Product Description

"It is rare that I literally laugh out loud while I'm reading, but Janzen's voice—singular, deadpan, sharp-witted and honest—slayed me." —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love

Not long after Rhoda Janzen turned forty, her world turned upside down. It was bad enough that her husband of fifteen years left her for Bob, a guy he met on Gay.com, but that same week a car accident left her injured. Needing a place to rest and pick up the pieces of her life, Rhoda packed her bags, crossed the country, and returned to her quirky Mennonite family's home, where she was welcomed back with open arms and offbeat advice. (Rhoda's good-natured mother suggested she get over her heartbreak by dating her first cousin—he owned a tractor, see.)

Written with wry humor and huge personality—and tackling faith, love, family, and aging—Mennonite in a Little Black Dress is an immensely moving memoir of healing, certain to touch anyone who has ever had to look homeward in order to move ahead.

Customer Reviews (153)

This book touched me
This book was the first book I read after I escaped an emotionally abusive relationship. I read it while commuting to my new job in a new state. Rhoda is hilarious and the fact that this was a memoir was even more astounding to me. I experienced some of the same situations as she had and I recognized myself in many of her situations. This book helped me to get through a really tough time (I had just left him and questioned my decision so many times - I was a basket case). I laughed with her, I cried with her and I loved her family (especially her mom) and totally connected with her. We are around the same age (but I have kids :). I read this book every chance I got and was done with it in a week (in between work, kids, etc)

I would definitely recommend this book to my friends.

Superbly written, funny as Hell...Did I type that out loud?!?
This wonderful book is about love, pain, parents, growing up coming home. She is brutally honest while maintaining a sense of humor about what happens in her life and how her Mennonite roots help her deal with it. A wonderful story of survival even if you take out the (sometimes hilarious) references to growing up Menno. If you're hurting in a relationship this is truly inspiring

I should know, I'm one too!

Laugh out loud funny!
Thank you, Rhoda Janzen, for giving me just the laugh-out-loud kind of memoir that I needed on my recent vacation! I haven't had my spirits lifted with such writing in quite a while (perhaps due to my penchant for heavier literature??) and found this book to be a very refreshing, light summer read. Rhoda's iconic wit and her honest sharing of life experiences endeared her to me and made me want for more......may she live a long, healthy life..... Looking forward to a second volume!

A warm, honest memoir
I do not understand the reviewers that were disappointed this memoir was not funnier. The author presents an honest look at parts of her life with warmth and humor. She shared stories of a painful and difficult point in her life without pity or anger. I enjoyed reading this book.

Mennonite in A Little Black Dress
I bought this book since most of the reviews raved about howfunny it was--It gets two stars. I would almost give the book one star, but I feel sorry for the author whose husband mentally abused her (even though she portrays all this in satire). I'm still trying to figure out how she thinks the abuse she suffered is funny. The book does have a few humorous stories--but the author is removed and reading the book for the most part makes you feel like you ate dry crackers without water. Yawn is all I can say. She should have made this into a bunch of short stories. Also I am still trying to figure out what a Mennonite actually is. I am sure the author describes it in detail but at times the book is so boring, I ended up skipping several pages. The author also seems to be one of those people who thinks she is so funny and clever, everyone else must think so too. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Mennonites; History / General; Religion / Christianity / Mennonite; Travel / General; Travel / Essays ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very sweet, interesting book
The way this book was copied from the original and placed in Kindle doesn't allow you to see the original cover, nor any of the usual first few pages.It just goes right into chapter number one but you cant turn back any.
As I read it I was wondering when it was written, because there would be old word usage from Mennonite communities that I was unfamiliar with, and no explanation of what it meant.You get the gist of what was being said though.I liked the book.It was sweet and had a good vs bad plot mixed in, and the main character was not a stunning beauty, which I liked.Her virtue, honesty and sweet ways went a long way to win the hearts of almost everyone.It was slow, and I was hoping it would actually have a plot at some point, but as I continued to read, it didn't disappoint.If you are looking for intrigue, gripping plot twists, and edge of your seat entertainment, this might not be the book for you.If you are looking for something with good moral values, no swearing, and something all ages could read, this is terrific! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Homey old-fashioned cooking
You will find lots of homey old-fashioned recipes in this cookbook that are easy to prepare. For example I made the Swiss Steak recipe that used tomato sauce. I substituted thinned out tomato soup instead and the recipe worked just fine. The recipe was cooked and then frozen for later eating. When prepared the steak was absolutely tender and delicious.

You will find lots of preserving recipes that help round out the meal.

Finally, the author keeps the cookbook friendly and homey through her well written chapter introductions telling about the recipe history.

Overall, highly recommend.

I love, love this cookbook!
The sheer nostalgia is reason enough to love this cookbook. First published in 1950, it has some very interesting recipes, as well as a whole section of miscellaneous recipes and household tips and tricks, which includes how to make yellowed piano keys white again, and even how to make laundry soap! A truly fun read! It also includes recipes that are wonderfully simple for today's family. While a lot of the recipes would certainly not qualify as healthy, or even appetizing, (suet pudding??) others are fabulously simplistic, budget-friendly, and can even be made to be healthy (farmer's summer supper). Still, as much as I love this book; I would caution those who are looking for a collective abundance of simple, budget-friendly meals that are also healthy, this might not be the book for you.

