Simple Pleasures: Stories from My Life as an Amish Mother {Book Review}

Simple Pleasures: Stories from My Life as an Amish Mother was written and shared to display authentic view and insight from an Amish person living in an Amish community. But I'll be honest--I simply related to Marianne as a mom! Here is a woman juggling a business, running a household, raising four children, doing life with her husband, and carving out time to write. I love (LOVE!) how universal those roles are for moms. Yes, we may have different lifestyles and ways of doing things, but at the core we are far more similar than I had ever had thought about prior to reading this book.

Marianne Jantzi (the author) clearly loves her family but isn't afraid to say that her days are often as hectic as mine! Seriously, one of my favorite lines is on page 184: "How did I manage to mess up such an ordinary, not-much-going on Monday?" She goes on to tell the story about that specific day and event, but she already had me nodding and counting her as a kindred spirit. 

Yes, there is much within this book's pages about Amish life that is very informative and interesting, but I simply enjoyed getting to know Marianne. The book is not written in chronological order, but it is still pretty easy to follow. I enjoyed the book and the opportunity it gave me in expanding my knowledge and awareness of an Amish Community.

*I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review*

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About the book: 

Simple Pleasures: Stories from My Life as an Amish Mother(MennoMedia, March 2016)

Young Amish homemaker Marianne Jantzi invites readers into her family's life on the snowy plains of Ontario.

The mother of four young children and wife of a storekeeper, Jantzi writes about her daily routines and heartfelt faith with equal measures of wit and warmth. Sewing, cleaning, cooking, gardening, and helping to manage the store take up most hours in her day, but Jantzi finds time to pen columns for the Connection, a magazine beloved by Amish and Mennonite readers across the United States and Canada. Never sugarcoating the frustrations of motherhood, Jantzi tells it like it is, broken washing machine and bickering children and all. But through her busy days, Jantzi finds strength in simple pleasures of family, fellowship with her Amish community, and quiet time with God. 

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1p0SQvJ

About the author:

Marianne Jantzi is an Amish writer and homemaker in Ontario, Canada. Formerly a teacher in an Amish school, Jantzi now educates and inspires through her "Northern Reflections" column for The Connection, a magazine directed mainly to Amish and plain communities across the U.S. and Canada. She and her husband have four young children and run a shoe store among the Milverton Amish settlement of Ontario.