Becoming Amish: A family's search for faith, community and purpose - Softcover

Smith, Jeff

Softcover

ISBN 10: 099737330X ISBN 13: 9780997373301

Publisher: Dance Hall Press, LLC, 2016

Synopsis

The true story of Bill and Tricia Moser, who were living in one of America's wealthiest communities when they stepped away and began a journey that ultimately led to a horse-and-buggy Amish life. No more BMWs. No more architectural or medical careers. Instead, the Mosers drew close with their children, built pallets for money, wore homemade clothes, and bonded with people of their Amish faith and community. Here, in Becoming Amish, they offer a modern couple's honest perspective on that separate and seemingly cloistered world, a perspective that is uniquely insider and outsider at the same time. The Mosers' journey is rich and fascinating all on its own as we learn about the inner workings of the Amish faith, ways and culture—what their church services are like, how their businesses succeed at such a high rate, how they are so remarkably connected on a human scale (without Facebook!), how they balance technology in their lives, and more. But though the couple's decision can seem extreme, it can also serve as a mirror that helps us reflect upon our own choices, our own beliefs and values. If we were to be as intentional about our lives, how would we realign our choices big and small to achieve a fulfilling life? The book rounds out the Mosers' tale with interviews, vignettes, and information that adds context, perspective and insight into the Amish faith and culture. The reader learns of a startlingly violent book—published in 1660—that is central to this pacifist people’s belief and is in nearly every Amish home. The reader visits a “plain” community in the hills of Kentucky—a community that lives even more simply than most Amish—to discuss “the whys” of a low-technology life and faith. The reader contemplates an interview with the Lutheran minister who helped lead the Supreme Court case back in 1972 that allowed the Amish to pull their children from public school after 8th grade—what compelled him to do that? The Mosers' journey is a tale that deserves to live on, a rich and provocative version of the American dream.

About this title

From the Author:

I first wrote about my lifelong friends the Mosers following the economic crash of 2008. The magazine story I wrote folded into a growing national conversation about people looking for more intentional lives based in simplicity and balance as a way to find greater fulfillment. I wondered what perspective the Mosers, who had left one of America's wealthiest communities to become horse-and-buggy Amish--to surround themselves in Amish grace--could bring to that conversation. The book Becoming Amish grew from my belief that though few modern families would ever become Amish, there were many aspects of the Amish life that could inform today's families as they contemplated the direction an intentional life based on family, community, purpose and richer spirituality might lead. I also saw that the Mosers, as people who grew up in modern, everyday America, brought unique perspective to the topic because they were both insiders and outsiders in the Amish world, and their observations would resonate with contemporary peers. I found it especially gratifying when the Mennonite Information Center, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, named Becoming Amish as one of the Top 5 reads for giving an accurate portrayal of Amish life.

About the Author:

Jeff Smith is an award-winning journalist and editor who has written extensively about the environment, outdoors and lifestyle during the course of his 30-plus year career. For 21 years he edited Traverse, Northern Michigan's Magazine, an award-winning monthly regional publication focused on life in the northern Great Lakes. In his previous position, Jeff wrote for nearly a decade about federal and state environmental law and policy related to the world of hazardous waste. He currently writes for Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, a policy nonprofit focused on the principle that clean environment and strong economy must go together to create strong communities. During his spare time, Jeff likes to cycle, cross-country ski, kayak and canoe and attempt to grow vegetables. He has four children and lives with his wife Linda in Cedar, Michigan.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dance Hall Press, LLC
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 099737330X
• ISBN 13: 9780997373301
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256