Book Description
On Monday morning, October 2, 2006, a gunman entered a one-room Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. In front of twenty-five horrified pupils, thirty-two-year-old Charles Roberts ordered the boys and the teacher to leave. After tying the legs of the ten remaining girls, Roberts prepared to shoot them execution with an automatic rifle and four hundred rounds of ammunition that he brought for the task. The oldest hostage, a thirteen-year-old, begged Roberts to "shoot me first and let the little ones go." Refusing her offer, he opened fire on all of them, killing five and leaving the others critically wounded. He then shot himself as police stormed the building. His motivation? "I'm angry at God for taking my little daughter," he told the children before the massacre.

The story captured the attention of broadcast and print media in the United States and around the world. By Tuesday morning some fifty television crews had clogged the small village of Nickel Mines, staying for five days until the killer and the killed were buried. The blood was barely dry on the schoolhouse floor when Amish parents brought words of forgiveness to the family of the one who had slain their children.

The outside world was incredulous that such forgiveness could be offered so quickly for such a heinous crime. Of the hundreds of media queries that the authors received about the shooting, questions about forgiveness rose to the top. Forgiveness, in fact, eclipsed the tragic story, trumping the violence and arresting the world's attention.

Within a week of the murders, Amish forgiveness was a central theme in more than 2,400 news stories around the world. The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, NBC Nightly News, CBS Morning News, Larry King Live, Fox News, Oprah, and dozens of other media outlets heralded the forgiving Amish. From the Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates) to Australian television, international media were opining on Amish forgiveness. Three weeks after the shooting, "Amish forgiveness" had appeared in 2,900 news stories worldwide and on 534,000 web sites.

Fresh from the funerals where they had buried their own children, grieving Amish families accounted for half of the seventy-five people who attended the killer's burial. Roberts' widow was deeply moved by their presence as Amish families greeted her and her three children. The forgiveness went beyond talk and graveside presence: the Amish also supported a fund for the shooter's family.

AMISH GRACE explores the many questions this story raises about the religious beliefs and habits that led the Amish to forgive so quickly. It looks at the ties between forgiveness and membership in a cloistered communal society and ask if Amish practices parallel or diverge from other religious and secular notions of forgiveness. It will also address the matter of why forgiveness became news. "All the religions teach it," mused an observer, "but no one does it like the Amish." Regardless of the cultural seedbed that nourished this story, the surprising act of Amish forgiveness begs for a deeper exploration. How could the Amish do this? What did this act mean to them? And how might their witness prove useful to the rest of us?

Donald B. Kraybill, Ph.D., (Elizabethtown, PA) is senior fellow at the Young Center of Elizabethtown College. Among his many publications, he has authored, coauthored or edited six books on the Amish. The Young Center, where he is based, fielded hundreds of media calls in the week following the shooting. Kraybill's commentary on the Nickel Mines killing was featured in dozens of broadcast and print media sources including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian (London), The Australian, Newsweek, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, NPR, BBC Radio, to name a few.

Steven M. Nolt, Ph.D., (Goshen, IN) is associate professor of history at Goshen College. He has written on the history of the Amish and their culture. In the wake of the Nickel Mines tragedy, Nolt fielded inquiries from dozens of reporters, including those of USA Today, MSNBC, CBC World News, Newsweek.com, Education Week, British Independent Television, and O Estado de S. Paulo (Brazil).

David L. Weaver-Zercher, Ph.D., (Grantham, PA) is associate professor of American religious history at Messiah College. He is the author or editor of numerous books on the Amish. In the aftermath of the Nickel Mines shooting, Weaver-Zercher was contacted by more than forty media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, MSNBC, BBC Radio, and NPR. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Amish Grace
The Amish I think express Jesus Christ love deeply. We do have much to learn from them, even with all our technology. We've really lost closeness, respect and caring for one another. On the other hand, I feel concern for
the wife and child abuse they have within their families. The wife is told
don't say negative things about her husband and goes back to endure the
bruises. Where does she go to heal from domestic violence? How many times must she forgive and go back before it's too late? Forgiveness is important
to heal, but not to pretend the anger does not exist and not deal with.
This book expresses the beauty of Amish life. It helped me to think about forgiveness in my own life and what it really means. This book is worth reading.

Forgiveness 101
There are few traditional virtues more questioned today than forgiveness.Cynics dismiss it as a sign either of weakness or manipulation.Legalists see it as irrelevant.Civil contractarians view it as something that must be earned.And many Christians pay lip service to it but regard it as a highly impractical response to aggressors.In short, forgiveness isn't on too many radars.

That's why the world was so captivated by the Amish response to the Nickle Mines shootings in October 2006.When the Amish community not only forgave the shooter but also went out of its way to embrace the shooter's family, the novelty of the response both startled and puzzled conventional society.To clear up some of that puzzlement--and, presumably, to help reinvigorate our culture's regard for forgiveness-- Kraybill, Nolt, and Weaver-Zercher wrote Amish Grace.

The first part of the book is a straightforward account of the Nickle Mines shooting that a reader can just as easily get from newspaper and internet archives.The third, in all honesty, comes across as more filler than anything else, throwing together as it does essays on Amish shunning, a rather repetitious chapter on forgiving, and a rather vague chapter on grace.The heart of the book is the middle section, which explores forgiving in the Amish context and briefly compares it to other accounts of forgiving.

To anyone familiar with Amish culture and the Anabaptist tradition, it comes as no surprise that community, humility, exemplification of Christ's love, the centrality of the Sermon on the Mount, and forgiving in order to be forgiven are the foundations on which Amish forgiving is based.The authors of Amish Grace do a good job in sketching them out.They do a less impressive job, however, of discussing the general nature of forgiveness or some of the very real questions raised by philosophers and theologians about its nature.Is forgiveness an internal act or overt behavior?Must an aggressor express remorse as a condition for forgiveness?Can we forgive on behalf of others?Are we sometimes obliged to withhold forgiveness for the good of the aggressor?These broader sorts of questions are at best touched on without being explored.

Ultimately, then, Amish Grace is a primer for those who know nothing about the Amish.It's also a good resource for readers who are curious about but have never thought much about forgiveness.For deeper reflections on the nature and value of forgiveness, readers must turn elsewhere.Recommendations would include Trudy Govier's Forgiveness and Revenge, Robert Enright and Joanna North's Exploring Forgiveness, and Jeffrie Murphy's Getting Even.

Outstanding scholarship on Amish reaction to tragedy
The scholars who wrote this book provide both contemporary and historical contexts for the Amish community's reaction to the tragic mass murder of their children. After reading the book, I adopted it for discussion in my adult Sunday School class, and our church will be using it for a Lenten study. One particularly thought-provoking aspect is the authors' discussion of the distinction between forgiveness and reconciliation.