The best cookbook to hand down to your children!
This cookbook is our families favorite and not just because we are Mennonite!I cooked this way long before I became Mennonite and this book has many recipes that we all use in our family for every day eating. When my children got married and moved out on their own, each one of them received this cookbook as a present.They all looked forward to getting it.Even still, 15 years after the last one married, I still receive calls from them asking if I could help them with recipe so-and-so on page whichever.Hahaha.Makes an empty nester still feel useful I can say for sure and for certain!

Anyways, this cookbook has so many recipes in it that are good, healthy ways to eat.And then there are those that are not, but those are the ones that usually taste the best!We love the recipe for chicken in sour sauce which is heavy with sour cream.And the corn casserole to go with it.Usually followed at the end by one of the many great pie recipes here too.I wouldn't be without this cookbook in my kitchen and refer back to it often.

So if you are looking for a good, easy to use cookbook that is packed full of easy to make recipes and that have lots of comfort foods in it too, then this is the cookbook for you and your family.Mine liked it a LOT better than even the new Better Homes and Garden cookbook!

Really Good Real Home Cooking Cookbook! Highly Recommended!
My wife asked me to find another copy of the "Mennonite Community Cookbook" to give to my daughter so she wouldn't have to take ours. I don't want my wife to be without this cookbook, so was happy that Amazon carried it :-)

As several of the other reviewers point out, the recipes included in this cookbook are not low anything (insert Fat, Salt, Sugar, Carb, other unhealthy item, etc). That being said, they can generally be adapted by a good cook to be more healthy by substituting alternative ingredients.

This book gets a lot use in our house and I, as a recipient of the excellent meals that result, highly recommend it!

This is my most used cookbook
The recipes in this book are for farmers, who are cold all winter and hot all summer, so they are hearty and filling.However, if you are trying to cook light, they are easily modifiable.Use ground turkey instead of ground beef or sausage.Use turkey sausage instead of pork sausage, etc.You can often substitute canola oil for butter.You really only need to use shortening or lard when it effects the consistency, like in pie crust.Even made as they are written, these recipes are much healthier than the average fast food or restaraunt meal.They are also healthier than the average prepared meal out of the grocery store freezer.They are meant to be served up with heaping helpings of fresh vegetables.Some are great simple fare to serve up when you don't have time to cook.I find that the farmer's summer supper (a mixture of torn bread, fresh fruit and fresh milk) is great on hot summer nights when its too hot to turn on the oven and heat up the kitchen.I have used the sour milk griddle cake recipe for decades (substitute buttermilk if the idea of using sour milk bothers you, or sour fresh milk with a tablespoon of vinegar).Recently, I have gotten totally hooked on the buckwheat pancake recipe.I love the cornbread recipe, and I often make it by substituting a can of creamed corn for the milk.Its much healthier than eating store bought bread, with whole grain and vegetables both in the same bread. ... Read more

Product Description
A history of Anabaptist-Mennonite thought from the sixteenth century to the present, with a description of Mennonite life and thought around the world today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Not an effective overview or introduction
This book is promoted as an introduction and a popular history to Mennonite History, but Chapter Two (titled "Anabaptist Origins") fails to provide a lucid chronology of its subject matter. It starts off well enough, describing the roots of Anabaptism, but then veers off into a discussion of how previous historians addressed important themes of Anabaptist history. This discussion incomprehensible to outsiders new to the subject.

Its introduction of the Schleitheim Conference -- which apparently is an important aspect of Anabaptist history -- is clearly geared toward people who already know what happened at this conference. People reading a popular history or introduction should not need to surf the 'net to find out what the book is talking about.

People who looking for a thorough introduction that does not assume prior knowledge on the part of the reader should go elsewhere. This book does not meet the requirements of an introduction or popular history.

Informative
Not for everyone, but if this topic interests you this is the definitive source (that I am aware of.) Not a dry, academic text and very informative.

Thoghrough and Lively
Not challenging to read at all. Full of very informative and enlightening historical information in a lively context. Complete with references, accurate datings, the stories and challenges of the very first anabaptists and through the 20th century, how the church(es) have grown, political situations and MORE!

You can appreciate the work put into this.

Mennonite History
I found this book to be very helpful. The information contained in this volume was top notch and very much what I needed for my purpose.

An Excellent Source Of Information!
I'm currently working on my family history, one branch of which were Mennonites that came to America from Russia in 1874.This book has proven to be a valuable source of information, as the author not only discusses the origin and evolution of the Mennonite faith but also traces the migration of the Mennonite believers over the centuries.

While this is not a book for everyone - it is not an easy read (college level) - the author does a great job in presenting the information and keeping the reader interested in what could otherwise be a very dry subject.

If you are researching your Mennonite roots or are just interested in learning more about the faith, this book is definitely worthwhile!! ... Read more

Product Description
Mennonites in Russia?Invited by Catherine the Great to farm the Russian steppes-in exchange for exemption from military service-Mennonite emigrants from Polish Prussia and The Netherlands made their home in Russia.Some remain today; many more eventually left for North and South Americas and Europe. Nearly all retain memories and stories from that place-unbelievable prosperity for some; unspeakable terror for many; church tensions; struggles between the landed and the landless; exquisite clockmaking, storytelling, musicmaking, and food.Himself a Russian Mennonite, Kroeker heads into the history, but also the later movement of these people to the U.S. and Canada. Are they at all distinctive today? What has drawn some to the cities and professions, and others to the rural prairies? What about those in Europe, and those still in the former Soviet Union?Kroeker tells it all with vibrancy-the overview and the memorable details. Includes dozens of historic and contemporary photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Toward a more complete understanding
This book gives an abbreviated overview of Russian Mennonite history. It's a good springboard for those who want a full understanding of this important community. The lessons learned by the Russian Mennonite experience have much to say about today's challenges. This includes the relationship with the government, engagement with those outside the community, and how to handle both prosperity as well as difficult economic times.

