Today, we have a guest post by Kelly Irvin. She is 
the author of the Bliss Creek Amish series and the New Hope Amish series, both from Harvest House Publishing. With much research on those, she tells us about the fiction and reality to the Amish and where the two meet. And she’s giving away a copy of one of her books to one person leaving a comment.
I’ve been writing Amish fiction for almost five years now and people frequently ask me how I decided to go down that road. I admit to having a fascination, like my readers, with a way of life that is far removed from what most of us live. While I have tremendous respect for the hard work and the focus on family and faith exhibited by most Amish people, I don’t idealize how they live. In my fiction, I try to honestly portray the challenges of living “off the grid,” while examining the benefits of doing so.
I often see comments from folks who say they wish they could “be Amish.” Let’s take a moment to visualize what that means. Stand in your house and look around. Now imagine that everything you own that requires electricity is gone. No microwave. No washer and dryer. No central air and heat. No computers. No TVs. Nothing that has to be charged with a wall socket. I don’t know about you, but I’m not giving up my laptop!
With ingenuity the Amish have retrofitted appliances such as wringer machines to run on propane. As a child I washed clothes for a family of seven using a wringer wash machine so I can vouch for the fact that washing clothes this way is only a few steps above doing them by hand. People wax nostalgic about hanging clothes on the line outside. They smell so good! I wonder if they’ve ever had to do it in the winter in sub freezing weather, then bring in the pants, towels and shirts, stiff as a board, to finish drying on a gas stove? Having done this, I’m not so excited about the prospect of line drying clothes.
All this is to say I’m truly impressed and respectful of how hard the Amish choose to work. They choose not to buy into the world’s attitude of let’s find the easiest way to accomplish these tasks. Let’s make everything disposable. Let’s not cook from scratch. It’s much easier to buy it frozen and heat it in the microwave. They choose to do the backbreaking work of planting gardens, weeding, reaping, and canning their fruits and vegetables. Think about the heat in a kitchen in mid-July with no air conditioning. This is something else I experienced as a child and it was like cooking in a sauna. They sew their own clothes on treadle sewing machines. Some even make their own soap. All this to keep themselves apart from a world they don’t judge but neither do they care to participate in.
They are willing to adjust to the world around them for purposes of survival. Individual districts have a set of rules, called an ordnung. They have meetings a few times a year when changes are discussed and voted on by church members. This can lead to phones being permitted in businesses or the use of computers in businesses. They recognize a need to make these adjustments in order to provide for their families, something harder and harder to do through family farming.
Amish children leave formal education behind after the eighth grade. They then learn what they need to know from their parents in a form of vocational education.
A particular prohibition that I find hard to imagine is no musical instruments. They believe playing instruments calls attention to the individual. It can lead to pride and a boas
tful attitude, in their estimation. I examined this idea in A Plain Love Song, the last installment in the New Hope Amish series. My heroine, Adah Knepp, has to decide whether her dream of writing songs and performing is more important to her than her faith and family. She can’t have both. It’s such a different world view from the “American Idol,” and “The Voice,” way of looking at success and following our dreams at whatever the cost.
While I might not agree with the Amish view on musical instruments or education, I respect the willingness to commit to a way of life that puts faith and family ahead of personal success. The world could use more selflessness. On that, I think we can all agree.
JIM: A Plain Love Song, released July 1. Kelly is giving away a copy FREE to one of those leaving a comment. So, leave a short comment and maybe you’ll get a great book on the Amish.
Kelly has started on a new Amish series, the Bee County series which will be published by Zondervan/Harper Collins. Leave a comment on what you think about Amish life and maybe get a free book. Thanks.
Kelly,
What a great article. You put it so simply and brought so many points to bear for each of us to really think about. I haven’t previously read any of your books, but now am intrigued to do so. Thank you so much for sharing.
Kay Wilson
Thanks for your kind words. I’m glad the post gave you some thing to think about. The Amish are such interesting folks, it’s no wonder we’re all fascinated!
I remember the wringer washers too, and I don’t miss those days. I know many people romantisize living off the grid, such the way the Amish and people in areas of Alaska who choose total independence from modern life live. While it doesn’t seem appealing to me, I respect their reasons for doing so. And, yes, I’m curious how you did your research, your sources.
I feel the same way, Lesley. I respect the different ways people choose to live and ask that they do the same for me.
Most interesting post, and timely. Just recently it was on the news that two young Amish girls were taken, and because they don’t believe in photos, their family couldn’t offer any to the police to help in the search. And, yes, I remember doing many things the old way, too.
The Amish people deny the ‘things of the world’ to concentrate on their spiritual life. They choose to deprive themselves of all things modern., even to the detriment of music, education, and better health for men and women due to life/work much harder than it needs to be. They claim not to want to draw attention to themselves, but through these choices, our eyes ARE drawn toward them with curiosity, criticism or even contempt. This seems to be contrary to their proclaimed intent. They could choose to moderate their choices and be less of subject of curiosity, if they truly wished to live a humble life. There is a point of too much ‘simplicity’ which draws attention to itself and defeats it’s own purpose. This might be an interesting subject to explore in your book. Good luck with your series. It sounds very interesting.
Interesting point, Elaine. Thanks!
An honest appraisal of the hardships of the Amish lifestyle, which is all too often over romanticized in fiction.
I’m impressed that you are able to accomplish all the research it must take to write about the Amish. Do you have an inside connection? What an interesting source of material.
I don’t have an inside connection, but I read voraciously and try to do as much personal observation as possible. I don’t want to be intrusive or make them feel uncomfortable. I go into the stores and to the auctions where I can observe and be apart of the crowd. That works well for me. I’m an introvert myself so buttonholing someone to “interview” isn’t comfortable for me either!
Last summer I had the surreal experience of seeing young Amish men walk dripping wet in their full suits from a pool on Ocracoke Island. Am glad you are helping us learn more about their different way of life.
That is interesting. I wrote a scene in a book I just turned in to Zondervan where the families went to the Texas gulf coast and stopped at South Padre Island. It took me a while to realize they wouldn’t be wearing swimming suits or shedding any clothes! We get used to the way we do things!
I do remember how wringer washer and put rubber diapers through that wringer diapers and explodes and I ruined a couple of shirts
Did you ever get anything caught in a wringer?or ruined a couple of shirts?