The Plain Spoken Series

I've mentioned a few times that Hutterite Diaries is part of the Herald Press Plain Spoken series, but I don't think I've ever said anything about the other books.

I've read the first book, Chasing the Amish Dream by Loren Beachy. It's a delightful take on life as an Amish teacher, auctioneer and newspaper columnist...sprinkled with laugh out loud moments.

Life in author Loren Beachy's Amish community brims with old-fashioned box socials, smart-alecky students, and pranks involving pink duct tape and black pepper. Meet the young women who manage to be late for church twice in one day and the man who plans to fight drowsiness by jogging beside his horse and buggy. Cheer for Beachy and his cousins in cut-throat baseball games, and join community members as they surround and support a family in their loss.

With the witty warmth of small-town storytellers like Garrison Keillor and Jan Karon, Beachy invites readers into his life as a creative, wise, and wisecracking Old Order Amish schoolteacher and auctioneer.

  The second book, Called to be Amish by Marlene C. Miller is on my 'to read and review list'. 

Fewer than one hundred people 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 cheer leading 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.

Third in this series is my book, Hutterite Diaries. 

It's been very exciting to share this collection of stories with people and to hear their thoughts after reading it. After I did a well-attended launch at the Winnipeg McNally Robinson, it was on their bestseller list for three weeks straight. Our local library in Portage la Prairie hosted a launch as well, where we also had a good turnout. A few weeks ago I was invited to the Ste. Claude Senior Book Club; which turned out to be an enjoyable evening as well.

There will probably be more books in this series, but nothing to announce at this time. 

All of these books are available on Amazon or ask for them at your favourite bookstore.