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Biography & Autobiography. Christian Nonfiction. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. HTML:New York Times eBook bestseller! One fateful starless night, 17-year-old Ira Wagler got up at 2 AM, left a scribbled note under his pillow, packed all of his earthly belongings into in a little black duffel bag, and walked away from his home in the Amish settlement of Bloomfield, Iowa. Now, in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life�??from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age 16, to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age 26. Growing Up Amish is the true story of one man's quest to discover who he is and where he belongs. Readers will laugh, cry, and be inspired by this charming yet poignant coming of age story set amidst the backdrop of one of the most enigmatic cultures in America today�??the Old Order… (more)
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It may be these memories that have always drawn me to Amish fiction. I can see so many parallels. I was thrilled to read Ira Wagler’s book Growing Up Amish. In this book we get a look at the “real” Amish. Not the ones so often written about in romance novels, which make the Amish come across as a people who do, or think no wrong. We find a man who has struggled to find where he truly belongs. He wanted to be a part of the Amish world he was born into, yet felt it was not for him. At age 17 he left his Amish home in Iowa. He later returns, and must admit all of his sins to the congregation before he is allowed to join the church. He tries, but still doesn’t seem to feel as if he is where he should be. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to once again make a decision to leave his Amish life. He subjected himself to this pain many times before leaving for good.
The pain of being shunned by everyone you know is hard enough. Their belief is if you left the church then your soul was headed for damnation. I was happy to learn that Ira finally asked God about his situation and got an answer. He found salvation outside of his Amish culture. Unfortunately it is not only the Amish that are like this. We see this in many denominations. They become so legalistic that it seems they forget what Jesus was all about. I thank God each and every day that his love for us is not based on a set of laws. We see where that got people in the old testament.
This book is a great look at the Amish. However, I believe the message I it is clear. We all need to take a look at our lives and ask if we are where God wants us. If not then maybe we need to talk with him to find out where he wants us to be. I do find it funny when I think about how they try to separate themselves from the English. When we get to heaven Go is not going to separate us, say, “You Baptist over there and You Amish over here. We who have found salvation through Jesus blood are all God’s children and he has prepared a home for us in heaven, together.
This is a must read book for anyone who enjoys learning about the Amish.
Ira does an amazing job pouring out
I was taken in from the first page I wanted to know how it really is on the inside. Ira shows us how hard it is and heart wrenching to want to stay with the people he loves, but yet wants the freedom as well.
This book is a real eye opener in a good way. The Amish are human just like us and do make mistakes.
This would be a great book for any teenager struggling to find out who they are and their own relationships. I know I am saving this book for my own boys to read.
I received this book from Tydale Publishing Blogger Review Program and I was not require to write a positive review these are my own opinions.
Ira Wagler
I enjoyed this book for a multitude of reasons. One big reason is the insight provided by Mr. Wagler of what the Amish life is like. There was a complete honesty and simplicity in his thinking about home. The question always before him was can he ever really leave home.
Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler peals away common stereotypes and misconceptions about the Amish people and reveals one man's journey in and out of the Amish world. In the Christian fiction realm, the Amish way of life is often idealized. Reading Growing Up Amish was like seeing a side of Amish culture that I had not been exposed to before. I thought the book started off a little slow. However, by the time the author began talking about his teenage years and Rumspringa, I was hooked. I live in one of the non-Amish areas that the author talks about visiting, so it was interesting to see his observations and experiences in my own area. Christians who are fans of biographies will probably enjoy this book.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their Blogger Review 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: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I especially appreciated the author's distinction between what he considered to be Christian beliefs and his Amish teachings. What we are taught and experience before we are six seems "normal." Having to re-evaluate what is normal is not an easy over night process. The pull between the Amish world and the outside world mentally tortured him for years before he was able to come to a sense of peace. I appreciated the story and the author's honesty.
Amish or not, the theme is easy to relate to as Ira’s desire to explore and choose for himself is common to most, especially in the teens and early twenties. He gifts the reader with an inward look at various orders of culture, traditions, and values within communities and within self. As we gain much needed insight, we are led to yearn for him to find peace with himself, his family, his culture, and God.
This is an honest review of a Kindle edition galley from Tyndale House Publishers through NetGalley.
the long and winding road...
evocative of aspects of my own family history, i took great interest in Ira's faith and life journey. a memoir of Ira's personal insights into Amish life, leadership, family, activities, worship. controversial, i'm sure, to those of the Amish communities, but the
Wagler's memoir stalls in a detailed description of a cycle of departures and returns. He might have maintained the momentum of the earlier part of his memoir by writing of his goings and comings collectively rather than serially, and selecting a few significant episodes to illustrate that period of his life.
Wagler wrestled with the guilt of disappointing his family and friends, and with his inability to do what was required to maintain his membership in the Amish Church despite his belief that it was the only path to salvation. Wagler seems to expect that the way in which his internal conflict was resolved will surprise his readers, but it's actually a familiar story.
I gave it four stars though b/c I liked his writing. And his story. He was brutally honest and forthcoming with his feelings, his confessions, his doubts, etc. I learned a lot about Amish communities and some of their customs and how they vary from one cluster to another.
I've read parts of his blog, though the entries are a little long and rambling. I'm very much interested in what's happened to Ira since the ending of the book... so I just might sift through the myriad blog entries to find out.
Like all
I can't remember too much about this book after reading it 6 months ago. I remember he had to come to terms with his
And it definitely paints a true picture, not a sugar coated or romanticized view of the Amish.
Born in that culture, he describes his large family, the farm work, the religion, the old fashioned ways demanded of them.... We feel the distance and resistance to the life from early on...but it takes a few attempts at breaking away