Over the years, the author Joe Mackall has developed a steady relationship with the Shetler family. Plain Secrets tells the Shetler's story over these years, using their lives to paint a portrait of Swartzentruber Amish life and mores. During this time, Samuel Shetler's nephew Jonas finally rejects the strictures of the Amish way of life for good, after two failed attempts to leave, and his bright young daughter reaches the end of school for Amish children: the eighth grade. But Plain Secrets is also the story of the unusual friendship between Samuel and Joe. Samuel is quietly bemused - and, one suspects, secretly delighted - at Joe's ignorance of crops and planting, carpentry and cattle. He knows Joe is planning to write a book about the family, and yet he allows him a glimpse of the tensions inside this intensely private community.

It is very interesting to read this book about the Amish. In Europe you have a rather romantic picture of the life of Amish because you have just a few informations about these people. As I learnt even the Americans don't have a closer pricture because they have no chance in getting a closer view. So, I was very curious to lern something about this group of people. I like the way Mackall characterize the Amish family in a sensitive way. He just wrote what he saw and how he felt and thought in that situation. Having a critical eye of a writer and professor helped in creating an authentic report.

The book will travel as a Ray.

Readers List:
1. litrajunkie
2. nachtkrab13
3.chawoso

The book starts its new journey now. Enjoy it!

The book arrived safe and sound at the packstation yesterday. Thanks for including me in the Ray.

First impression - after reading the introduction - is that this will be a very interesting read.

Nowadays, if you hear the term "religious fundamentalism", you'd probably think "Muslim religious fundamentalism". Here is an example of Christian religious fundamentalism, the Amish in general and the very traditional Swarzentruber order in particular as a square peg in the round hole of "English" (i.e. non-Amish) consumerist and secular society.

Like the author, I'm ambivalent. There are several aspects of Amish life that I find very appealing, e.g. their craftsmanship, rejection of gadgetry, non-violence, focus on social integration of the elderly and needy, sustainable farming with traditional methods. On the other hand, there are several aspects of Amish life that I find quite apalling, e.g. their non-sustainable reproduction rate (families with ten children are not unusual), their stifling repression of music, the "Ordnung" (the church-defined list of behavior that is acceptable or not, down to the number and kind of lights on your buggy) that micro-manages the life of each community member. Also, women don't have equal rights (they cannot be ordained).

For me as a German, the book is even more interesting, for the Amish talk an ancient German dialect (Pennsylvania Dutch - if you want a sample, check out Lieder, so deutsch wie der Wilde Westen) among themselves and only converse in English with the outside world. On the other hand, their letters are invariably in English, since Pennsylvania Dutch is a spoken language only - if they'd ask us, we could provide a few German dictionaries ;-) . In my opinion, this has to be taken with a grain of salt, since Pennsylvania native John Updike lets his character Harry Angstrom work at a printing shop that also publishes a newspaper in Pennsylvania Dutch, called "Schokkelstuhl" ("rocking chair", see "Rabbit Redux"). Children don't learn English until they enter school (run by Amish women), thus giving parents a secret language (English) unintelligible to their very young offspring.

In my opinion, both societies could learn from each other, making the "English" world less destructive to the health of the planet (and its own members) and the Amish world a little less stubborn (driving a horse-drawn black buggy without proper lighting at night on public roads also used by modern cars is to me a suicidial project).

Very interesting also the life story of several ex-Amish who have trouble entering the "English" world for lack of documentation.

Book is journeying on to the next reader.

Book has arrived- will be read soon.
I have just finished this book. I learnt a lot and it was fascinating to learn about a world which is as different as it could be. A book, which I would never have read, if I weren't a member of the bookcrossing community.
Thank You.

Found its way to Hessia some days ago. Thanks, nachtkrab13!

I was interested in that book, because I got in touch with mennonites in Bolivia in 2013. They live near Santa Cruz and you will see them in the city. It was a very special experience. Their life style is similar to the Amish and I found many analogies.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2014/sep/10/the-mennonites-of-bolivia-in-pictures

The ray will continue.
Please, read and send it of within 6 weeks. Thank you ...

Participants:
VintageVanguard, Germany (Int'l)
kiki66, Germany (Int'l)
dschinny and her colleague,Germany (Int'l)
penelopewanders, Switzerland (Europe)
vassilka, Greece(Europe)
Icila, France (Int'l)
Billbooks, Australia (Int'l)
gaboyd, New Zealand (Int'l)
Azuki, USA (Int'l)
Vapermom, Canada (Int'l)

Mankyi, Switzerland (Int'l)
Lindasaurus, Austria

... travelling again.

Happy reading!

Book arrived today! I'm looking forward to read this ^^

Sent it to the next reader ^^ Have fun reading!

and now the book is here!

looking forward to read it - but might be taken with me for a holiday read.
We'll see...