A good companion to this book is the documentary "Through the Desert Goes Our Journey." It highlights one of the more interesting episodes in Russian Mennonite history - the Great Trek to Central Asia. In the 1880's, hundreds of families left their prosperous estates, and migrated to the khanates beyond Russia's eastern frontier. This episode illustrates historical Russian Mennonite life and attitudes, and the documentary advances the story to show its relevance today.

Factual, but Superficial
Wally Kroeker has written a short work about Russian Mennonites.It does give some factual information about the history, but fails to adequately explain the faith behind the works.Mr. Kroeker tends to view the tenets of the Anabaptist faith as cultural peculiarities.

This book might be a good inexpensive work, but Mr. Kroeker needs to spend a considerable amount of time with the Old Colony or the more conservative Kleine Gemeinde to get a better grasp of exactly WHY they do the things they do.That's whats missing!

An excellent history
Among the many strands of the Christian faith are the Anabaptists: "rebaptizers" who believed that baptism should be a voluntary step for adult Christians. Coming under intense persecution in their native lands, many moved first to the Vistula region of Poland, and later to the Russian Ukraine. During the twentieth century, these Mennonites came under pressure from the Russian government, and many moved on to such far off lands as Germany, Canada, the United States, Mexico and Paraguay.

In this fascinating book, Mennonite author and journalist Wally Kroeker traces the Mennonites in Russia from their beginnings, through their "golden age," the destruction of their communities, their flight to other parts of the globe, and where they are today. The book ends with a wonderful "Readings and Sources" section, which gives the reader many other books that he or she can follow up with.

Overall, I found this to be a great book. Admittedly, the book does not examine the Russian Mennonites' faith or religious practices, but it does give an excellent overview of their history. I suppose that if I were asked to write a title for this book it would be, "A Short History of the Russian Mennonites."

This is a great book that I am glad that I bought. It was very nicely put together, including many wonderfully clear pictures. I am building up a small library of books on the Russian Mennonites that I plan to hand on to my descendents, and this is a treasured part of it. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the Russian Mennonites.

By the way, three other great books that I would recommend are "Forever Summer, Forever Sunday" by Peter Gerhard Rempel which has many excellent pictures from the Russian Mennonite golden age, "A Mennonite Family in Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union, 1789-1923" by David G. Rempel in which an eyewitness records the destruction of the Russian Mennonite communities, and "Leaving Anabaptism" by Calvin Wall Redekop which follows the religious evolution of one group of Russian Mennonites in North America.

A Primitive Book
A superficial review of the history of Mennonites who migrated to Russia and later left for the West.The book could have fit into an article - lots of verbiage but no deep analysis and a very superficial retelling of facts. ... Read more

Product Description
Now available in a new layflat paperback edition. Esther H. Shank collected and perfected good recipes and useful food preparation tips for over 25 years. This is her prized collection of over 1,100 recipes and a legacy of kitchen know-how for inexperienced young adults caught up in the whirl of fast foods and busy schedules. Even experienced cooks will find helpful the hundreds of tips for success while baking bread and making pie crusts; as well as the microwave and quick-fix sections; identification of low calorie dishes; and many useful charts; tables; and diagrams. Winner of the 1988 Benjamin Franklin Award from Publishers Marketing Association. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Mennonite Cookbook Review
Great cook book.Many super recipes.My mom and sis-n-law have this cookbook.I was always borrowing it, and I decided it was time I got my own.My aunt had me order her two, one as a gift and one for herself.

Awesome!
I love this cookbook!It was given to me by my grandmother for my 16th birthday. My mom loved it so much that she bought one and also bought one for my younger sister for when she turned 16. We all use our books constantly. It's the first cookbook we grab when we are looking for something. It is great for beginners since it gives step by step instructions with the ingredients but is also great for more experienced cooks. I love it for all the "down home:, basic instructions.It even tells how to mash potatoes! I have given this gift many times as bridal gifts and will continue to do so. I really like the spiral binding, it makes it so handy to lay open that way.My only dislike is that there are no pictures in it, but for someone that is somewhat used to cooking, you can pretty well picture what it will be like by just reading the ingredients.

mennonite cook book
have a stack of cookbooks but this is the one I always use.It has very simple reicpes to the more complcated cooking.|I like to give as a wedding present.

The reason I did NOT write a cookbook!
I purchased the 1987 edition.Loved it so much, I purchased copies for each of my children, even though they were still in school at the time.It is full of good home cooking recipes with complete directions.Even a beginning cook can make great, well-seasoned dishes.The "Delightful Green Beans" on page 312 has become a family favorite.

The book is full of such things as the The Create your Own Casserole chart with colums for Protein, Sauce, Cooked Vegetables, Cooked Starch and Topping categories.Pick one item from each colum and you have your casserole. Cooking directions included.

I found this book at a time when I was thinking of gathering my recipes and putting together something for my children.This book was so well-written I never even started.This is the cookbook I would have loved to have written. It is the good day-to-day food of much of the country (I grew up in Kansas with similar cooking) that is suitable for every occasion.Reasonable preparation times, no weird ingredients, great tasting food.

The reason I am writing this review is that I was searching for another copy to purchase.One of my daughters was complaining that she has used her hard-cover copy so much that it is falling apart.