Amish Grace
This is the most awesome book to read and learn aboout the Amish ways and understand them. I would suggest this book to everyone.

A Very Good Read
I enjoyed this informative and moving book on the Nickle Mines tragedy.It gave insite to the Amish culture and their ability to continue their lives in these times and in coping with untimely death and serious hurt. ... Read more

Product Description
A true story woven by strands of faith, family, and community. Ervin R. Stutzman tells the story of his mother, Emma, who raised six children after the sudden death of her husband, Tobias. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Emma copes with her entrepreneurial husband's significant business failures. Emma: A Widow Among the Amish is Stutzman s follow-up to the 2001 biography of his father, Tobias of the Amish. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Emma
The story jumps around and doesn't complete subjects leaves you hanging as to what happened here.

Amish reading
Parts of this Amish novel were interesting but unless you're very much into the differences between all of the subsets of Amish churches and how they're formed you will get bored very quickly and I did.

Amazing Grace
Emma is an amazing book.The author has written an incredible book about his mother, of her strength and tragedy that occured when her husband Tobias died.I sincerely recommend this book and hope anyone who reads it will be blessed as I was. ... Read more

Book Description
Anna Dee Olson's passion is to help people understand where they belong and why they are here on earth. Growing up Amish proved to hold many obstacles for Anna. If she can go against absolutely everything she had ever known to be right so that she can live her dream lifestyle than so can you. "Growing Up Amish: Insider Secrets from One Woman's Inspirational Journey" is packed with many tips and strategies to help you along the way. ... Read more

Book Description

Highly acclaimed in previous editions, this classic work by John Hostetler has been expanded and updated to reflect current research on Amish history and culture as well as the new concerns of Amish communities throughout North America.

Customer Reviews (15)

Reads like a college Sociology textbook
Very informative book. Definitely not a light read but will leave you with a good understanding of the Amish. Without doubt, it is the first book to read when starting your study of these fascinating people.

A "Must Read"
After reading Brad Igou's "The Amish: In Their Own Words" I then came to this book by Hostettler - and am glad I did. This book "fills in" the portrait of the Amish by providing a very clear, readable, though factual history of the Amish "progression", if you will. With the Amish existence being much more fragmented than many people think as they lump them all under the term "Amish", this book really brings about an enlightened understanding of the range of the sects and their relation to each other and "the outside World" over the course of their development. It also offers the reader a very gracious, very real portrayal of the Amish that, thankfully, dispels many of the traditional misconceptions about these kind and earnest people.

Insightful and interesting
I purchased this book to educate myself for an upcoming vacation to Pennsylvania Dutch country. I had a basic understanding of Amish beliefs and cultures, but was totally astounded at the differences between the sects. Mr. Hostetler provides first-hand knowledge that no one else has in any other book I've read pertaining to the Amish & Mennonites.

The definitive source on Amish culture
I have studied Amish culture and mores for some time out of both interest, admiration, and other motivations. And nowhere have I found a better resource than this book. That the author was himself raised Amish only lends to the credible nature of this book. But more importantly is the concise andthorough manner in which this book presents its truths and dispells rumors and myths. It served to take many of many of the half truths that I had known of the amish and complete them as no other resource has yet done. I heartily recommend this book. And it was a rather easy read, not bogged down by language. I finished it in a few days.

Amish Society
This was the most informative book on the Amish lifestyle that I have found. The author opens up the life of the amish to his readers. It is easy to understand.He takes you through the history, culture and beliefs.I have a deeper respect for the amish and understanding of their customs since purchasing this book.I would recommend this book to anyone who would like a look into a different way of life.This book opened my eyes and my heart to respecting the amish lifestyle and their privacy. ... Read more

Product Description
I wrote this book with deepest respect and affection for my Amish heritage and have focused on the genuine virtues and values that best depict their slow-paced, horse and buggy way of life. I have highlighted the stress free lifestyle of the "gentle" Amish and have described their many soul soothing personal qualities along with their religious beliefs, ceremonies, child rearing practices and other aspects of their unique culture. In sum, this book is concerned with the customs and moral code of the Amish culture as written by those best qualified to do so--myself as a former Old Order Amish sect member along with Amish children and adults who are current participants in the Amish faith.The Amish are a unique, stress free, peace loving community of people living a slow-paced, patient, non violent lifestyle where force and retaliation are replaced by forgiveness and confession. Their daily life is void of the many stresses and strains so evident within the majority culture and research indicates that there is a low rate of depression among members. While society at large has suffered tremendous personal costs due to the discarding of many traditional, old fashioned, time proven values, the Amish embrace and live by such values seven days a week. Amish leaders continue to question the logic of more technology if it causes the destruction of so many important life qualities. They embrace a primitive technology while living amidst a world with an unbridled zest for progress. However, they continue to persevere, flourish and experience unprecedented growth.Joe Wittmer, Ph.D. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Gentle Peoples
Such a good book with so much insight into the Amish world, a must read for everyone.

The Gentle People: An Inside View of Amish Life
I enjoyed reading "The Gentle People: An Inside View of Amish Life". I recommend this book for those who are either doing a research paper about the Amish or is interesting in the Amish life or becoming Amish. This book makes me want to live with an Amish family so I can find out if the Amish life is for me.

Amish Wisdom
This book was packed full of Amish informaton about day to day life and an insight into the Amish way of living.I am continually amazed at their self-discipline and consistency in everything they do. ... Read more

Book Description
A journalist writes about his surprising friendship with an Amish family trying to live a simple life in a complex world

Plain Secrets tells the story of Joe Mackall's Swartzentruber Amish neighbors, the Shetlers, using their lives to paint a nuanced portrait of this most traditional Amish sect.

"Mackall does the job beautifully, painting an intimate portrait of the family that leaves the reader feeling humbled by the common thread that's woven into all of us."
—Sarah English, Cleveland Magazine ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

A very good read..
As someone who grew up Swartzentruber Amish in the same community as the "Shetler" family I consider this to be one of the best books on the Amish I've ever come across. It accurately tells the real story without being offensive. My only problem with reading it was knowing how private the Amish are I felt like I was eavesdroping! If you are looking for an accurate account of life inside the Swartzentruber Amish community this book is a must read.

Proves Samuels Point ABout Buggies IMO
Good book, worth reading.Honest, interesting.

Joe Mackall ends up proving the Amish points FOR them in the buggy arena.The English are the ones who need to explain those buggy deaths, not Samuel & his brethren.As Mac says, there are virtually no buggy on buggy deaths- yet he blames the buggy-car deaths on... THE AMISH!!! ???? Blaming the victim, the author's cultural imperialism becomes quite clear...He doesn't seem to have much introspection into the choices and sacrifices he has accepted as normal while qualifying the Amish as abnormal.He bemoans the opportunities and education afforded Amish girls as opposed to boys while the maintsream culture he partakes in has done no better and has created a popular culture porno-slut ideal of womanhood.