Finished this during my holidays in France.. now ready to be sent off

I quite liked this book for I have to admit that I do have (had?!) some "romantic" ideas about their way of living. My ever so clever husband wisely said that the Amish might be the people who will easily survive a breakdown of economy.. which kind of looms over the States..
But on the other hand I cannot understand their way of life, behaviour against women, that everything is the will of God.. no vaccination, no safety for the buggies. That is not acceptable for me!
I like the unprejudiced view the author had, the not-judging, but also admitting that he sometimes couldn't understand his friend..
_________________________________________________________________________________

dschinny is on vacation - book will be sent after Sept, 5th!

On its way to Dschinny - who's hopefully back from her vacation!

Happy Travelling...

I AM back ;-) and the book arrived safely today. Thank you! Have to finish my current read before I can start with this one though.

I found the writing a bit confusing because the author jumps a lot between the situations he is describing. But nevertheless it was very interesting to read about the Swartzentruber Amish. I agree with litrajunkie, some aspects of their way of life are very appealing (craftsmenship, self sufficiency, sense of community) while others are incomprehensible (poor education, unsafe behaviour, shunning). It's okay, if this way of life is for you but if not... Especially the poor education to me looks like a method to try and make people stay even against their will as they will not have many chances outside the community. It would be especially hard for women as they don't have the same working skills, the men have. But then, any community where a bunch of old men alone make the rules I find very suspicious...

Will lend the book to my colleague tomorrow who has been to the USA this year and came across Amish people.

27.9.: My colleague already finished it and also found it quite fascinating. Will ask for the next address now.

Reist weiter zu penelopewanders.

This has arrived safely in the Swiss Alps. I have a few things to read before this, and I will be travelling soon - so I might wait and read and send this from France where so far they have had a very preferential book rate. Thanks so much for making it available, and for sending.

This was an interesting read, offering a closer understanding of a relatively little-known culture for most people. I did find the writing quite repetitive, but I appreciated the read nonetheless. I've read this book in France and am waiting for the next address to send it on. Thanks!

This is now making its way from France to Greece. Again, thanks for making the book available. Enjoy!

It arrived this morning. Thank you penelopewanders for sending it and also for the beautiful post card. Looking forward to reading it!

It was an interesting book. More or less I agree with all the previous readers, I have nothing new to add. People who live in the modern world might find this kind of life romantic and apealing however the rules the Amish and especially the women have to obbey sometimes seem absurd, even mean and they are something I couldn't accept. How can someone stop seeing and talking to their own children for example just because the community asked so? It's heartless.
Anyway, I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it.

Already travelling to France and icila who is the next reader.

Already travelling to France and icila who is the next reader.

Already travelling to France and icila who is the next reader.

Thank you vassilka ! The book was safely waiting for me at home among a few of other book crossing books.
Thank you also for your kind card and the French bookmark, very appreciated.

I wish you a nice end of this year.

I was very looking forward for this one but I can't say that I learnt much more than in other books about Amish people or other Christian Fundamentalists. The author is very loyal but memories from ex-Amish are more interesting in order to know the day to day life into the homes .

On its way ...

Just got home from lunch and found this book waiting for me. I have two other bookcrossings books ahead so I better sit down and start reading - many thanks

Sorry this took so long to read life just got in the way. A great book that was full of insight into a relatively closed community. And it begs the question who is right and who is wrong in the way we live in this modern world. I couldn't live without Bookcrossing , coffee or travel also a comfy bed and chair .... more English than Amish now onto the next reader

Received today. Book is in good condition

Released while at the Post Office, on Friday

This book about American Amish finally made its way to America!!

My fascination with Amish began when I saw some gorgeous photographs at an art fair.
http://www.amishphoto.com/gallery.html

They were so captivating, and I couldn't help wanting to learn more about this mysterious group of people who seems to live in a different time and place than the rest of America. (BTW many of the photos were taken with hidden camera, as Amish does not allow the making of human images.)

A few years ago I visited an Amish cheesemaker in Wisconsin. He comes to work in a buggy, and the milk is stored in nearby farms in wells to keep cold till they are picked up. There are Amish girls working in the factory, measuring exact weight for each container and putting labels on by hand.

This is not the first book I've read about Amish, but I look forward to this.

This is a even-handed, non-sensational account of the author's personal experience with the Amish he knows.

I think the argument is not so much which way is better, but which lifestyle suits that one person better. There will be people who enjoy a more Amish lifestyle: a simpler life that centers on the family and neighborhood, where you can comfortably obey the rules of the society instead of thinking and defending for yourself, where simple hard work fills your day. If Amish were a religion like others, people will drift in and out of it like they do with other religions, trying it on like clothes, wearing it for a while till they find something better... Unfortunately it's a society that doesn't allow newcomers, and makes it hard for members to leave and find a lifestyle more suitable to their characters.

Just received, thank you!