OLD FASHIONED COOKING
I was interested in this as I have other Mennonite cookbooks handed down to me by my mother and grandmother, plus my great-grandmother's maiden name was Shank and she was from Winesburg, Ohio, so there was sentimentality there as this may be a distant relative.

It is very good, well done, and has recipes that are from years and years ago which have been tested by time and found to be the best.Nicely done. ... Read more

Product Description
"I loved this book," says Dora Dueck, writer and editor, who is author of several books and co-editor of Northern Lights: An Anthology of Contemporary Christian Writing in Canada (Wiley, 2008). "This is Katie's life, her name, her harvest of work and discovery. But something wonderful happened as I read what she shares so honestly and well: I saw my own story--and felt it good, and safer again, to be a writer, pilgrim, woman in the MB church."This memoir records Katie Funk Wiebe's search for identity as a woman left widowed with young children who becomes a writer and an early Mennonite and biblical feminist. "Through her vulnerability," comments Doug Heidebrecht, Director of the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies, Winnipeg, "Katie invites us to recognize ourselves and to perceive God's grace in the midst of life. Katie's masterful storytelling is a gift." And Valerie Weaver-Zercher, contributing editor to Sojourners, thinks "This is vintage Funk Wiebe: unaffected, spirited, and unblinking." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

interesting read
I liked the story but didn't thoroughly love it maybe you have to be a mennonite to thouroughly enjoy it ... Read more

Product Description
John D. Roth's straightforward, accessible narrative invigorates this contemporary introduction to the Mennonite story. Whether readers are new to the Mennonite community or just yearning for a fresh telling of Anabaptist origins, Stories: How Mennonites Came to Be will serve as a compact digest of the church's history for generations to come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Well done
This is explains a lot of my background in a very interesting way. I enjoyed it immensely and have recommended it several times. I would have liked a little more about the Mennonite Brethren denomination since half of my background stems from that, but I've been quite excited to find this study. So well done.

An Insightful, Fascinating, and Relevant Expression of the Mennonite Story
This is one of the best church books I've ever read--it definitely deserves re-reading.

In order to avoid the common mistake of telling the Anabaptist story by starting in the sixteenth century, Roth opens up by relating the story of Jesus and His first followers, and summarizes the first three centuries of the Christian faith.He then moves to the conversion of Constantine, the Roman emperor, and explains why that was a defining moment in the history of the church.

Roth provides an overview of the next thousand years, then explains the events of the Protestant Reformation.Only then does he introduce the Anabaptist-Mennonite chapter of the story.Indeed, only against the background of the early church, the Catholic church, and the Reformation can we really understand Anabaptists as the reformers of the Reformation.Only in this context can we see the striking parallels between the early church and the sixteenth-century Anabaptist movement, and between the sixteenth-century movement and the position we find ourselves in today.(The parallels with today's Mennonite church can be seen in various periods all throughout the history of the Anabaptist movement.)

As I continued reading, I was really appreciative of the scope Roth uses to tell the Anabaptist-Mennonite story.It really is unique!He gives us the how and why of Anabaptists' break with the Protestant reformers, gives a straightforward account of their persecution (neither exaggerated nor understated), and explains the scattering of the Anabaptist-Mennonite church across the globe and how this dispersion has affected the faith.

Consistent with the insight and depth of the book, Roth brings us up to the present day and helps us understand what impact our past has on our present and our future.He explains the trademarks that distinguish Mennonites from other Christians and helps us to see them as the framework for understanding the future path of the church.

This book is a very informative, well-written, sensibly organized, fascinating handling of the Mennonite story.It's an easy read, but thought-provoking as well.Several times I was struck by Roth's insight and had to put the book down to reflect on the powerful truths he illuminated.

Whether you're intimately familiar with the Anabaptist-Mennonite story or have never even heard of it, this book would be a great place to learn more about this amazing chapter in the story of God's dealings with people.
... Read more

Product Description
Like a Mustard Seed tells the inspiring story of the Russian, Canadian, and Mexican Mennonites who, beginning in 1927, emigrated to Paraguay and made a new homeland out of the jungle wilderness. In the succeeding decades, Mennonite communities in Paraguay have established schools, clinics, hospitals, churches, and farms. Edgar Stoesz, who for four decades has held administrative posts with Mennonite Central Committee and other organizations serving in Paraguay, recounts this inspiring story. With faith on the Lord and by the sweat of their brow, these communities of Mennonites in Paraguay have blossomed from humble beginnings, like a mustard seed. ... Read more

Product Description
Amish and Mennonite cooking feeds the soul as well as the body. The delicious, traditional recipes in this very popular collection produce dishes that are sturdy and basic, yet full of flavor, affection, and warm memories.Here are easy-to-follow, from-scratch recipes for breads, soups, salads, vegetables, meats and main dishes, casseroles, pies, cakes, cookies, and desserts, as well as jams, jellies, and relishes, candies, beverages, and snacks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Not enough basic meal recipes
I just received this book today, so am recording my first impression after leafing through the book.Half of it is devoted to desserts!I'm disappointed with that aspect, as I was looking for good plain cooking re: meats, vegetables, etc. If anyone can suggest a "down-home" cookbook concentrating on those, I'd love to hear it! I do look forward to trying some of the recipes here!

A favorite cookbook
I've used this cookbook often and just ordered a copy to send to my Mom because she liked mine so much.

