A BOOK REVIEW OF SIMPLE PLEASURES BY MARIANNE JANTZI

Are you curious about the Amish lifestyle?  Have you ever wondered what it really was like in an Amish household?  Here is the book for you, Simple Pleasures (Herald Press) written by Marianne Jantzi, a Canadian Amish wife and mother.  Marianne gives us a glimpse into her home with her husband Allan and their four children.

Marianne has a lovely writing style, very enjoyable to read, and very easy to get lost in their world.  And the best part is that this is not fiction, this is their real life!

The book is divided into eight different stories which have been developed from the author's journals.  The book ends with the telling of a full day in the life of Marianne and her family, her chores, their meals and everything they do in a typical day.  After that, as an extra bonus, Marianne includes six delicious recipes.  I definitely will try a few of those as they seem simple to make and don't include any ingredients that are hard to find.

This book was a pleasure to read and increased my knowledge of how real Amish families live and work within their communities.  I heartily recommend Simple Pleasures for all of us captivated by the Amish lifestyle.  Simple Pleasures was published on March 29, 2016.

LOVINA'S AMISH KITCHEN

Whenever I come across genuine Amish writing, I get excited.  Don't get me wrong, I still love those Amish novels!  But if you love learning more about the Amish/Mennonite people, nothing is better than getting the information first hand.  

Lovina is an Amish wife and mother, who has been writing about her family for many years and several smaller newspapers had picked up her column.  She now writes a blog post about her family's daily life and usually includes a recipe at the end.

The blog is called Lovina's Amish Kitchen and here is the link:  Lovina's Amish Kitchen

I recommend readers check out this website, which is handled by MennoMedia staff since Lovina is an Old Order Amish.  They do have a way for interested parties to send a question to Lovina, so if you have ever wondered about something in the Amish faith or lifestyle, here is your opportunity to find the answer.  Just check out the "Contact Lovina" column on the right hand side of the home page.