Title: Rumspringa: To Be Or Not To Be Amish
Author: Tom Shachtman
Date of publication: 2006
Pages: 286
Genre: Nonfiction
Count for Year: 4
I remember when I read this book earlier in the year that I found it to be good, but a little bit difficult for me to finish, when it got bogged down in the sociological views of the Amish from various academia. More telling and captivating were the stories of the Amish youth themselves who went on rumspringa, the time when Amish youth at the age of 16 are “running around” in order to choose whether to stay with the Order or go out and live their own lives in the world. The book was based on interviews and research done for the documentary, “The Devil’s Playground”. I think the movie, in this case, was better than the book, because it told the story a little more succinctly than the book, but still for those who want a peek into one aspect of Amish life, this is a good place to start.
Final analysis: 7/10.
Personally, this is the book I really want to read about the Amish:
Title: Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Grace
Authors: Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt, David L. Weaver-Zercher
Date of Publication: 2007
Pages: 256
Count for Year: To Be Determined
At the beginning of this month, I heard Weaver-Zercher speak at a special scholarship dinner at Messiah College, where he is chair of the religion department. The book centers on the Oct. 2, 2006 incident in Nickel Mines, Pa. where a gunman took an Amish school hostage and eventually killed five girls before committing suicide. In the end, the Amish families affected ended up forgiving the gunman and his family by even attending the funeral. After the dinner, Weaver-Zercher had autographed copies of the book by all three authors at a special price, and I couldn’t resist picking up a copy. Currently, my mother is reading it and when she’s done, I plan to read it in the near future.
![WG Spock[5]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3199/3287415141_51d509b1af_m.jpg)
1 Comment
May 1, 2008 at 8:09 am
These both sound like great books. I grew up close to an Amish community in Southern Ontario. I also consider myself a Mennonite and studied at a Mennonite University. I’ve never seen these books or heard about them but I’m sure to look for them now. Thanks for the post.