on the lives of their children. It takes a strong, love-based determination for children from two years old onward to: sit quietly for lengthy church services; tend to younger siblings; clean up the school room each day after classes; shop for and sew the plain colors and materials needed to clothe a very large family; cook and set table for regular church meeting meals; wash clothes with a wringer and hang them on outdoor lines; rise before dawn; work year round on the family farm; and cement friendships that they will last throughout their lives. Amish mothers spend hours shopping, beginning with hitching up the buggy and including visits to communal freezers and fabric stores, and gathering a supply of groceries that can cost $500-$1,000 at one visit, since all shopping is done with every single necessity in mind – no rushing back for a forgotten condiment as an “English” mother might do in her car. Nearly all Amish folk eat three meals a day at home, in a spotless, large open kitchen with no fancy equipment, diligently prepared and cleaned up afterwards by mothers and daughters.
Stavisky, a philanthropist and educator, “studied” the Amish by associating among them over a number of years. She was fortunate to have consultation from noted Amish author Donald Kraybill, who has written the foreword to this work. Stavisky opines that in all aspects of the Amish lifestyle, simplicity is the key. Mothers teach their offspring to avoid even the smallest displays of pride, and though some computer technologies may be needed in work outside the home, they have no place within the large, plainly furnished, comfortable – and immaculate – houses. Women’s responsibilities afford few moments of leisure, and indeed, leisure is not prized so much as the quiet satisfaction of cooperation and communication within the family unit and the religious community. Men, too, take on extra roles, from keeping running the family farm to keeping the schoolyard mowed to acting as church leaders, positions they earn by mutual respect, not by self-aggrandizement. And, Stavisky notes, though men officially run the school committee, or board, “their wives offer their opinions, too.”
Stavisky’s book is filled with and covered by colorful photographs, though no real persons or names are identified. These illustrations, along with lively remarks from the women observed (“There is nothing that cleans a house like company coming”) add further understanding of the Amish woman’s life. Readers see women steering a buggy, donning simple handsewn black aprons, solid color dresses and many different forms of bonnets, helping with the harvest, overseeing play in the schoolyard, and preparing multiple plates of food for the twice-monthly church services held in individual homes. Readers will feel assured, from Stavisky’s deftly drawn portrait, that hard-working Amish women modestly practice what is preached, have been doing so, remarkably, for generations, and have no plans to significantly change their admirable, at times enviable, lifestyle, direction and purpose.
Judy Stavisky
Review by Barbara Bamberger Scott
A longtime friend to the Amish, author Judy Stavisky has compiled a thorough, thoughtful picture of these “plain people,” appropriately focusing her attention of women and their work, which, it often seems from her depictions, is never done, but always done with cheer and a will to share within the community.
Amish women in the region of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, learn discipline from their earliest age, so much of Stavisky’s observations concentrate on the lives of their children. It takes a strong, love-based determination for children from two years old onward to: sit quietly for lengthy church services; tend to younger siblings; clean up the school room each day after classes; shop for and sew the plain colors and materials needed to clothe a very large family; cook and set table for regular church meeting meals; wash clothes with a wringer and hang them on outdoor lines; rise before dawn; work year round on the family farm; and cement friendships that they will last throughout their lives. Amish mothers spend hours shopping, beginning with hitching up the buggy and including visits to communal freezers and fabric stores, and gathering a supply of groceries that can cost $500-$1,000 at one visit, since all shopping is done with every single necessity in mind – no rushing back for a forgotten condiment as an “English” mother might do in her car. Nearly all Amish folk eat three meals a day at home, in a spotless, large open kitchen with no fancy equipment, diligently prepared and cleaned up afterwards by mothers and daughters.
Stavisky, a philanthropist and educator, “studied” the Amish by associating among them over a number of years. She was fortunate to have consultation from noted Amish author Donald Kraybill, who has written the foreword to this work. Stavisky opines that in all aspects of the Amish lifestyle, simplicity is the key. Mothers teach their offspring to avoid even the smallest displays of pride, and though some computer technologies may be needed in work outside the home, they have no place within the large, plainly furnished, comfortable – and immaculate – houses. Women’s responsibilities afford few moments of leisure, and indeed, leisure is not prized so much as the quiet satisfaction of cooperation and communication within the family unit and the religious community. Men, too, take on extra roles, from keeping running the family farm to keeping the schoolyard mowed to acting as church leaders, positions they earn by mutual respect, not by self-aggrandizement. And, Stavisky notes, though men officially run the school committee, or board, “their wives offer their opinions, too.”
