Homespun - Hardcover

Homespun reads like a leisurely visit with an old friend. It starts off with light, chatty topics before settling into the-deep-part-of-the-heart experiences, such as a young mom recovering from the stillborn birth of her little boy. At times charming and humorous, at other times profound and heavy, this collection of true stories will linger in your mind long after you close the book.

Real voices of Anabaptist women from traditions as diverse as Old Order Amish to car-driving Mennonites open up about faith, family, hopes and dreams, and experiencing life s trials and joys with God by their sides. As a man who is not Amish or Mennonite, I was not sure how this book would resonate with me. I have to say that it did. The women s testimonies here are frank, vulnerable, funny, powerful, and often profoundly moving.

The short pieces in Homespun, as diverse as the women who wrote them, focus on issues central to the lives of Amish and conservative Mennonite women, including childbirth, cooking, in-laws, dating, mission work, home decoration, marriage, and above all, friendship. All the chapters evidence a profound Christian faith that makes Homespun a collection that will delight and challenge readers.

Filled with wisdom, humor, and hard-won faith, Homespun feels like a lovely visit with trusted friends. A must-read for those who wish to better understand the lives and hearts of Amish and Mennonite women.

Talented Amish and Mennonite women bare their souls in words that evoke a whole range of human emotions. They were not all born with a wooden spoon in their hands, and they experience the same struggles as women everywhere. It was impossible to do anything else until I finished reading this book.