I Am Hutterite is an interesting and very well written memoir by Mary-Ann Kirkby. Ms. Kirkby tells about her carefree and loving childhood and about the history of her family in a Hutterite community. Not having heard abort Hutterites before, this turned out to be quite educational for me. The Hutterite community is similar to the Amish and Mennonite communities except that the residents pool all their resources and work with and for each other. They farm together, they cook together, and they eat together. A surprise to me is that they even drink together. Yes, alcohol is allowed in this culture unlike other religious groups.
This is a step back in time for most of us yet the Hutterites live this way in the 21st century. After describing her parents’ history and her upbringing in the Hutterite fashion, the author then describes how and why her family left the community. The Hutterite community was definitely her security but her family left and tried to exist without the support system from which they came. The descriptions of their struggles and near-starvation were heart-wrenching but they did finally succeed to live in the “English world.”
I thoroughly enjoyed I Am Hutterite and recommend it to anyone interested in reading non-fiction. It’s an easy read and will definitely keep your attention.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hi, thanks your honest review. It's so interesting to see what other ppl think about my ppl. I was born and raised and still live in a Hutterite colony in rural Minnesota. I have posted my own review on my blog. Check it out if you can find the time!
ReplyDeletehttp://blogs.allhutterites.com/lightofevenstar/