Stavisky’s book is filled with and covered by colorful photographs, though no real persons or names are identified. These illustrations, along with lively remarks from the women observed (“There is nothing that cleans a house like company coming”) add further understanding of the Amish woman’s life. Readers see women steering a buggy, donning simple handsewn black aprons, solid color dresses and many different forms of bonnets, helping with the harvest, overseeing play in the schoolyard, and preparing multiple plates of food for the twice-monthly church services held in individual homes. Readers will feel assured, from Stavisky’s deftly drawn portrait, that hard-working Amish women modestly practice what is preached, have been doing so, remarkably, for generations, and have no plans to significantly change their admirable, at times enviable, lifestyle, direction and purpose.
October 22, 2022
A longtime friend of the Amish, Judy Stavisky has compiled a thorough, thoughtful picture of these “plain people” in her new book, IN PLAIN VIEW. She appropriately focuses her attention on women and their work, which, it often seems from her depictions, is never done, but is always done with cheer and a will to share within the community.
Amish women in the region of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, learn discipline from their earliest age, so much of Stavisky’s observations concentrate on the lives of their children. It takes a strong, love-based determination for children from two years old onward to sit quietly for lengthy church services; tend to younger siblings; clean up the school room each day after classes; shop for and sew the plain colors and materials needed to clothe a very large family; cook and set table for regular church meeting meals; wash clothes with a wringer and hang them on outdoor lines; rise before dawn; work year-round on the family farm; and cement friendships that will last throughout their lives.
Amish mothers spend hours shopping, beginning with hitching up the buggy. They go to communal freezers and fabric stores, gathering a supply of groceries that can cost $500-$1,000 in one visit. All shopping is done with every single necessity in mind --- no rushing back for a forgotten condiment as an “English” mother might do in her car. Nearly all Amish folk eat three meals a day at home, in a spotless, large open kitchen with no fancy equipment, diligently prepared and cleaned up afterwards by mothers and daughters.
Stavisky, a philanthropist and educator, “studied” the Amish by associating among them over a number of years. She was fortunate to have consulted with noted Amish author Donald Kraybill, who has written the book’s foreword. She opines that in all aspects of the Amish lifestyle, simplicity is the key. Mothers teach their offspring to avoid even the smallest displays of pride, and though some computer technologies may be needed for work outside the home, they have no place within the large, plainly furnished, comfortable --- and immaculate --- houses.
Women’s responsibilities afford few moments of leisure, and indeed, leisure is not prized so much as the quiet satisfaction of cooperation and communication within the family unit and the religious community. Men, too, take on extra roles, from running the family farm to keeping the schoolyard mowed to acting as church leaders --- positions they earn by mutual respect, not by self-aggrandizement. And, Stavisky notes, though men officially run the school committee or board, “their wives offer their opinions, too.”
IN PLAIN VIEW is filled with and covered by colorful photographs, though no real persons or names are identified. These illustrations, along with lively remarks from the women observed (“There is nothing that cleans a house like company coming”), add further understanding of the Amish woman’s life. Readers see women steering a buggy, donning simple hand-sewn black aprons, solid color dresses and many different forms of bonnets, helping with the harvest, overseeing play in the schoolyard, and preparing multiple plates of food for the twice-monthly church services held in individual homes.
Readers will feel assured, from Stavisky’s deftly drawn portrait, that hard-working Amish women modestly practice what is preached. They have been doing so, remarkably, for generations and have no plans to significantly change their admirable --- at times enviable --- lifestyle, direction and purpose.
Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott
Amish women in the region of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, learn discipline from their earliest age, so much of Stavisky’s observations concentrate on the lives of their children. It takes a strong, love-based determination for children from two years old onward to sit quietly for lengthy church services; tend to younger siblings; clean up the school room each day after classes; shop for and sew the plain colors and materials needed to clothe a very large family; cook and set table for regular church meeting meals; wash clothes with a wringer and hang them on outdoor lines; rise before dawn; work year-round on the family farm; and cement friendships that will last throughout their lives.
