Simple Pleasures by Marianne Jantzi

I am a big reader of Amish fiction and nonfiction. I am really intrigued by their way of life and enjoy learning what they do during their days. Usually, I only get to read about this in fiction books or when I get the opportunity to read a very few nonfiction books on the Amish. I am thrilled that this series is sharing the thoughts and hearts of so many women. I don't know how I haven't heard of this series before now, with this being book 4! It is so fresh and delightful to read.

Marianne Jantzi is an Amish homemaker with children about the same ages as mine. I enjoyed her stories that were parts of her journal entries. It flows differently than most books because it is grouped together based on themes, not necessarily in order of events. It does mean that the ages of the children and stage of life change throughout the same chapter or the same section, but I didn't find that to disrupt the flow of her stories.

I liked the thoughts that she shared about motherhood, teaching, and being a wife. Her husband seems to be a funny man. One of my favorite stories has to do with the chickens getting a steak dinner! 

The whole book is wonderful, but I really liked the recipes in the back, as well as the FAQ page where she answers questions about the Amish. I was so glad she put a schedule of her day in the book, too. It was neat to see how different it is from my own schedule. It's hard work, but it seemed so much simpler and the calendar less crowded.

This series is allowing Amish, Mennonite, and Hutterite writers to share their lives with readers. I've never even heard of Hutterite, so I'm looking forward to understanding more about these women!

Read more reviews about this book at http://litfusegroup.com/author/mjantzi.

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

MARIANNE JANTZI

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.

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.

Learn more and purchase a copy.