Engaging, intelligent look at the Amish life
Mackall's Plain Secrets is excellent research and memoir combined. It's also great writing, which makes for great reading. Mackall watches and listens carefully to his Amish friends and neighbors, and then examines their beliefs by dissecting his own beliefs about life, family and religion in our modern day. His research is not intended to be a textbook on the Amish, rather, it adds credibility and insight. Combined with his own large capacity for empathy and concern, his research helped him avoid either condemning or romanticizing their way of life. Having read this, I'll view the buggies that pass me with more respect and less cartoonish curiosity; I'll also be more thankful for my access to health care and safe workplaces. But the real reason to read this book is not to learn about the Amish, it is to enjoy an engaging book while learning about people you would otherwise never meet.

Great memoir on Amish culture in Ohio
I stumbled upon this book when looking for a book on the Amish after finishing a number of Beverly Lewis books. Being from Ohio, and having graduated from Ashland University, this book was one that explaind a lot of my questions, having seen Amish in the community when I was in college. Joe Mackell is or was a professor at Ashland. (way after I was there!) A very easy read memoir, this book complimented the fiction that I had been reading. I also appreciated learning about Ohio Amish in a contemporary light.

Neither a scholarly treatise nor a vilification, an idealization nor an exposé
Neither a scholarly treatise nor a vilification, an idealization nor an exposé, Joe Mackall's PLAIN SECRETS is a narrative that explores one man's relationship to an Amish family and, by extension, a community.

Mackall, who lives in Ashland County, Ohio, befriends the Shetler family: Samuel, Mary and their nine children (names changed by the author). Over the years, living in close proximity to the Shetlers, Mackall develops as close a relationship with the family as an Englisher might be allowed. What emerges is the peace, beauty and goodness of the culture, as well as the disturbing questions he finds himself asking about legalism, the rights of women and the protection of children. His friendship with the family also helps him learn more about himself. "I have chosen...to mine the raw material of their everyday lives in search of everyday truths," writes Mackall.

It's an immersion into the world of the Swartzentruber, the most traditional and strict of the Amish sects. The Swartzentruber refuse to use reflective signs on the back of their buggies, leave school after the eighth grade, bathe only once a week and carry no insurance. The women are not permitted to wear bras and are not allowed to shave their underarms or legs.

However, there are plenty of surprises. This conservative sect shops at Wal-Mart and loves the Dollar Store, and may enjoy junk food such as Milky Way candy bars and potato chips. Although they don't practice "rumspringa" like many other Amish sects, the Swartzentruber Amish let their teens go on "dates," in which a teenage boy and girl spend the night together, side by side, in her bed. Mackall skillfully weaves other information throughout the narrative: the history of the Swartzentruber, the organization of the church and the ordination of ministers, and Amish perceptions of African Americans.

As part of his exploration, Mackall follows the story of Samuel's nephew Jonas, who leaves the Amish to join the English community. The reader will be alternately intrigued, sympathetic and repelled at how Jonas handles his new-found "freedom." To abandon Amish life, Mackall shows through Jonas's attempt, is to encounter immediate problems. How do you get a Social Security number if your parents refuse to let you have a copy of their marriage license? How do you find a job when you've never gone to school past the eighth grade? The Amish community's culture and rules, Mackall realizes, make it difficult for a child to leave.

Living in close proximity to the Shetler family offers Mackall positive insights as well --- an appreciation and attention to the weather, a realization that he doesn't need as much as he perhaps wants. Mackall, a professor of English and journalism at Ashland University, beautifully pens one particularly haunting scene, which finds him rhythmically tossing butternut squash to Samuel in his truck as they get ready to go to an auction.

"Perhaps it's because the weather is fair and the season is autumn, but suddenly I experience a paroxysm of joy --- sheer, sharp unadulterated joy. I'm suspended between two worlds, an outsider in an outsider's world. I'm here with friends who consider themselves separate from the world but woven into the earth, while we all throw fruits of the earth to one another: seeds planted, sown, produce reaped and cleaned, soon to be sold, bought, and eaten. Toddlers play, teenagers laugh, a friend loses his hat, my back aches, and through it all the beauty and heartbreaking brevity of this life pierce me with their stunning certainty."

Other scenes are not so prosaic. After enjoying his rides in Samuel's buggy and telling others about them "as if I were playing a small part in some quaint drama most people could only watch", he must re-evaluate his thinking after another family's buggy is hit by a car and an eight-year-old girl is killed. This leads to a written personal tirade, which ends with, "Is sticking with your sacred buggies more important than the sanctity of human life? Can't you take care of your children?" Readers will have further concerns when Samuel takes his daughter to a veterinarian for medical treatment or, like all Swartzentrubers, refuses to immunize his children. Mackall's questions as he ponders the less appealing side of Amish life are respectful, vulnerable and thought provoking.

Threaded throughout Mackall's book is Samuel's belief in God's will and how it affects his world. "He talks about God's will the way he reports how much it rained the night before or that one of his cows has the milk disease. God's will is like gravity --- it is rain and dirt and sun and snow and wind and fire and every other elemental thing. It is what it is --- no matter what we do." Despite Mackall's own disagreement with Samuel's theology, he finds himself strangely comforted by it when a disabled uncle dies.

It's these conflicting perceptions that provide the necessary tension that holds Mackall's narrative together. Readers will come away with new perspectives about Amish life and some disturbing questions.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby. Contact Cindy at phrelanzer@aol.com. ... Read more

Book Description

A work Booklist called ଯving and life–affirming, Crossing Over is the true story of one woman's extraordinary flight from the protected world of the Amish people to the chaos of contemporary life.

Ruth Irene Garrett was the fifth of seven children raised in Kalona, Iowa, as a member of a strict Old Order Amish community. She was brought up in a world filled with rigid rules and intense secrecy, in an environment where the dress, buggies, codes of conduct, and way of life differed even from other Amish societies only 100 miles away. This Old Order community actively avoided all interaction with ೨e Englishߜ'96 everyone who lived on the outside. As a result, Ruth knew only one way of life, and one way of doing things.

This compelling narrative takes us inside a hidden community, offering a striking look as one woman comes to terms with her discontent and ultimately leaves her family, faith and the sheltered world of her childhood. Unsatisfied, she bravely crosses over to contemporary life to fully explore the foreign and frightening reality in hope of better understanding her emotional and spiritual desires. What emerges is a powerful tale of one woman's search for meaning and the extraordinary lessons she learns along the way.

