I Am Hutterite

I occasionally like to write about books I have read that feed the soul ...I Am Hutterite is a heartwarming memoir of a young girl searching for acceptance and understanding.

I am Hutterite is a charming true story of a young girl raised in a Hutterite colony in southern Manitoba, Canada.  It is a very well written memoir and gives the reader a wonderful insight on how this religious Hutterite Community lives and works together,  sharing all possessions and responsibilities.

There were so many heartwarming stories;   how Ann-Marie was weaned from her bottle at age two from the merciless teasing of older cousins, how the school girls were fascinated by their worldly teachers clothing, and how it was a privilege to be asked to help raise the younger children and to work in the kitchen.

I especially enjoyed learning the ways and traditions of the Hutterite community.  Not being familiar at all with their customs it was fascinating to learn how they lived and survived without today’s modern conveniences.  It was refreshing to hear how the community took their meals together in a communal kitchen, where the women prepared the meals for the whole community, and where it was an honor to be involved in the preparation of the meals.

It was also heartbreaking to hear about the death of her brother due to lack of transportation and medical assistance in the community.  It was also the catapult to the family’s decision to move away from the community and to transplant themselves into a more modern society where they faced new worries such as employment, bills, and adjusting to the English ways.

I enjoyed Ann-Marie's antics of needing to fit in with her peers at school and how winning the pageant made her feel like she was finally a part of the English community.  Her desires to fit into this new world yet her longing for her past and for tradition were both moving and understandable.