Overview
Old Order Mennonites live in closed communities, rejecting much of modern life. Many still use horse-drawn equipment on their farms; their style of clothing has changed little in the last 100 years. They strive for lives of peace, humility, and simplicity. Yet, as Kathleen Kenna and Andrew Stawicki show, their lives are not simple or easy. After years of attending barn raisings, religious services, and events in private homes, the writer and photographer befriended members of several Mennonite communities, who agreed to be interviewed and photographed.
Synopsis
Old Order Mennonites live in closed communities, rejecting much of modern life. Many still use horse-drawn equipment on their farms; their style of clothing has changed little in the last 100 years. They strive for lives of peace, humility, and simplicity. Yet, as Kathleen Kenna and Andrew Stawicki show, their lives are not simple or easy. After years of attending barn raisings, religious services, and events in private homes, the writer and photographer befriended members of several Mennonite communities, who agreed to be interviewed and photographed.
Children's Literature
Andrew Stawicki's black-and-white photographs might seem as antique as those in the book above for they show people in costumes and conveyances of times long gone. The men, women, and children are contemporary, though, and of their own volition A People Apart. Named for the Catholic priest Menno Simons who was rebaptized and ordained as an Anabaptist leader in 1537, the pacifist Mennonites simply and humbly follow biblical teachings and eschew much that is modern. Kathleen Kenna's account of their history and twentieth century lives is an absorbing view of people who, among other things, raise their children to enjoy games for the fun of them. In baseball, soccer, or other games, no one boasts of winning, no one teases losers, and often no one keeps score. How refreshing.