Customer Reviews (51)

Sensitive, with a good grasp . . .
of the effects of living in a rigid, legalistic, narrow society, and the horrific psychological warfare waged by those inside such a cult against one who has freed herself.Her sensitivity and analysis is very good.The book flows well and is a fast, fascinating read.My only wish would be that more insight be given to adjustment to the "English" world once she left.A book that is definitely worthwhile, and definitely does not warrant the narrow, angry review given by Mr. Scheffler.Definitely worth the time to read, and the time to realize that, indeed, the Amish constitute a cult within the Christian framework and definition of a cult.

A DISAPPOINTMENT
A group of friends and I have been studying the Amish.We have truly fallen in love with their commitment to family, community and God.While theologically we have different beliefs, the more we have learned - the more we admire.However, I felt that perhaps I needed to read something that explored the negative side to make sure I was giving both views a fair opportunity.I was totally disgusted with the book.I did not feel this was a young women who came out of her Amish faith for any reason other than rebellion against her parents.The fact that her husband could have looked upon her as anything but a child led me to be appalled and disgusted by him.She said she found freedom and Christ upon leaving her Amish faith - yet her book was filled with bitterness toward those she claimed to have "unconditional love" (her own words at the end) for.I was left thinking that the book was a mere attempt to justify her own rebellious actions toward God, her family and her faith. While I pity her for being in such bondage of unforgiveness, it was clear her family were left grieving their daughter, sister, community member; and it was them that my heart went out to. I thought - in her acts of rebellion it seems she would have crossed over from any family or faith.It was not a negative presentation of anything in the Amish faith -just a confused soul looking to justify her own self serving & rebellious life.

Fascinating look at the Amish Culture
This book is about one woman's journey into the "English" world after she decided to leave her strict Amish parents and their Old Order ways. While the writing wasn't stunning or spectacular, I do think it accurately reflected her plain origins and described her emotions and feelings very well. Some criticize her for seemingly publicly attacking her parents and other family members over the incident; I don't think it's so much an attack but her interpretation of the events. She does say several times that this was what she experienced - and might not necessarily reflect the ways of other Amish families or the communities in which they live.

I applaud her for her courage to stand up to the contradictions of her Amish faith and to make a positive change for herself - I'm sure it was not an easy decision. Past reviewers have criticized her for trying to come back to her family for visits, and wondering why she complains about not being served in a grocery store. As far as wanting to come back to see her parents - who can blame her? This is still her family, regardless of what has happened in the past, and those are not easy ties to sever. She says, at the very end, that no matter what, she will still love them unconditionally.

I grew up surrounded, near and far, by Amish communities in Holmes, Ashland, Richland and Knox Counties in Ohio. Growing up in this environment, you see them daily or weekly and give them no more than a passing thought, and they mingle in and out of English society without much more than a glance. But to tourists, and possibly the English at large, they are seen as `perfect,' without sin and that they are pure in thought and actions - which is largely untrue. I think this is why so many people are angry at Garrett's book - because it shatters the picture perfect image that so many people have of the Amish. They are, essentially, just like us - that is to say, humans - except for manner and style of dress. Even they seem to forget this most important part.

There are some basic tenets of the Amish faith that I understand and believe are true: for instance their belief that the English worship Santa Claus at Christmas and not Christ. The overcommercialization of Christmas leads me to believe this is true. The belief that our pastors preach about Heaven rather than Hell is largely true, too, at least in my experience. This is part of a growing trend in Christianity to please everyone and say exactly what they want to hear, something I'm not sure the Amish community has been subjected to. In this sense, yes, they probably do turn passages around (or omit certain ones) to suit their needs; but the Amish do this as well. It seems they are perfectly willing to turn a blind eye to those things that narrowly separate them from the English - they are unwilling to accept their most basic faults.

For further reading, I suggest Tom Shachtman's "Rumspringa", which takes a more academic approach to the subject. Both are excellent and insightful reading to get the true picture of what the Amish are really like.

A Sad Little Tale
I was hoping this book would educate me more on the Amish lifestyle.I actually felt sorry for the author - that night in the hotel disgusted me.I felt that Ottie took advantage of and disrespected her.It seemed like the author was young and naive and would have "escaped" with any outsider that had helped her family.

Sad
I enjoyed learning about the Amish people, but feel the writer was very young and naive and certainly DID NOT find her prince! I felt very sorry for her. Like another reader said...would like to see a follow up in 10 years or so and see if she still feels the same about her husband. ... Read more

Product Description
New, from Barbour's best-selling author of fiction, Wanda E. Brunstetter, is the must-have cookbook of the season. Her Amish Friends Cookbook collection is a treasure trove of recipes and interesting facts from the heart of Amish country. With recipes divided into sections including breads and rolls, desserts, main dishes, sides, jams and jellies-and more!-you'll find only the best of home cooking between the pages of this delightful book. As an added bonus, you'll find featured facts about Amish life preceding each section of mouth-watering recipes. Topped off by one amazing package and an even more amazing price, cooks of all ages will have a hard time passing this one up! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Amish Friends Cookbook
This cookbook is the best one I have ever read or cooked out of. When you open the book and see the Amish pictures you can almost smell the aroma of it all cooking in an Amish kitchen. This is a must have!

Great Amish Recipes
We have Amish friends in Indiana and Pennsylvania and have enjoyed
many of the dishes that are in the Amish Friends Cookbook.I love
this book and would recommend it to anyone that loves good cooking.

Favorite author offers hearty recipes
Reviewed by Kelli Glesige for Reader Views (5/07)

Favorite author, Wanda E. Brunstetter, who has skillfully written many fictional stories about the Amish and Mennonite communities, is back, this time offering a wonderful collection of 200 hearty and appetite satisfying recipes right from the recipe boxes of the individuals themselves.Everything you expect from a cookbook is offered here, and more.

In addition to the standard categories of recipes one would expect, Brunstetter offers tidbits of information about the Amish and their way of life including their history, church, schools, weddings, quilts, homes, transportation, communication, occupations and clothing.If you desire to learn a bit more about the Amish and you enjoy cooking, this book would be a great addition to any recipe shelf.Included throughout are also short words of wisdom to make reading through the interesting recipes even more enjoyable.For example, "A smile adds a great deal to face value," is a statement worth remembering.And, "Don't ask God for what you think is good; ask Him for what He thinks is good for you," is another fun but true item to contemplate!

I highly recommend this cookbook by an author I have come to enjoy.Her interest in and knowledge of the Amish fascinates me, and it emanates throughout the pages of her current book.

