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Surprising spree of saucy books from Anabaptist women
By Ankita Rao Religion News ServiceRhoda Janzen’s life is the stuff of a riveting, albeit unfortunate, tale.
She survived an ugly car accident, realized her husband was gay, and sought refuge in her parents’ Mennonite home for a string of hilarious, healing weeks.
Her memoir, Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, was published last year, part of a string of “going home” memoirs by women who left the Anabaptist faith of their childhood for love, opportunities or because of tensions in the community.
Some Anabaptists — Amish, Mennonites and Hutterites — have captured media attention for shunning the outside world, technology and modern clothing.
But the recent books are not tales of horse and buggy, of bonnets and broad brims, or even a removed society. The women’s memoirs indulge in sex, rebellion and analysis of personal faith.
“In the seven years I was writing this, my knees were trembling the whole time,” said Mary-Ann Kirkby, author of I Am Hutterite.
Born to a Hutterite family in Manitoba, the Canadian broadcast journalist had been out of the community for 40 years when she returned to her childhood home in 2002 after a coworker made an uneducated — and derogatory — comment about the community.
I Am Hutterite features a nostalgic collection of family history, wholesome memories and tempting treats.
Yet Kirkby knew she would ignite controversy: Her parents had left the colony in 1969 to escape growing tensions, and she knew the Hutterites would not enjoy having their story in the public eye.
“I had to weigh the importance of this story against the fact that I would hurt people,” said Kirkby, now 50, from her home in Saskatchewan.
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