I Am Hutterite: The Fascinating True Story of a Young Woman's Journey to reclaim Her Heritage by Mary-Ann Kirkby

Book description from the Book Sneeze website:


A fascinating journey into the heart and culture of a reclusive religious community.


I Am Hutterite takes readers into the hidden heart of the little-known Hutterite colony where author Mary-Ann Kirkby spent her childhood. When she was ten, her parents packed up their seven children and a handful of possessions and left the colony to start a new life. Overnight they were thrust into a world they didn't understand, a world that did not understand them.


With great humor, Kirkby describes how she adapted to popular culture, and with raw honesty she describes her family's deep sense of loss for their community. More than a history lesson, I Am Hutterite is a powerful tale of retracing steps and understanding how our beginnings often define us.


My Opinion:


I was impressed with this book, since I am into studying the Anabaptist faith and cultures this book caught my eye when I requested to review it. The author, Mary-Ann Kirkby was raised Hutterite, which is a segment of the Anabaptists like Amish, Mennonite, etc however they live communal life, sharing all they have.


Mary-Ann made you feel as if you were sharing her journey of her life in Canada as part of a Hutterite colony as well as living apart from them. The hardships both in colony life and regular society is felt in her words, I could feel the taunts from school mates and the feelings of her first love. She realizes that the world was not as safe outside the colony but her parents along with her siblings made a safe haven at home.


Gripping from the first page Mary-Ann Kirkby weaves a fascinating story, all of it true, of life in a communal setting which provided for the needs of all including safety and a way to worship God. If you'd like to know more about the Hutterities then this book will give a great glimpse into this seemingly secret way of life and religion - however as you read you'll also see how friendly these people can be, but also see how human they are and that even they have bad days.


**I received this book through Book Sneeze in exchange for my honest review. To see my full disclosure see the above tab.