The dessert section of "Amish Friends Cookbook" is particularly extensive with several old-fashioned pie and cake recipes.I was particularly intrigued with Pilgrim Pie, Frozen Fudge, and Baked Doughnuts. And if you like cooking with rhubarb, you should be especially thrilled, for there are numerous recipes using this tasty plant, including Rhubarb Punch.Apples and oatmeal are two more ingredients that appear often throughout the pages of this delightful cookbook.From Quick Root Beer, German Pizza, Cheeseburger Soup, and Dutch Slaw, there is sure to be something to entice almost everyone.There is even a recipe for Kidney Stone Remedy!

"Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Cookbook" features a spiral binding, perfect for keeping a page lying flat while using a recipe.Each page also contains multiple colors, and there are full color photographs of Amish families also.Overall, this is a very attractive cookbook, and it is educational too."Amish Friends Cookbook" is sure to delight any cook who likes to create special recipes from scratch.I definitely plan to add this book to my cookbook collection of frequently used recipes.I recommend it completely. ... Read more

Book Description
The Amish women of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country have been creating exquisite quilted masterpieces since the 1800s. Amish quilts represent personal expression, craftsmanship, and frugality, and are the most desired in the world. This book is the first to take quilters inside the Amish tradition of the Circle letter. From each letter, a quilt block is created to represent a significant event in the life of the quilter; these letters and blocks are passed around a circle of 11 friends, and once 121 blocks have been created, they are joined together to create a beautiful work of art that tells the story of family and friends - a circle quilt.

With this book, quilters will step into the everyday life of the Amish community and follow the journey of 11 women who maintain their friendships while keeping a record of their lives. Quilters will enjoy the heartwarming stories while following step-by-step instructions for creating their own Amish circle quilt, as well as a baby quilt, wall hanging, table runner and appliquéd aprons and bags.

-Heartwarming stories give readers insight into the Amish community -Instructions for creating and Amish Circle Quilt as well as 8 smaller projects with a similar motif -Full-size color patterns - a great value ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An anthology of 121 actual-size piece and applique quilt block patterns
Award-winning quilter Rosemary Youngs presents The Amish Circle Quilt: 121 Quilt Block Patterns That Tell A Story, an anthology of 121 actual-size piece and applique quilt block patterns and correspondence between 11 women who maintained their friendships lifelong. A brief introduction walks readers through the basics of quilting, but most ofThe Amish Circle Quilt is devoted to the patterns themselves and the letters of true friends. A heartwarming survey of easy-to-make Amish quilt blocks, excellent for direct use or inspiration for one's own cozy creations.
... Read more

Book Description

Since its publication in 1989, The Riddle of Amish Culture has become recognized as a classic work on one of America's most distinctive religious communities. But many changes have occurred within Amish society over the past decade, from westward migrations and a greater familiarity with technology to the dramatic shift away from farming into small business which is transforming Amish culture. For this revised edition, Donald B. Kraybill has taken these recent changes into account, incorporating new demographic research and new interviews he has conducted among the Amish. In addition, he includes a new chapter describing Amish recreation and social gatherings, and he applies the concept of "social capital" to his sensitive and penetrating interpretation of how the Amish have preserved their social networks and the solidarity of their community.

Customer Reviews (8)

More In Depth Look at the Amish
This is a more in depth look at living Amish through the eyes of its adherants that what's offered in the 11 People's Place books that are priced at $6.95 each. What I don't like is Amish became trendy, for some a life long trend after it sold out with Weird Al's Amish Paradise. The picture from the CD single of Amish Paradise looks like Weird Al lost his humor. Weird Al was hilarious in the 80s, then in the 90s he grew up quick and just wasn't funny any more, taking himself too seriously on Running with Scissors and looking Amish and younger on the poorly planned Poodle Hat. Anyway, the closest I fall into his getting ready to be a life long traditional old order Anabaptist Amish. The big no no is a car and the second big no no is a computer. Don't believe what you heard about the Amish in school- yes it is a big deal because the average Amish family averages 7 kids and they often live on multi million dollar farms, feeding at times a whole country. The Amish are not a joke, they are not even weird- they are serious people who actually were more content leading a plain lifestyle. Divorce is forbidden in most branches of Amish. Weird Al, I hope you're making this work well you do look a lot younger on Poodle Hat.

They call everybody English!
My experience with Amish people is limited to having lunch with an Amish family who were neighbors of friends in Ohio. My (ex)wife expressed approval that corn-on-the-cob was being served. The hostess said, "I didn't realize English liked corn-on-the-cob!" My wife (whose name was Ryan) replied, "Irish, not English!" This little vignette is an example of Amish anomaly. If you want to read about the whole thing - why and how, read this book. The most fascinating thing I learned is that the Amish leadership do not apply their rules in a rote fashion. Each modern technology is considered by the criteria of whether or not it will help or hurt the unity of the Amish family and people.

Great book
Timely shipment and in great condition.I was very pleased with order. Very educating.

Amish life: the same and yet so different
Not your typical photographic essay.Discusses in depth the complexities of the Amish nation's dynamic interelations with the larger English society. Amish life has, apparently, changed greatly in the last century, whether it be gas stoves, business ventures, fiberglass buggies, or toxic chemicals spewn from modern devices pulled by horses, although such details vary somewhat from church district to church district.There are no easy outs for those born into the faith and no easy ins for those born outside.A more truly revealing book on the Amish would have to be written by someone in the inside, which will not happen.However, Kraybill's work is a sympathetic, comprehensive, and revealing work.An informative read also suggested for public and academic libaries.

More than buggies
Kraybill knows his topic.He's a prof. at Messiah College, a top-drawer evangelial school with Anabaptist/Brethren roots, located near PA Amish country.He has studied and written on the Amish since the mid-80s.He is also a clear communicator, able to summarize complicated material with ease.

He is clearly very sympathetic to most of the Amish distinctives, though he is able to maintain a critical stance.

To me the Amish are more than simply a curious cultural oddity.They offer some insights into ways for Christians to confront and stand apart from Modernity and materialism.Though Kraybill shows, they may be subtly Modernist in their very rejection of Modernity.

The Amish are also important as an example of an extreme Anabaptist tradition.The 16th century European Xianity can be divided into three groups: Roman Caholics, Reformation, and Anabaptist.Surely the latter, while smallest of the three in the 16th cent., has long been ascending in contemporary America.Anabaptist distinctives -- sectarianism, believer baptism, emphasis on piety over intellect, anticlerical, antisacramental, democratic in church polity, etc. -- are now dominant in American evangelicalism.How important then to understand the Amish, as a fairly well-preserved example of the early Anabaptist tradition.

Anyway, wonderful book.Worth repeated readings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Living life Vicariously
This is a wonderful book. I live in an Amish area so was very surprised to discover such rich vocabulary and stunning visual imagery due to the fact that typically the Amish only have an eighth grade education. Reading this book is like spending days walking through the woods following animal tracks or bird watching. Or just lying in the hay and watching the world go by!

