Called to be Amish

MILLER, MARLENE C.

CALLED TO BE AMISH

 

Fewer than one hundred outsiders have joined the Old-Order Amish---and stayed---since 1950. Marlene C. Miller is one of them. In this rare memoir, Marlene recounts her unhappy and abusive childhood, how she throws herself into cheerleading and marching band, and how she falls in love with Johnny, the gentle young Amish man who helps her lace her ice skates.

Against the wishes of both sets of parents, Marlene and Johnny get married and begin a family. Follow the author on this unusual journey to find out how God's love called her out of bitterness and depression and into the warm embrace of her new Amish community.

Accompany her as she dons an Amish dress and prayer covering and gets baptized. Learn how she endures the strain of ten children, a hundred-acre farm, and accidents and tragedy, and find out how she comes close to walking away from it all. Turning Amish has proven to be anything but plain and simple for this former majorette. But nearly fifty years later, Marlene is still living out God's call as an Old Order Amish woman.

 

My Review:

 

An interesting glimpse into the life of an Amish convert. Miller's conversational tone made me feel like I was sitting right there listening as she reminisced about her life. She is frank about everything from her troubled childhood to the many ups and downs of living Amish for decades. Just reading the harrowing tales about the mischief (and danger!) her children got into on the farm about gave me heart palpitations. The author is certainly made of sterner stuff than I am, that's for sure. And that's what really shone through for me -- Miller's pioneer spirit. That along with her zest for life and love for the Savior. 

 

My thanks to Litfuse Publicity and Herald Press for a review copy of this book.