Excellent!
This book contains a multitude of hearty old-timey family dishes. This food is very earthy and perfect for our family's wintertime menus. The recipes are very easy to follow and concoct so this book is just as good for beginners as for advanced cooks. Everything that I have tried so far has turned out stunningly well and will become a regular part of our menu plans.

cooking simple
This is by far the best Amish cookbook I have come across.Plain and simple recipes that are easy to make and are delicious.A lot of them can also be made in a "lighter version" as I have done.

Classic Home Cooking
This is a great cookbook.It reminds me of the home-style cooking in my mother's1950's Betty Crocker cookbook.The recipes are not fancy and stylish...they are homey and comforting. ... Read more

Product Description
First published in 1996, Through Fire and Water has proved to be a great resource for Mennonite high school history classes and for people who want to know more about the origins, history, and beliefs of the Anabaptist/Mennonite church. This revised edition takes note of changes since that time in the U.S. and Canadian Mennonite church scene, including the cultural, racial and ethnic diversity in the U.S. and Canadian Mennonite churches, and also discusses recent developments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

An excellent addition to general-purpose religious history shelves
Now in a revised edition, Through Fire and Water: An Overview of Mennonite History is an accessible and reader-friendly chronicle of the history of the Mennonite faith, from its roots in the radical Reformation of sixteenth-century Europe to today's worldwide Anabaptist presence. Particular emphasis is given on the evolution of the Mennonite faith in North America and in Russia. Black-and-white photographs and illustrations pepper this edifying account of a faith firmly grounded in nonviolence - despite the brutal realities that compromise survival during the turbulence of world history. An excellent addition to general-purpose religious history shelves.

Good history, could have more about modern movements
I uncovered this book while searching for information about Amish and Mennonite cultures. I found it to be a very good history of the Anabaptist movement with very good information about the schisms between Anabaptists and other reformation movements. It also had valuable material relating to the divergence of Jacob Amman and the Amish from the larger Mennonite community.

What was lacking for me was information about the modern orders within the Mennonite church. How do modern Mennonite orders differ from the Amish in customs and beliefs? How do Old Order Mennonites differ from the Amish and other Mennonite sects? How many Mennonite sects are there today? How did they come to diverge? How come some Mennonites wear conservative clothing and drive cars, yet some Mennonites are indistiquishable from other "contemporary Americans"? Are there regional patterns to these divisions?

Some of these may seem like naive questions, but as a non-Mennonite trying to learn about the culture, I found myself wanting more of this information.

Overall, however, the book is a great history. The illustrations are over-caricatured and overdone, and the silly drawing on the pink book jacket is not going to help sell any copies -- but these are minor complaints.

Excellent Overview
We felt this book would be a good read for someone who is converting from the Muslim faith to Christianity and is also looking for a church home in the Mennonite tradition.We have found the book to be a very valuable tool for this purpose.

Very Good
Though Mennonites and Old Order Amish lived in the countryside around where I grew up, I knew only about their practices and some of their beliefs.Their history was largely a mystery to me.Reading this book gave me a taste of the persecution they have suffered around the world for their commitment to peace and non-resistance.This text is remarkably well-written and even entertaining at points.Perhaps good for high school juniors and seniors, adults will also appreciate this straightforward introduction to Anabaptist history.

Good Beginning, Lacking End
The book is an easy read, informative, and comprehensive. The strongest point of the book is the beginning up through the 1800s. It is accessible and yet professionally written.

However the 20th century is desperately lacking. The authors seemed as if they did not want to touch on the conservative movement starting at the beginning of the 20th century and continuing until now, including hte fundamentalist-modernist controversies of the 1920s and the response in the 1940s-50s. This was an essential part of Mennonite history in North America whether the reader has sympathies for the movement or not. The authors did not include this for one reason or another leaving readers who are familiar with plain Mennonites moreso than mainstream Mennonites with more questions than when they first picked up the book.

I'd recommend Stephen Scott's An Introduction to Old Order and Conservative Mennonite Groups as a beginnier's guide in conjunction with this book. ... Read more

Product Description
As Sara Wenger Shenk, President-Elect, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, puts it, "Rooting Mennonite spirituality within the earthy settledness of her grandmother's story, Nelson lovingly shows the way toward a spirituality of pilgrimage, in the company of Jesus" In a book that is part narrative, part theology, part spiritual memoir, Dawn Ruth Nelson draws on a Mennonite background, encounter with Irish Catholic faith, and the spiritual life she discovers in her grandmother and her own everyday life to propose contemporary forms of spiritual formation and expression. "Although Nelson's six suggestions for contemporary spirituality are focused on Mennonite tradition and experience," observes Joann Wolski Conn, Professor of Christian Spirituality, Neumann University, "their transforming power make them applicable for anyone desiring Christian formation." C. Arnold Snyder, Professor of History, Conrad Grebel University College, comments that "Nelson's search leads from her grandmother's life in Mennonite community, through peace work in Ireland and engagement with the Roman Catholic tradition, and finally to the essential inner/outer balance of the Anabaptist spiritual tradition-a response of discipleship made possible by the spiritual connection to the living vine, Jesus Christ." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

There is so much here!
This book is amazing! There is so much here for pastors, spiritual directors and judicatory folks seeking to foster Anabaptist spiritual formation in 2010. Persons who grew up in traditional Mennonite congregations will recognize significant elements of their own journey.All sorts of lights will go on for pastors in congregations which used to be like the author's grandmother's church! And the author's suggestions of spiritual practices to foster "becoming like Christ inwardly and outwardly" are worthy of serious conversation and consideration.