God's Creation a Great Possession
The author, David Kline, is Amish and a farmer, so he lives very close to nature.While the subtitle is, "An Amish Farmer's Journal," this book is not about the Amish.It is about a man's love for God's creation that surrounds him on his farm and his sadness at what has been lost and what we continue to lose.

The introduction by the author is a powerful statement for sustainable, small scale, family farming.Wendell Berry in the foreword notes this with his statement that Kline's life, "informed as it is by the Amish reverence for the natural world and the stewardship everywhere implicit in Amish farming--makes a union of economy and ecology."In the introduction Kline asks, "Should we give up the kind of farming that has been proven to preserve communities and land and is ecologically and spiritually sound for a way that is culturally and environmentally harmful?"This truly summarizes the viewpoint David Kline brings to his journal.

Kline takes us through the year on his farm and lets us see the different plants, birds and animals that migrate through or live on his farm and those around him.He talks about the loss of Chestnut trees, mushrooms, Woodpeckers and a hundred other birds as they appear in his region of Ohio during the year.

This is a `must read' for those who love nature.

Kyle Pratt

A Peaceable Kingdom
"Great Possessions" radiates serenity and joy, but there is an underlying sadness for things lost--American chestnut trees, passenger pigeons, family farms.It is a rare natural history book that doesn't have this poignant undercurrent.

Here is an author who can write knowledgeably about diversified sustainable farming, because he is Old Order Amish and practices what he preaches.In the introduction, Wendell Berry says, "David's life--informed as it is by the Amish reverence for the natural world and the stewardship everywhere implicit in Amish farming--makes a union of economy and ecology."

This particular farmer-naturalist times his hay cutting to permit bobolink fledglings to leave the nest.When he top-seeds his wheat in the spring, his hand-cranked seeder flushes the horned larks and allows him to avoid their nests.

The Ohio Amish practice five-crop rotation so crop-damaging insects don't have time to build up.Horse-worked farms absorb almost seven times more water than conventional no-tilled farms.

Is it any wonder that the Amish in my area of middle Michigan at least, are quietly taking over the farm land that could not be made profitable by gigantic machines, insecticides, herbicides, and major debt?

Most Amish farmers are not pure organic farmers, but their use of herbicides is minute compared to the average non-organic farmer.The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) keeps trying to persuade this author that spraying poisons on his land would free him from tilling.An SCS technician informed him that "If I'd join the no-till crowd I'd be freed from plowing, and then my son or I could work in a factory.He insinuated that the extra income (increased cash flow) would in some way improve the quality of our lives."

The author, thank God, fails to get the point.He asks, "Should we give up the kind of farming that has been proven to preserve communities and land and is ecologically and spiritually sound for a way that is culturally and environmentally harmful?"

In one year, David Kline counted 155 different species of birds on his land.

When I was growing up a few hundred miles north of this author's Ohio farm, it was rare in those DDT-laden days to hear even a sparrow sing.At least we learned a lesson about that particular pesticide, and the birds are making a comeback.I counted 44 different bird species on our ten acres this year.

Maybe that's because I live in a county where the Amish farm.

Not much Wendell Berry, but a great book.
When I originally received this book, I was really unhappy because I was looking for something by Wendell Berry and he only wrote the 2 page introduction.However, this is a wonderful, beautiful book.You feel as though you were walking with Mr. Kline on a lazy afternoon while he explains the world around you.

Take a walk with a gentle friend, David Kline
I was first attracted to this book because the title seemed to be an oxymoron. I then chose the book for what was inside. I have found Mr. Kline's essays to take me to pleasant places when I was stuck inside. Healso helped me to see my world more positively. I don't live very far fromthe farm that is spoken of in this book, yet I am removed from it by thetechnology in my life. When I am spiritually encumbered, I take this bookin hand to renew myself in short order.

I have read and reread this bookand have given it as a gift. I will continue to share it with my friendsand family. This time it will be a gift to a very special companion. ... Read more

Book Description

Nearly 90 percent of those who grow up Amish choose the Amish way: a lifetime commitment to the faith and a traditional way of life. To outsiders immersed in the daily realities and luxuries of the modern world, this statistic may seem unbelievable. In this in-depth study of Amish adolescence, Richard A. Stevick offers a balanced, comprehensive, and engaging account of the social forces and rituals -- including Rumspringa -- that contribute to this statistic.

In Growing Up Amish, Stevick reveals the world of Amish youth caught between the expectations of their traditional community and the growing pressures and temptations that accompany adolescence. Drawing from a dozen years of research in more than seventy communities in fifteen states, he carefully details home life and school, social singings and wild parties, isolated settlements and Amish youth gangs, and courtship practices and wedding rituals. Stevick shows how the strong and distinct Amish identity is fostered by the entire community -- parents, ministers, teachers, and neighbors. With positive reinforcement and constant modeling of Amish behavior and values, this strong identity keeps most youth from feeling at ease in and identifying with the outside world.

This definitive work provides new and important insight into what life is really like for the adolescents, their families, and their communities during the "running around" years and how these fascinating rituals have, in fact, helped the Amish preserve their unique culture.

Customer Reviews (2)

The Real Story of The Amish!
This is an excellent read that was written by a real Amish person. You'll love it!
The quality is good and the delivery fast! I'll leave the judgement up to you about the price.

A 'must' for any collection strong in either Amish history and culture or regional American community sociology.
The Amish way is a lifetime commitment to the faith as well as a way of life: nearly 90 percent of those who grow up Amish choose the Amish way. Here is an in-depth study of Amish adolescence which considers its religion, society, and rituals which reinforce the statistics surrounding this chosen way of life. A dozen years of research in over seventy Amish communities in fifteen states lends to this study, which reveals how the Amish identity is fostered by an entire community of behavior and values. A 'must' for any collection strong in either Amish history and culture or regional American community sociology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

what family is all about!
wasn't too sure what I might find in this book.Was ever so pleased to have selected an outstanding story. Tobias reminded me of someone I knew, my Dad. Smart as a whip but, always a day late and a dollar short. I was a depression kid and I remember so many families living from one meal to another, one bad break to another, and so on. Tobias was so much "the man of his era". Thanks to the author for an heart touching book.d.c. haas