Amish mothers spend hours shopping, beginning with hitching up the buggy. They go to communal freezers and fabric stores, gathering a supply of groceries that can cost $500-$1,000 in one visit. All shopping is done with every single necessity in mind --- no rushing back for a forgotten condiment as an “English” mother might do in her car. Nearly all Amish folk eat three meals a day at home, in a spotless, large open kitchen with no fancy equipment, diligently prepared and cleaned up afterwards by mothers and daughters.
Stavisky, a philanthropist and educator, “studied” the Amish by associating among them over a number of years. She was fortunate to have consulted with noted Amish author Donald Kraybill, who has written the book’s foreword. She opines that in all aspects of the Amish lifestyle, simplicity is the key. Mothers teach their offspring to avoid even the smallest displays of pride, and though some computer technologies may be needed for work outside the home, they have no place within the large, plainly furnished, comfortable --- and immaculate --- houses.
Women’s responsibilities afford few moments of leisure, and indeed, leisure is not prized so much as the quiet satisfaction of cooperation and communication within the family unit and the religious community. Men, too, take on extra roles, from running the family farm to keeping the schoolyard mowed to acting as church leaders --- positions they earn by mutual respect, not by self-aggrandizement. And, Stavisky notes, though men officially run the school committee or board, “their wives offer their opinions, too.”
IN PLAIN VIEW is filled with and covered by colorful photographs, though no real persons or names are identified. These illustrations, along with lively remarks from the women observed (“There is nothing that cleans a house like company coming”), add further understanding of the Amish woman’s life. Readers see women steering a buggy, donning simple hand-sewn black aprons, solid color dresses and many different forms of bonnets, helping with the harvest, overseeing play in the schoolyard, and preparing multiple plates of food for the twice-monthly church services held in individual homes.
Readers will feel assured, from Stavisky’s deftly drawn portrait, that hard-working Amish women modestly practice what is preached. They have been doing so, remarkably, for generations and have no plans to significantly change their admirable --- at times enviable --- lifestyle, direction and purpose.
Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott
May 20, 2024
This book is almost an encyclopedia of Amish life! Author Judy Stavisky shares the wealth of knowledge that she gained during the time she spent with a group of Amish women in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She provided them with transportation, they offered her an in-depth view of their lives, and the result of this old-fashioned bartering experiment is a fascinating resource that's full of intriguing information and beautiful photographs! It's filled with facts about the Amish: their faith, work ethic, and education. I enjoyed reading about Amish schools and Amish weddings, and I was fascinated by the shopping strategies of these women, but the chapter on feeding an Amish family was mind-boggling! I've often heard that Amish life is simple but Stavisky completely shatters this myth. The daily lives of Amish women are anything but simple! Their days are long and hard but they value the path that they've chosen.
"In Plain View: The Daily Lives of Amish Women" is a must-read book for anyone who's ever had questions about the Amish way of life! I've read many Amish fiction books in the past few years and I'm also acquainted with several Amish families in my rural community, but this book gave me a fresh insight into the Amish lifestyle.
I received this book in a prize drawing. There was no obligation for a review and I am voluntarily sharing my thoughts.
"In Plain View: The Daily Lives of Amish Women" is a must-read book for anyone who's ever had questions about the Amish way of life! I've read many Amish fiction books in the past few years and I'm also acquainted with several Amish families in my rural community, but this book gave me a fresh insight into the Amish lifestyle.
I received this book in a prize drawing. There was no obligation for a review and I am voluntarily sharing my thoughts.
July 27, 2024
I picked up this book from my parents’ coffee table, and I couldn’t put it down. With insight, respect, and vivid detail—including beautiful photographs—the author shares what she has learned about the Amish community, gleaned from her conversations and friendships with Amish women built over many years. Even after finishing the book, I still find myself thinking about the kitchens, gardens, schoolhouses, and community gatherings that are central to the daily lives of Amish women and families, as well as the many things the author describes learning from her Amish friends. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about Amish culture and community, and the central role women play.
September 23, 2024
Very enjoyable!
August 31, 2025
excellent book. a documentary on Amish Women.
October 20, 2022
This wasn't a bad book - I just felt like it could have been a bit more in depth. Most of the information was surface level and well known.
This would be an easy and entertaining read for someone who hasn't read up about the Amish in general, but I didn't really learn anything new.
This would be an easy and entertaining read for someone who hasn't read up about the Amish in general, but I didn't really learn anything new.
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