Mary-Ann Kirkby invites us, through plain-spoken prose, into another time and place. In little more than 200 pages her personal memoir transports the reader to the Canadian prairie, where her earliest years of life were spent living in the Hutterite way. Throughout her narrative she aptly captures the simplicity and security of a way of life with which most readers are unfamiliar, graciously revealing her own transition from a life of relative isolation to a world much larger than her childhood and early adolescence could have imagined.
Kirkby's work is one characterized by grace offered and received. Her style is plain (not to be confused with unsophisticated, which it is not), offering salient testimony to the inner life of communal peoples like the Hutterites. She describes with heartfelt gratitude the early years of her life's journey, drawing the reader into the beauty and challenges of "community," a concept largely misunderstood by the typical North American reader. The author's economy of language contributes to a work that not only describes the life of the Hutterite, but offers the reader the disquieting realization that perhaps the rest of the world moves too quickly to genuinely understand the values inherent in community living.
This is not a "tell-all" memoir intent on seeking revenge against those who used personal power in coercive ways, nor is it a diatribe crowing the virtues of a life less contained by ancient strictures. It is, rather, a loving, moving tribute to a life that offers its share of joys and depth, as well as its challenges and conflicts. Subtly infused throughout her work is the continuing theme of trespass and forgiveness, culminating in a conclusion that poignantly captures the truth of this polarity.
This is a book for those curious about the plain lifestyle of the Hutterites, but even more convincingly it is an invitation for serious reflection for those influenced by a culture where bigger is better and life lived with few boundaries is seen as a superior way of life. Read the book to quench your curiosity, and then reflect upon its truth to inform the next steps of your spiritual journey.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
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