Musings on "Tobias of the Amish"
Tobias of the Amish We are linked to our parents in ways we hardly recognize. For the child who grows up under a fractured roof there will always be something unfathomable about the parent who dies too young. It is important to fill in the gaps towards understanding, take the measure of that faded figure in the background.  Ervin R. Stutzman, Moderator of Mennonite Church USA, is that child. In a decade-long research and writing project, he went on an exceptional journey to find his father, Tobias Stutzman, who at age 37 was killed in a car accident. Ervin was only a toddler and has no memories of his father. In the years after Tobe's death, Ervin's mother Emma spoke little of him, nor did others in the Amish community of which he had been a part. It was as if a veil of silence had been drawn, secrets tucked away. Years later Ervin determined to dive into the wreck and retrieve the cargo of the past. Tobias Stutzman came to maturity in an agriculture community but knew early on that he did not get his juice from farming. He dreamed of his own woodworking business. In his first job he had permission to use his employer's shop for his own woodworking projects. He had what one might call an avarice for doing, seeing in every possibility an opportunity that might not come his way again. He made things out of wood, and later, metal: tables, cabinets, custom-built buggies, wooden wagon boxes, address lamps, chicken catchers, feed scoops, tomato racks, self-watering flower pots and glove display racks. He even marketed sewing machines. "If it is made of wood, we can do it!" said a sign outside his shop during the earlier years. A recurrent theme is borrowed money.  The Stutzmans got into debt even as a newly married couple. Tobe performed on a grand scale; he appears not to have foreseen or planned for major decisions. Things were entered but not balanced. Tobe was perhaps unpracticed in an awareness of his own needs. Because the contours of his heart were warm and generous, he was easily distracted by the claims of others. One is struck by his raw capability as he struggled to keep work and family afloat. Yet his story includes no turning from bad habits. Instead he carries on blindly, creating the same painful situation - a trail of debt - over and again. Had he seen his besetting sin with clarity, he might have asked his community to make him accountable much earlier than they later did, on their own terms. What went amiss with Tobe's strivings?  Sociologists remind us that behaviors in families are usually passed along and can become the emotional legacy of generations. Tobias' parents, John and Anna, kept their counsel about their financial woes and marital disappointments. John was rather given to abrupt announcements of upheaval ("We're moving!) without much explanation. He did not come to Tobe and Emma's wedding; it is not clear what the falling-out was about. Possibly Tobe carried this oblique and flawed communication - the constipated silence, the shutting down - into his own family life. Indeed, Tobe and Emma seemed bound by opposite needs in their subterranean drama of spenders versus savers  - his restlessness to wander and experiment, her need to find a settled place.   It is important to see our forebears in their lapses, in their all too human misdemeanors, for they are we. Their besetting sins are likely ours, too. Distinction and idiosyncrasy alike provide the flickering backdrop in all of our lives. We all carry invisible scars from childhood. None of us live up to our deepest principles. Yet when one writes about the past, it is tempting to present things in the best possible light against future scrutiny. There is many a lightly-sleeping dragon past which one must tiptoe, not least the beast called denial, for it would be much easier to idealize such a loss and leave some things well and alone. Ervin Stutzman does not assign to his past a grandeur it could never have possessed, nor does he hold an exaggerated subservience to it that would preclude a clear seeing.   Tobias of the Amish is a finely wrought portrait of Amish life in its observation of the Ordnung, those boundaries set by rule. The story invites questions about how one defines success. There is a certain poignancy in a wall motto Tobe once made: "If mistakes were money, I'd be rich." (Perhaps today he would be investing in stocks or conglomerates.)  Would Tobe have been accepted into the middle of his community, and not on its combative edges, had he put his energies into something perceived to be more "spiritual"? Perhaps the foibles of a well-meaning father set forth a compelling counter-schooling. Unlike his father, Ervin had educational opportunities that have drawn him into a many-sided academic world. In contrast to his father, he can live in a dozen cities of the mind, cities about which his father might only have dreamed.   Tobe exhibited a move-on spirit in a community that valued, rather, earning a living in an approved occupation in a settled place. He chafed under the patterns of authority and restraints on behavior, and he found ways around official channels. He installed electric lights in his shop without asking permission. He and his wife gave their children second names in a community that viewed an additional moniker as worldly. They eventually joined the Beachy church because Tobe wanted modern conveniences.  Clearly, his entrepreneurial bent and its attendant risk-taking fell outside the comfort zone of others, and eventually they turned away. Who knows, today Tobe might be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder: the powerlessness to focus amid many perceived competing urgencies. (One pictures his work area piled high with unfinished tasks.)    Ervin Stutzman's link to his father was renegotiated, even in death. On a clear day you can see a long way back.     ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

What a disappointment!
I was very disappointed with this book. It was thin, double spaced and was NOT what I considered stories at all. At best it was comments and they sure did not go into detail. I regret that I spent money on this misleading book!!!! If I could give it less than one star I would.

Unclear audience, but good read.
As I read Amish Women, I felt unsure about what audience Stoltzfus had in mind while writing.The back of the book describes the text in academic language, but the content of the book is not academic.Stoltzfus often writes in fragments, but this lends a story-telling quality to the text.I wonder if Stoltzfus intended this book to be read to children? Either way, this look at the Amish is, unlike many books about the Amish, written not to exploit or exoticize the culture but to honor it.

EllieandBoo
While this is a "slim" book, 122 pages, that should not keep you from reading it. You really can come to understand the way Amish women think and feel...and also come to understand that not all Amish women are as happy and content with their lives as so many other books paint them to be. They do not all fit the same mold! Naomi loves reading C.S. Lewis. Rebecca is single and has a career. Susie is an artist. Esther who had lost two of her children now spends much of her time reaching out to other members of her community who have suffered loss. This book teaches you that Amish women are not always standing behind a stove or giving birth. These are real women who find ways to nurture their own creativity while still doing all of their chores and raising their large families. A great read. This is a book I will keep on my book shelf.

Good Book
I enjoyed this book. The stories were wonderful, and warmed my heart. It spoke of the good, and a little of the bad in being an Amish women and raising an Amish family. Although, I can only guess that it seemed a fair depiction, I am not Amish, so I cant say for sure. :o)) It seemed to be written on an easy level, so an adult could breeze through this book quickly. I have read better books on Amish Life, but this one is decent. And the stories will leave you with a good feeling.

disappointing read; Good Books has better books available
I found this book to be a disappointing read. The writing was simple and lacking descriptions that had depth.Half way through I just put the book down, which wasn't terrible far along, because there was a lot of dead white space between the large font type. I couldn't help but think this book was written by someone cashing in on their Amish ancestors, that they, in this case Louise Stoltzfus, doesn't understand. Good Books has some outstanding books available, I am not sure why they bothered to publish this one. ... Read more

Product Description
This sensitive and thoughtful meditation on the horrific events of October 2, 2006, reflects on the response of the Amish community of Nickel Mines, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where a gunman killed himself, five school children, and wounded five others. The tragic crime evoked expressions of shock and sympathy worldwide. But even many Christians were stunned when the Amish community, in the midst of its grieving, offered words of forgiveness toward the dead killer and his family. John L. Ruth considers that extraordinary forgiveness as the legacy of that heartbreaking day. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Forgiveness A Legacy of the West Nickel Mines Amish
This book is awesome and anyone from any faith can stand to learn from this book. Forgiveness: A Legacy of the West Nickel Mines Amish School

Reviewed by Ashley Merrill
At first glace, this book appears as though it is going to be a recap of the horrific events that took place in an Amish community in Pennsylvania.One quickly realizes that this book is so much more.Almost in one chapter the book can sum up what happened on October 2nd, 2006, and the rest of the time is spent on numerous other topics, all of which relate to the concept of forgiveness.