Much needed and well done !
The author uses her grandmother's narrative, as well as her own,to identify key themes for a contemporary Mennonite spirituality. Noting how "displacement" of North American Mennonites from the previous generations' local community/extended family context the author observes how new realities require people to find ways of identifying and forming Mennonite spirituality that is 'portable'.The Author identifies key themes for Mennonite spirituality and suggests how they can be intentionally cultivated, personally and in congregational life, to provide for a relevant Mennonite spiritual formation that has continuity with the past values and aspects of Mennonite identity, in ways that can be taught to the next generations. ... Read more

Product Description
The story of the Amish settling in Berks Co., Pa., in the eighteenth century with early European history, Amish division, social and economic developments, influences of the farm and family, as these settlers passed their faith on to future generations. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of 653 songs and more than 50 pages of responsive readings, affirmations of faith, congregational responses, and prayers. The hymn section offers a varied group of tunes. There is also a section for children. Shaped notes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fantastic
This hymnal contains 619 hymns, plus 34 "musical aids" which include benediction responses and amens.The layout is very practical and readable.I have the utmost admiration for the Mennonites' practical, no-nonsense mentality.The hymnal is presented as it is, with no pretense, no putting-on of airs .. and yet musically it is far superior to (and more USEFUL than) other hymnals I own which have a more sanctimonious attitude.

I was surprised to receive the shape-note edition since I did not specifically request it.I didn't even know it was available, or that anybody still published shape-note hymnals.The shape notes remind me of my childhood, attending the old-time Church of Christ in central Kentucky.The editors mention in the introduction that the hymns have all been arranged for singing in four-part harmony, _often unaccompanied_, which I have not heard a congregation do since my great-grandmother died.This is a hymnal for people who really SING!

The selection of music is wonderfully eclectic.Hymns have been culled from nearly the entire range of Christian musical history.There is a high proportion of grand old German hymns .. and the music has not been simplified or "dumbed down" to make it easier to sing.Just one example:"A Mighty Fortress" is presented with the original syncopated rhythm as written by Martin Luther.Everywhere else I have encountered that hymn, it has been homogenized into an even, square rhythm.There are also lots of elaborate harmonizations by Bach.. great stuff.

Not all of the music is classical and fancy.The hymnal contains a smattering of modern material (original publication date 1969) and plenty of "old standard" favorites that are indispensable to any Protestant hymnal.There's a section of the book devoted entirely to Gospel songs, and at the end just before the "musical aids to worship" there is a section of 24 "choral hymns" which the editors describe as "more difficult" and recommend for choirs (though still usable for congregational singing if desired.)In terms of musical complexity these hymns are insane!But they are still set in 4-part harmony with the serious expectation that some congregations might sing them.I have to respect that kind of confidence.

Flipping through this hymnal always makes me smile .. and I often wish I went to a church where people DID sing such challenging material.It's great stuff.I highly recommend this hymnal for church musicians of any denomination.You will find something in there to like.

A treasure
This Hymnal is a treasure to me. It has a variety of hymns, including many German hymns (many translated by Catherine Winkworth), English hymns, (including some with music by Ralph Vaughn Williams), and a select number of gospel hymns. The arrangements are always beautiful. I love the many songs which I have found only in this hymnal. ... Read more

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Menno Foods & Folkways #2 is a Good Books publication.
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Customer Reviews (3)

Such a good compilation of information
Appreciate this volume, as well as Vol 1, as this is my history too. The author has done an amazing job.

A trip back in time
My father was on the last boat that came from his part of Russia in 1926.He was 11 years old and came to Manitoba and later settled in Saskatchewan,and finaly in B.C. I have grown up appreciating the Mennonite history and cooking alot of the dishes represented in this book.I really enjoyed reading the history that goes along with my heritage.A keepsake i will treasure.

Sehr gut!
Mennonite isn't just a church denomination, its a culture. I grew up Mennonite Brethren, so I grew up with much of the WONDERFUL food mentioned in this book. If you've never been to an MB potluck, you've never truly eaten. However, the recipes aren't the only things that make this book such an incredible buy. The vignettes about the culture and traditions of the Mennonite faith are a great read. They help explain what makes us so unique. (Even if many of these traditions have faded over time.) Whenever someone asks "what's a Mennonite?", this is the first book I hand them.

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Customer Reviews (2)

