Amish Ways

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Eight informal essays and 150 handsome color photographs blend in this panorama of the Amish lifestyle by the married author-and-photographer team that produced Amish Country . Focusing mainly on Lancaster County, Pa., the major locus of the ``plain people'' settlement, which was established there in the 1720s, the photos pause briefly at other Amish and Mennonite communities in Ohio and Canada. The text provides a historical context as well as intimate glimpses of the daily life that promotes continuity of values and skills from generation to generation. Although a roseate view of the Amish virtues of caring for their own and resisting worldliness pervades, there is acknowledgment here also of the new winds, primarily commercial, that are bringing change, often puzzling, to the lives of contemporary Amish. This is a well-executed presentation. (June)

Library Journal

This husband-and-wife team previously published Amish Country (Crescent Bks., 1987) and Pennsylvania's Historic Places ( LJ 6/1/89). The pictures-and-text format of the current tribute follows the format of Amish Country , with only a few photos repeated. The Amish are shown at work on the farm, at play, and in the Amish schools and markets. Any visitor to an Amish settlement will recognize that the high-quality photos have portrayed the culture in an appealing yet unsentimental way, with the sense of community so important to the plain people very much in evidence. This is warmly recommended as a pictorial study; readers seeking something more substantial should refer to John Hostetler's Amish Society (Johns Hopkins Univ. Pr., 1980).--Stephen Rees, Bucks Cty. Free Lib., Levittown, Pa.

School Library Journal

YA-- The author and photographer take readers on a journey through three Amish settlements--Lancaster County, PA, eastern Ohio, and Ontario, Canada--describing the family life, art, schooling, and businesses of the Amish people. A selection of 150 color photographs, supplemented by eight informative essays provide a wonderful overview of this fascinating sect.