It seems pretty obvious that if a member of your community went to your child's school and point blank shot them to death because he felt he was wronged earlier in life, you would want that guy either dead, in jail, or at least to pay dearly for the loss he caused you.You would also probably never ever want to see him or have contact with him, unless it was to be in a court room watching him be sentenced for his crime. John L. Ruth shows us how the media is absolutely shocked to find that the families of the deceased children invite the killer's wife to the funerals, and tell her that she is welcome to stay living in the community, and that they forgive her husband for what he did.If the Amish did not want media attention before this odd behavior, they only made it worse by going against everything our culture tells us is acceptable to feel for someone who has wronged us.

John L. Ruth takes us back to when the Amish first became what they are, how they developed their beliefs, what they had to go through to get to where they are, etc.This helps us to try and understand where they are coming from and how it is that they can have peace of mind and no ill feelings towards such an evil, disturbed man.They accept that they are here on earth for both good events to take place, and for tragedies to take place.They know Jesus suffered for all of us, so it is only appropriate to sometimes do the same.

The end of this book really had you thinking about our culture and the ideas that are ingrained into our heads at such a young age.Should we all be as forgiving as the Amish are?Should we just accept that life is full of tragedies; that life is all about how you deal with them and move on? I have to say that I came pretty close to being convinced that life would be much easier if we did not dwell on the hardships in life and think of it as events that were obviously meant to happen; it was god's will, and the man with the gun was just carrying out god's wish.Unfortunately I have had it pounded into my head so much that seeking revenge and vengeance is the proper thing to do when someone wrongs you so horribly, that I do not think I could swallow that and forgive. It makes you wonder how good of a society we really are.

Not what I expected
If you are looking for a detailed book about the unfortunate crime which took place in the Lancaster, PA area, you will be very disappointed. The book doesn't even give names of the murdered or anything. All you get is a bunch of bible quotes and lyrics from hymns. It is all interesting if you want to learn the religious ways of the Amish, but this book shouldn't come off as a "true crime" book. ... Read more

Book Description
A homespun, authentic collection of Amish recipes collected over the years by Beverly Lewis. Many are from her grandmother and other family members as well as dear friends from the Amish world she writes about with such power and authenticity. Now she lovingly shares these with her millions of readers who have come to treasure her fictional insights into Amish life. The additional Amish sayings and line drawings make for an appealing gift. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

My whole family loves this food
I have this from the library and now I have to buy it--my entire family loves these meals, they are finally all pleased with my suppers! (The kids are 11, 9, 8 and 6). We have loved almost every single recipe. The only note I would add is that there is a LOT of sugar in them, which can be decreased by about 25%, and the dishes turn out even better tasting. I actually bought some Chocolate Crunch Surprise from an Amish-run store in Missouri a few years back--what a treat it was to make it today at home--it is awesome! We also love Bird's Nest, Baked Oatmeal, Perfect Pumpkin Bread, Chicken Mushroom Bake, Cabbage Patch Stew, Ginger Ale Fruit Salad, Grandma Buchwalter's Tuna Salad, and Chicken and Waffles. We didn't like the Hearty Vegetable Soup, and the waffles were too sweet (the only waffle recipe I've ever seen with lots of sugar in it). Also, the homemade mayo recipe does NOT call for Miracle Whip--it's a for real homemade mayo recipe. The recipes come from the author's grandmother's recipe box, and she lived from 1886-1954, so they're authentic, as far as historical, but from Old Order Mennonites. This cookbook has restored my love of cooking, and we're eating so well now!! And if you ever want to make your own Amish Friendship Bread--the starter recipe and all is right here!

Wonderful cookbook!
I'm really enjoying the cookbook.The recipes are simple and taste great.I made the breakfast pumpkin bread and everyone that has tried it really likes it.

Beverly Lewis Does It Again
I ordered this for my landlady, she said she hasn't cooked from it yet, but she loves it, we both looked through it when it arrived and we loved the little notes from Beverly Lewis, the recipes look delicious and very down to earth, my husband loves to watch the food channel but so much of it is too fancy and strange ingredients, that stinks! I will probably buy this sometime for myself. It is a lovely cookbook, and I recommend it to anyone who likes Beverly Lewis, Cooking, or collecting cookbooks, it is a must have. Go for it you'll not regret it. Have fun in your kitchen.

Amish cookbook
This is a great cookbook, I have been looking for one that I thought would be worth buying. I love the receipes in it. I have tried some of them and they are really good. Thank You

Just what I wanted
While the title says it is an AmishHeritage Cookbook I was pleased to find recipes that included store bought ingredients.This gives me the opportunity to try more of the recipies since I don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.Also it included the recipie I was looking for. The recipies I have tried have been easy to follow and turned out wonderfully. My family loved them. As a mother of two it is nice to have a book of wholesome easy to reproduce oldfashioned flavor recipies on hand. If you like the flavor of old world but like new world ease i would recomend this cookbook to you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

From the Heart
You will find this book engaging on several planes. There is a Sadness and a Joy, a Quaintness and a Moderninity. And don't be too surprised if you find yourself thinking there is a little Amish hidden inside yourself.

The Amish
How better to learn about the ways and lifestyle of the Amish than from their own words? Very informative and interesting! I feel all books are priced too high though and for that reason I am giving only four stars!

Honest look inside
We drove into Lancaster Cnty. yesterday to "see the Amish."I picked this book up (for a bit more than it is offered here at Amazon) and breezed right through.It is interesting - to say the least - and quite provocative.It debunks many of the idealized stereotypes I had of the Amish and portrays them as 'normal' people who have deliberately (and sometimes not deliberately) chosen a very separate Christian walk.Very inspiring, too.Highly recommend this for anyone interested in the Amish & Mennonites as well as all born-again believers in Christ.

The Amish in Their Own Words........
Beautifully gathered stories of home life and community in the Amish settlements. Enjoyed them alland the reflections they gave. Like a quilt of people put together I enjoyed this very much.