tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648528809470059310.post8374421029666577166..comments2024-03-27T03:26:28.403-04:00Comments on The Baking Bookworm: Mennonite in a Little Black DressLaurie@The Baking Bookwormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17678146631438774221noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648528809470059310.post-26555070292633995042010-11-06T21:14:30.461-04:002010-11-06T21:14:30.461-04:00Hi Ruth,
Thanks for the suggestions. I've put...Hi Ruth,<br />Thanks for the suggestions. I've put two of them down on my 'to read list'. I tried to read "A Complicated Kindness" but just couldn't get through it. A really slow book and it just didn't keep my interest. It's too bad because Toews is a fellow Canadian (like to support them when I can) and I also bought the book. :( I can't remember specifically why I didn't like the book. Perhaps I'll pick it up again in the future and see if I've changed my mind. Thanks again for the suggestions. :)Laurie@The Baking Bookwormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17678146631438774221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648528809470059310.post-9952663207041436122010-11-06T13:14:15.415-04:002010-11-06T13:14:15.415-04:00I have not read the book, "Mennonite in a lit...I have not read the book, "Mennonite in a little black dress". Thanks for the detailed review. If you're interested in the Mennonite culture I would suggest you read an old book published in 1985 - I notice that you have quite a few titles under historical novels - this would fall into that category precisely. <br />"My Harp is Turned to Mourning" was written by Al Reimer. The story unfolds in the years 1905-24, a momentous period that saw the secure and prosperous Mennonite colonies in the central Ukraine ravaged by revolution and civil war. It depicts the peace-loving Mennonite - William Fast caught helplessly in the cataclysmic events of the Russian Revolution and its aftermath. <br /><br />Another writer who gets a lot of publicity these days is Miriam Toews, winner of the Governor-General's award for English fiction in 2004 for her novel, "A Complicated Kindness". I'm not sure what the criteria was for that award, but I find that her use of foul language in the novel goes way beyond being realistic. Surely, a writer of her caliber isn't so limited in her volcabulary that she can't find other words to use. Non-mennonite readers assume that this story describes what life is like in all Mennonite circles. Not so! Maybe that's why she won an award - her writer SEEMS to be so realistic.<br /><br />I would also recommend "I Am Hutterite" by Mary-Ann Kirkby - it's a biography of a young Hutterite girl whose family chose to leave the colony to start a new life on their own. Overnight they were thrust into a society they did not understand. The transition was overwhelming. Rich with memorable characters and vivid descriptions, this ground-breaking narrative shines a light on intolerance, illuminating the simple truth that beneath every human exterior beats a heart longing for understanding and acceptance. <br /><br />Hope you enjoy some of these suggestions.Ruthnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648528809470059310.post-38339018729664587582010-10-04T20:58:10.431-04:002010-10-04T20:58:10.431-04:00Thanks Linda! I try to be as honest as possible w...Thanks Linda! I try to be as honest as possible whether I love, like or dislike a book. :)Laurie@The Baking Bookwormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17678146631438774221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648528809470059310.post-70137372301020143042010-10-04T20:38:12.760-04:002010-10-04T20:38:12.760-04:00This is refreshingly honest! Great writing! It m...This is refreshingly honest! Great writing! It made me laugh.Linda Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09156972661541133665noreply@blogger.com