Review for Crazy Quilt
The memoir which I read was called Crazy Quilt: Pieces of a Mennonite Life by Cynthia Yoder. It describes how Cynthia attempts to address her mental health problems through her visit with her Mennonite family. I feel that the author uses vivid language to express her internal feelings. Though the organization of this memoir was creative, it was hard to follow. Overall, I feel that this is a good memoir to provide direction for readers who feel abandoned by God.
At the beginning of the memoir, Cynthia begins to have some mental problems while living with her husband, Jonathan, in New York. Cynthia says, "During the three years I'd been living in New York since college, I'd accepted a low-grade emotional burn as a normal part of getting through the day" (Yoder 13). Cynthia feels emptiness inside her soul and body and has some delusions which complicate her work, life, and marriage. Therefore, she decides to go back home and collect stories from her Pennsylvania Dutch Mennonite family. She says, "Maybe I would learn something I'd forgotten, or a thing not learned well enough the first time around." She hopes that she can start over again by living with her family" (Yoder 17).
After going back to the place where she was born and grew up, Cynthia begins to figure out what kind of life she wants and learned how to live her life happily and freely. When she was young, Cynthia always felt isolated from her schoolmates and as an adult she feels separated from the culture around her because of the strict rules enforced by her Mennonite family. Cynthia's loneliness and feelings of isolation are evident when she says, "My friends, my neighborhood playmates, almost everyone I related to as a child was `the world'-the people I supposedly was separate from" (Yoder 22). Cynthia regards her father more like a Mennonite minister than like a father. Returning home gives her a chance to openly talk with her father and rebuild relationships. Interviewing her grandparents and her other relatives gives her a good chance to understand how her grandparents have lived their life simply and happily. Although they encounter a lot of difficulties in their lives, Cynthia's grandparents always look at the positive side of issues. The quote, "I was learning from Henry and Betts that the best thing you could do was to live each day in the best way you knew" demonstrates how Cynthia's grandparents encourage her to live each day in the "best" way possible (Yoder 145). After Cynthia's grandma's death, she says, "I promised, I vowed that I would do everything I could to live freely...... and I would take advantage of what was offered to me" (Yoder 155). Through the help of her therapist, Melvin, the time she spent with her grandparents, and her Mennonite family, Cynthia begins to learn how to love herself, her family, Jonathan, and her life. Now, Cynthia and her husband have their own baby and are managing their marriage well. Although her grandparents die a few years later, after she moves back to New York, and goes back to visit her hometown when she feels lost.
Since it is a memoir about Mennonite life, I initially felt that Cynthia's targeted audience was other Mennonites. However, after I read the memoir multiple times, I felt that it provided good direction for people who abandoned by God. God never leaves anyone; sometimes people just make their lives too complex and do not pay attention to the bright side of their life. Cynthia felt she was so restrained by the rules of being a Mennonite that she had become separated from the culture and people around her. She was not allowed to watch cartoons, go shopping, or go to the movie theater like other kids. Cynthia says, "I saw God as a deity who required that I earn his approval"; and her statement shows that she felt as if she must follow restrictive Mennonite guidelines in order to earn God's approval. When she heard her grandfather Henry's stories about his spiritual connection with God while he was sick, Cynthia was reminded of her relationship with God at a young age. When Cynthia was at a Jesus rally, she prayed to God to cure her back pain. As she was praying, she felt heat on her back which did cure her back pain (Yoder 132). When she stopped thinking the things her religion restricted her from considering and paid more attention to the positive side, Cynthia found that God was always around her and waited for her attention. She also realized that she did have a spiritual connection with God. Being with her Mennonite family reminded Cynthia of some original, simple and significant things which she had forgotten. Being a Mennonite, which she thought separated her from the culture around her, actually helped her live happily and freely. No matter whether people are Mennonite or follow other religions, going back to their roots and seeing the world through pure eyes will help them find a simple way to live happily and freely.
After reading through this memoir, I felt that the author is very good at using metaphors to express her personal feelings. Since the author had some mental problems, she always has some strange delusions when she stares at things for a long period of time. She describes one delusion of a "presence" in a room by saying it rolled like ocean water and was just big enough (I noticed) for me to disappear into it, if that had been its choice (Yoder 14). No matter how hard she tries to tell herself that the delusion is made up, the thing still like ocean water, swallows the author's thoughts and makes her lose control of her mind. Since it is often hard to describe personal feelings in words, the author intelligently uses the metaphor of the feeling that she was being swallowed by an ocean, which accurately expresses feelings of being out of control or overwhelmed. This metaphor draws a vivid picture for readers that Cynthia is a tiny part of larger whole that was swallowed by the huge power of the ocean. Another example can also demonstrate the author's good language skills when describing her inner feelings. The author's grandma, Betts, describes how her mother used to be a hard working woman before she was diagnosed with heart disease in her forties. The author describes Betts remembering her own mother by writing: "Betts paused and looked at the back of one hand, rubbing it as if to wipe away the age spots" (Yoder 56). This quote accurately describes Betts' inner feelings of missing her mother and how time flies. Betts might imagine the time when she was a little girl who followed her hardworking mother. Betts is talking with her granddaughter, Cynthia, many years after her own mother passed away. Betts does not realize how fast time goes until she sees the age spots showing on her hand. Betts wonders how wonderful it would be if her age masks were wiped away and time reversed. It is impressive that such a short sentence can convey all those inner feelings.
The organization of the memoir is creative but hard to follow. At the beginning of the memoir, the author describes her mental problems by saying she feels empty inside and has a lot of delusions. This opening is both interesting and confusing. On one hand, it does not clearly state the reasons why Cynthia has mental problems, which makes readers feel lost and confused. On the other hand, it also intrigues readers to continue reading in order to find out the reasons why she has mental problems. When the author describes her life back home with her Mennonite family, she gets the chance to insert her past stories with her family and husband. Later, the reason for Cynthia's mental problems starts to become clear. The main storyline of this memoir is about the author's trip back home. Along with this mainline, the author also mentions some past life stories which help her strengthen her main storyline. For example, in the memoir, she explains that she has open communication with her father. She tells him about how she struggles with aspects of her life and how difficult it is to separate her farther from his role as a minister. Her father apologizes for the times he was critical of her. They hug each other and start a new relationship with each other. Before she describes this main story of being home, the author describes her past relationship with her family. She was a Mennonite who had to follow a lot of strict rules. She was not allowed to watch cartoons, listen to other music and so on. All those past stories help her enhance her main storyline about her relationship with her father.
At the end of memoir, I feel that there is a gap in the changes in her relationship with Jonathan. After the author describes her grandparents' deaths, she says that she and Jonathan moved back to New York. It seems that she omitted the part about how they rebuilt their relationship, what makes them feel comfortable being together again, and how they finally decided to go back to New York. All of that missing information creates a disconnection for readers.
Cynthia Yoder's memoir describes how she comes out of her dark mental state through her visit with her Mennonite family. She creates a vivid picture for readers to understand. She also builds an intriguing story structure to catch readers' attention. However, the disconnection at the end of memoir creates a lack of continuity. Overall, I feel that Crazy Quilt will build a spiritual connection with those people who feel abandoned by God.

