Blurb:
An
hilarious and moving memoir—in the spirit of Anne Lamott and Nora Ephron—about
a woman who returns home to her close-knit Mennonite family after a personal
crisis.
Not
long after Rhoda Janzen turned forty, her world turned upside down. It was bad
enough that her brilliant husband of fifteen years left her for Bob, a guy he
met on Gay.com, but that same week a car accident left her with serious
injuries. What was a gal to do? Rhoda packed her bags and went home. This
wasn’t just any home, though. This was a Mennonite home. While Rhoda had long
ventured out on her own spiritual path, the conservative community welcomed her
back with open arms and offbeat advice. (Rhoda’s good-natured mother suggested
she date her first cousin—he owned a tractor, see.) It is in this safe place
that Rhoda can come to terms with her failed marriage; her desire, as a young
woman, to leave her sheltered world behind; and the choices that both freed and
entrapped her.
Written
with wry humor and huge personality—and tackling faith, love, family, and
aging—Mennonite in a Little
Black Dress is an
immensely moving memoir of healing, certain to touch anyone who has ever had to
look homeward in order to move ahead.
Review:
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress is a delightful,
heartfelt, and revealing personal account by the woman who lived it, inside and
out. It gives immense and detailed insight into the interesting history and
environment that formed her. The author, Rhoda Janzen, writes in first person
and uses prolific humor that cleverly pokes fun at herself, and her Mennonite
culture with warm sincerity and without being disrespectful in any way. She
obviously appreciates and adores her quirky family, even if she disagrees with
many of their ways. She grows into the understanding and enjoyment of their
good qualities. Although I was not able to identify closely with any particular
character, I was able to treasure her family for all their differences.
Janzen is hilariously
descriptive in sharing her personal journey; a difficult journey that she
chooses to ponder on the light side. Her story is set in contemporary America
and not only recounts her own emerging selfhood, but also considers the
evolving Mennonite society. She is an excellent writer, and a pleasure to read.
This author made me laugh on almost every single page through Chapter Nine; not
with flippant jest, but rather with the humor of real life. The tone begins to
change with Chapter Ten becoming more serious and almost preachy in a sudden
odd and deliberate, yet not unwelcome, way. She needed to evaluate her chosen
path beyond her own raw experiences and she relates her thinking and
conclusions adroitly to her readers. Her unique humor begins to ease in again
in Chapter Ten, and she attains a rich balance. Writing this book seems to be a
cathartic release for this author as she comes full circle. Reading it might
also be helpful for some readers.
I highly recommend
this book, especially to women who may be on their own rocky road with
undesirable relationships and unpleasant life events. If nothing else, read it
for the laughs; I did!
Length: 272 Pages
Prices:
Print: $14.00
Digital: $9.99
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