Imagine sitting down with a group of women whose clothes might (or might not) look a little different from yours, who might (or might not) speak a few words that you don't recognize, and whose houses might (or might not) be furnished with appliances that don't quite match yours. Conversation starts -- with various women, in turn, sharing whatever happens to be on their hears -- some topics pretty light and maybe even humorous, others pretty deep and touching. That is a pretty close description of what you will find when you open the pages of Homespun, a collection of writings from Amish and Mennonite women, compiled by editor Lorilee Craker.
I have to admit that this book was not exactly what I expected. I had thought these writings would give more insight into the particulars of Plain life, writings from these women that would open up more of the differences in their lives from those of us in the "mainstream." But what I found was what I have discovered from my connections with Plain people I have met over the past several years -- in many ways we have more commonalities than we do differences. Most of what I read in Homespun could just as easily have been written by many of my non-Plain friends. The experiences, and thus the insights, can be enjoyed by readers from a variety of backgrounds.
I recommend Homespun to anyone who wants to slow down and enjoy some smiles, some reflection, and maybe even some tears. Thanks to Audra Jennings and her Read with Audra blog tour for providing a copy of the book. I am happy to share my own thoughts in this review.
About the Book:
Behind
Amish romance novels, tourist spots and “reality” TV shows stand real people,
with longings and loves just like the rest of us. Every Amish and Mennonite
woman has a story. What would it be like to be welcomed into their homes and
share those stories over a cup of coffee?
In
the pages of Homespun: Amish and Mennonite Women in Their Own Words, Amish and Plain Mennonite women swap stories and spin
yarns while the reader sits in. The book’s editor, Lorilee Craker, bestselling author of Money Secrets of the Amish, collected these personal writings and authentic
perspectives on life, hospitality, home, grief, joy, and walks with God from
Anabaptist women’s periodicals. Among the stories shared are essays penned by
well-loved Amish and Mennonite writers such as Sherry Gore, Linda Byler, Lovina
Eicher, Dorcas Smucker, and Sheila Petre.
Craker,
who describes herself as a simple Mennonite girl from the prairies, grew up in Manitoba
where the Mennonite community was large. Her mother’s family came from Ukraine
in the 1870’s and were pioneers who homesteaded on the prairies. Her father’s
family arrived in Canada after World War II when they fled Stalin and his
holocaust. She knew from early on there were lots of different kinds of
Mennonite stories, but she never realized there was anything “different” about
the way she grew up until she arrived in Chicago for college. “Everyone seemed to think that being Amish or Old Order Mennonite and
being my kind of Mennonite were one and the same. This assumption led to lots
of explanations on my part about the difference between my modern Mennonite
upbringing (‘like Baptist, with a German accent and special foods’) and those
other related subcultures.”
Explaining
the differences would eventually lead to Craker to writing her first book on
the Amish where she learned for all the differences, there were many more
similarities than she expected there to be. While visiting the Amish, she found
a peace and gentleness that reminded her of home. As she compiled the stories
for Homespun, those same feelings and
many more came to the surface. “These narratives stirred different emotions in
me. My heart ached for Ervina Yoder as she described what it was like for her
to be the mother of a longed-for but stillborn baby. I was inspired and
encouraged by Danielle Beiler’s trust in God as her provider, and I giggled at
Mary Yoder’s secondhand testimony of an Amish man whose pants were just too
stretchy. Other essays enthused my soul, and I came away
feeling as if I had just been to church. My cup had been filled.”
As
Craker searched for stories to include, several themes revealed themselves. She
organized the book into sections delving into the themes and introduces each
section with some of the lessons she took away from the women who wrote the
stories.
·
Welcome. A deep sense of hospitality is fundamental
to these women. Yet it’s not hospitality in the HGTV,
your-house-needs-to-be-perfect kind of way.
·
Abide. They want to abide in an abode, if you will,
that nurtures them and feeds their spirit. The writers here expound beautifully
on what home means to them.
·
Testimony. Story makes the world go ’round. When we
hear the stories—the testimonies—of others, we are better able to understand
our own story and our place in the world.
·
Wonder. The blazing faith of early Anabaptists is
evident in the openness of these writers to all things wondrous. These are true
stories of miracles, phenomenal happenings that don’t make sense from a human
perspective.
·
Kindred. A core value of both Mennonites and Amish is
the preeminence of family—kinfolk, whether they be kindred or not. Our kin
shape us in ways both known and unknown, good and bad.
·
Beloved. There is something wonderfully elemental and
childlike about the devotion expressed here, devotion even in doubt. These
pieces drew me closer to the One who calls all his daughters “beloved.”
Craker
hopes that readers will enjoy the stories as much as she did. “You don’t have
to be a simple Mennonite girl from the prairies to do so. All you need to do is
open your heart and let the homespun words of these women enlarge your
worldview, extend your heart, and increase your friendship with the Creator of
all good and gut things.”
About the Editor:
Lorilee Craker is
the editor of Homespun:
Amish and Mennonite Women in Their Own Words. She describes herself as a
simple Mennonite girl from the prairies and didn’t know there was anything
“peculiar” about being Mennonite until she moved from Winnipeg, Manitoba to
Chicago, Illinois for college. It was then that she realized most people
outside of Mennonite communities assumed she had come from buggy-driving,
bonnet-wearing, butter-churning folk. Everyone seemed to think that being Amish
or Old Order Mennonite and being her
kind of Mennonite were one and the same. The experience of explaining the
differences led her to writing the book, Money
Secrets of the Amish (an Audie Awards finalist which she also narrated).
A freelance journalist, blogger
and speaker, Craker was an entertainment writer for The Grand Rapids Press for seventeen years. She has been featured in many media outlets
including The Wall Street Journal, Time and People. She is the author of fifteen books, including Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter, and Me,
My Journey to Heaven with Marv
Besteman, and the New York Times bestseller
Through the Story with Lynne Spears.
The proud founder of a writing
day camp for middle schoolers, Craker lives in Grand Rapids, MI with her
husband and their three children.
Called to Protect, the second book in the Blue Justice series, is another great piece of romantic suspense from Lynette Eason.
Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of 