A deeply felt memoir about putting together a life
When the Manhattan-transplanted narrator of Cynthia Yoder's "Crazy Quilt" visits her family in rural Pennsylvania, her Mennonite grandmother laughs at her leather granny boots, purchased at a Soho boutique. The boots look remarkably like the old-fashioned gear the grandmother wore in her youth and was relieved to be rid of. But both women are delighted that "the somber style has been resurrected into something playful and worldly." That kind of makeover is exactly what the narrator hopes to achieve in her own life. A preacher's kid, the daughter of a Mennonite minister, she has earlier renounced much of her heritage and religious upbringing, fleeing to the city to live a Bohemian life. There, she marries a sexy ex-Mennonite rebel, who puts on eye make-up to go out dancing, and exchanges earrings with her in their commitment ceremony. Together, the couple tastes the 20th century pop culture pleasures of drag queen parties, Wild Turkey, The Cure, and open-mike poetry readings. But the narrator finds the American trick of self-reinvention hard to pull off. She remains haunted by her sense that it's her "responsibility to change the world." Her life is stalled by depression; her marriage disintegrates. Seeking a viable way to move forward, she looks backward at the heritage she thought she'd thrown off. She returns to Pennsylvania, to interview her Mennonite grandparents for an oral history of her family -- in the process, conducting a rigorous self-examination of her identity, values and faith. Yoder's journaling and reflections on her life are effectively contrasted with a series of matter-of-fact diary entries made by her grandmother in the 1930s, a sort of Mennonite Day-Timer that offers up the day's labors to God. Any woman who's seeking to cobble together a new self from the contradictory standards held up by family, tradition, religion, 21st century pop culture and advertising, and our own yearning toward something richer and more rewarding, will relate to this deeply felt memoir. No matter what culture we come from, we're all quilters, working to stitch together a sense of wholeness out of the competing images and precepts we've been handed. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of 128 maps showing past and present locations of Mennonites in Europe, Russia, North and Latin America.Forty-two pages of explanatory text add meaning to the maps.Complete with bibliography and a detailed index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Indispensable resource
This is a well researched collection of maps and general Mennonite history, useful for historians and family researchers alike.I had delayed purchasing the Atlas for years.Now that I have finally bought it, I can't believe I did not acquire it sooner.The major locations and migrations of the Mennonites are presented clearly and concisely.I recommend it as a general resource to anyone who is interested in the topic. ... Read more

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Mission and Migration is a Good Books publication.

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Over 1,100 mouth-watering recipes are in this fabulous collection of favorites contributed by Mennonite families from all over the United States and Canada.All the recipes have been brought up-to-date for directions and measurements so whether it's oyster chowder or apple fritters, or the many main dishes and desserts that make Mennonite cooking so delicious, all of them can be enjoyed by the modern cook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

PennsylvaniaDutch Cooking
Very pleased with the prompness in receiving this book.Would recommend to
any one.This was purchased for a Christmas present and much appreciated by the recipient.

Fun read, great recipes
This is fun cookbook to simply read.It has some very interesting information about old-time cooking, as well as wonderful recipes.It also has a miscellaneous section which has some fascinating recipes that are probably there more to be read than tried in modern times.Even if you never make a single recipe from this book (but you should!), it's a good read.

I've enjoyed everything I've made from it so far.

Wonderful, nostalgic cookbook
This is a wonderful cookbook.It made me very nostolgic for my grandmother's upstate NY kitchen.I agree with the earlier reviewer that the recipes are nowhere as specific as those in more modern cookbooks.However that's not a detraction to me:they look just like the ones on my grandmother's recipe cards!There are indeed real gems in this collection and overall it's a good read.

Reprint of earlier book but NOT so marked!
This book is a reprint of the authors' _Mennonite Community Cookbook_ ... Every single page is identical, word for word (just a different cover, title, and typeface) - which to me constitutes gross misrepresentation since I couldn't find that mentioned anywhere in the book, and I obviously wouldn't knowingly have ordered a duplicate copy.However, if you don't have the earlier book, you will love it.(The reason I ordered it was because I like the original book so much, and was therefore eager to see a seemingly new title attributed to them.)
It is a compilation of recipes culled from Mennonites.Since the original book was written in 1950, the directions are nowhere near as explicit as they would be today -- and there are very few "warm, fuzzy" notes prefacing recipes, so you can't tell if something was included because it is quick and easy, cheap, uses readily available ingreadients (which may be expensive today and hard for you to locate) or because it is incredibly delicious.But the gems in the collection make it well worth owning, and I love the book.My one and only complaint is that this edition is not marked as a reprint of the original.Once again, if you don't already own the original, this one is lovely.

Good Cooking!
Our house burned down in June of this year, taking all my cookbooks with it. This was the first one I replaced and am ordering two more to give as Christmas presents. It is excellent! ... Read more