Reviews
Should be required reading for anyone within Amish studies... Engaging, forthright in a fashion that rings authentic, a truth-telling...
The author deftly interweaves the pressures to conform to the fabric of Amish life, highlighting the roles of religion, school, family, and community. The book provides an overview of Amish adolescence and also serves as a more general primer for Amish life.
In Stevick's engaging narrative, he profiles the religious foundation of the Amish, its history, culture and schooling, the Amish at work and play, the tradition of weekly singing, and dating and courtship.
So why do so many Amish teens choose to remain within the Amish fold rather than pursue greater freedom outside the community? The answer can be found in Stevick's book.
A pleasurable read and responsible treatment of an interesting subject. Stevick manages to both dissolve idyllic and naive notions of Amish life and at the same time show respect and grant insight into the reality of it.
Another in a very long line of superbly written, scholarly accounts of Amish life published by the Johns Hopkins University Press... A rigorously researched, well-organized, and clearly written study. Due to rapid population increase, the Amish will be a growing part of the rural scene in twenty-first century America, and for us outsiders to understand them with accuracy and compassion, we need to read, consult, and refer to books like Growing Up Amish.
This work will become an important classic in the field of Amish and Anabaptist studies. Highly recommended.
Book Details
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Amish Life: Plain but Not So Simple
2. Religion: Transmitting the Faith
3. Adolescence: Building an Amish Identity
4. Schooling: Read'n, Rite'n, 'Rithmatic— but Shunning Darwin
5
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Amish Life: Plain but Not So Simple
2. Religion: Transmitting the Faith
3. Adolescence: Building an Amish Identity
4. Schooling: Read'n, Rite'n, 'Rithmatic— but Shunning Darwin
5. Parenting: Holding On and Letting Go
6. Teen Culture: Working Hard and Having Fun
7. Singings: The First Step to Independence
8. Rumspringa: Stepping Out and Running About
9. Courtship: Looking for Love
10. Weddings: High Times in Plain Places
11. The Future: Keeping Faith in a World of Change
Epilogue
Notes
Bibliography
Index