Ben's Wayne

by Levi Miller

A vividly told, serious novel about the coming of age of an 18-year-old Amish youth in Holmes County, Ohio, during the fall of 1960. "This is an extraordinary work. I just could not tear myself away from its pages!" --Harrison E. Salisbury "Levi Miller's first novel is a small masterpiece that deals with six months in the life of an Amish teenager. It could become a modern classic." --South Bend Tribune

Genres: Novels

168 pages, Paperback

First published June 25, 1989

Reviews

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this strange book on my mom's shelf and picked it up to read one night. The story, told in first-person, is a compelling and believable one. A young Amish man navigates the questions of his culture and era (some people leave; some people join; there are people who despise those who leave; people who mock those who come in...) with humor, wisdom and yearning.

It's strange that there's no review of it here on Goodreads. Though the book is a bit (albeit endearingly) dated, I would recommend it as an authentic look at '80s Holmes County Amish culture.

I just read this morning that fifty years ago, fifty percent of Amish youth left their communities; today, ten percent do. Another Amish-retention tidbit: The children of rich Amish families are more likely to stay Amish than the children of poor Amish families. What informs these variables, I wonder.