About the book:
As a 10-year-old girl, the only life Ann-Marie Dornn had known was that lived within the boundaries of a secluded but vibrant Hutterite community in southern Manitoba, Canada. Everything was shared -- food, property... and private lives. When political tensions became unbearable, Ann-Marie's parents felt they had no choice but to leave the only way of life they had ever known.
Before she left the colony, Ann-Marie (now Mary-Ann Kirkby) had never tasted macaroni and cheese or ridden a bike. She had never heard of Walt Disney or rock-and-roll. She was forced to reinvent herself, denying her heritage to fit in with her peers. Her new life was all about fitting in, but she would never forget the thread that bound her to a childhood that had shaped the essence of who she is.
With great humor and raw honesty, Kirkby describes life on the Hutterite colony, adapting to pop culture, and her family's deep sense of loss for their community. It is a story about retracing steps and understanding how our beginnings often define us.
My thoughts:
Joe and I first became interested in the Hutterites when we watched the National Geographic show "American Colony: The Hutterites". Although the show became controversial, we did learn a lot about this group. Joe started reading books about them to discover just what they believed and how they lived. I saw a review of this book online and ordered it from the library for Joe. When he was finished, I started reading it and couldn't put it down. Both of us loved this book.
Mary-Ann Kirkby is so honest and open about her life. Although the Hutterite life wasn't perfect by any means, to a child it was idyllic. Their life is structured. Things are done in a certain way at a certain time. As a commune or colony everyone is supportive of everyone else. Things are done in groups. When the family left the colony and went on their own, they really didn't know how to cope in the outside world.
What an interesting, well-written book. I would love to find another book as good as this one about other anabaptist communities. I am Amish? I am Mennonite? I am Baptist?
Now how could I NOT want to read this book?
ReplyDeleteI have a passion for History.
I adore reading about people.
I will never turn down a great recommendation from a Librarian!