A World Away

Dec 30, 2012 Sandy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, favorite, ya

Loved it!! A favorite. Rumspringa? Yes, this is a typically the time some 16-year old Amish individuals separate themselves from their community and live with the English and try out the things they have never experienced before. Electricity, cars, washing machines, alcohol, sex and even drugs are used by some of these Amish individuals but for Eliza she has always had the dream of just getting away to see what the other world was all about. When her dream finally comes true, the reality of bein...more Loved it!! A favorite. Rumspringa? Yes, this is a typically the time some 16-year old Amish individuals separate themselves from their community and live with the English and try out the things they have never experienced before. Electricity, cars, washing machines, alcohol, sex and even drugs are used by some of these Amish individuals but for Eliza she has always had the dream of just getting away to see what the other world was all about. When her dream finally comes true, the reality of being a nanny to a couple of young children and wearing street clothes are just the beginning of being English. The opportunity of staying up late and reading under a light bulb and listening to music while cleaning the house seems like winning the lottery to this sixteen-year old girl and perhaps the excitement and the newness of the world opening up to her made this book so exciting. It was like she was being reborn every day. When a young boy arrives into her life, dating without the restrictions of the Amish community seems exciting yet also scary for Eliza and I felt a bit protective of her as the relationship with Josh continued. Living within the Amish community, life was simple and her friendship were tight but living with her new family, building friendship with people her own age becomes complicated as we all know how teenagers can be. Who can you trust? Is Eliza an object to show around because of where she came from or can she fit in? What about the strange address her mother sent her? What secrets do they hold?
What a wonderful story about trying to break out of your box. Eliza wanted to break out of the Amish community because she felt trapped and felt the grass was greener on the other side. She dreamed of living with the English (being among American people) and living with the modern conveniences and options that we have. She finally got her wish and she got her freedom. She also got to make some of her own choices and she dealt with her own consequences. I loved the drama of the story and the way the author made Eliza push herself. Eliza had doubt but she also knew this was her chance. I could not put this book down and found myself crying at times and later laughing at the way, Eliza was describing her new world. The way the author described the new world as Eliza discovered things for the first time was so exciting and made me realize how much we take for granted – a car handle, the radio, the baseball stadium, the mall, drinking alcohol, etc. The character faced many challenges, not all easy but she needed to do them to really understand and learn. Eliza does experience drinking and some intimate relationships (not sex) but as I have said before this is a great book that handles these situations maturely. Excellent book!!

“And maybe you can show me the fruit stand where Josh works.” There was a second of silence, just enough time to make me feel uneasy. “Josh doesn’t work at a fruit stand, “she said. I could feel Josh and Greg exchanging glances. I cleared my throat, knowing that I was about to make things worse. “I thought he worked at an apple store.” Valerie erupted into snorty laughter. Heat spread across my cheeks. Josh’s voice was gentle. “I work at a computer store,” he explained. “The name of the company is Apple.”
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May 02, 2013 Stephanie A. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-ya, girl-protagonists

Surprisingly compelling story of an Amish girl's Rumspringa - that's a story that has been told a thousand times, but never with characters to whom I felt so connected. It had a somewhat slow start, but once she left home I realized that I was savoring every page. I loved her nannying job and often felt like I was discovering the "English" world along with her. Both her employers and her new love interest were very sweet, as were the things we gradually learned about her family. It might have ac...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Gail Roshong rated it 3 of 5 stars

Name: Gail Roshong

APA citation: Grossman, N. (2012). A world away. New York: Hyperion

Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction

Award: Kirkus Review named A World Away as one of the Best Books of 2012.

Format: print

Selection process: Even though this is Nancy Grossman’s debut novel, she has received quite favorable reviews. Kirkus Review called A World Away “simply lovely.” VOYA Magazine recommended this book become a part of any school or public library’s collection. Publisher’s Weekly suggested that...more Name: Gail Roshong

APA citation: Grossman, N. (2012). A world away. New York: Hyperion

Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction

Award: Kirkus Review named A World Away as one of the Best Books of 2012.

Format: print

Selection process: Even though this is Nancy Grossman’s debut novel, she has received quite favorable reviews. Kirkus Review called A World Away “simply lovely.” VOYA Magazine recommended this book become a part of any school or public library’s collection. Publisher’s Weekly suggested that Grossman provided a rare glimpse into Amish life.

Review:
A World Away weaves in and out of 16 year old Amish Eliza Miller’s rumspringa or coming of age in a secular world of which she had very little knowledge. Elisa has lived a sheltered life in her small Amish community until she is invited to become a summer nanny in a suburban Chicago community. After much familial discussion and hesitation, Eliza is permitted to stay with the Aster family-Rachel, a master’s degree candidate, John, a college professor, and their two young children. She quickly learns how to maneuver her way around the fancy technology; however, she experiences many bumps as she tries to establish new relationships in very unfamiliar territory. New friend, Valerie, invites Eliza to a girls’ sleepover that becomes an all night coed brawl. A romantic relationship with new boyfriend, Josh, goes awry one night when both consume too much alcohol, neglect to go home, and crash the family car. After reading Rachel’s computer entries about herself, Eliza feels betrayed; and her own mother’s mysterious clues lead her to previously unknown Aunt Beth. How Eliza merges her two worlds and where she ultimately belongs, Grossman leaves as a somewhat open-ended question.
Grossman’s portrayal of life in an Amish community is sensitive and authentic. Problems develop as readers ponder the novel’s expansion with the Asters. It seems somewhat unrealistic to accept that a naïve, plain, and insipidly educated Amish girl would be of much interest to a suave, sophisticated, experienced, college-bound young man, albeit honorable. It is even less plausible that her, supposedly, “nice” friends would invite her to an all-night drunken party or that she would be given carte blanche to go by her sponsors. The little coincidences that attempt to tie up the storyline are beyond unbelievable. These sequences of A World Away are somewhat reminiscent of a Gothic novel which concludes with the beautiful governess marrying the rich but misunderstood earl.

Recommended: A World Away is recommended for Grossman’s accurate representation of life in an Amish society. It is when Eliza relocates to the Aster’s world that the storyline becomes murky and muddled. For a beach read, A World Away could be pleasant, but calling it “simply lovely” might be stretching the point.
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Nov 22, 2012 BAYA Librarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Eliza, a 16 year old Amish teenager leaves her Amish community to work as a nanny for an English family for the summer. The book has a slow and quiet tone (which mimics Eliza’s personality), and is very easy to read. It’s a fairly predictable story with Eliza making all kinds of “discoveries” in her new world. She makes new friends, meets a mean girl or two, there’s a boy at home, and boy in her new life, she misses her friends and family back home, but is open to so many new opportunities and e...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Lucy rated it 4 of 5 stars

You’ll see the world through fresh eyes in this delicately written coming of age novel about an Amish girl who leaves home for the first time…

I’ve been reading a lot of action-driven novels lately, so it was a nice change to get stuck into something more subtly crafted. And the unique perspective of Eliza, the central character of A World Away, made it an utterly absorbing read.

The book opens with Eliza and her mother preparing for a dinner in their Amish home in Ohio. Dressed in simple linen dr...more You’ll see the world through fresh eyes in this delicately written coming of age novel about an Amish girl who leaves home for the first time…

I’ve been reading a lot of action-driven novels lately, so it was a nice change to get stuck into something more subtly crafted. And the unique perspective of Eliza, the central character of A World Away, made it an utterly absorbing read.

The book opens with Eliza and her mother preparing for a dinner in their Amish home in Ohio. Dressed in simple linen dresses and white bonnets, they serve a rustic home-cooked meal of roast chicken and apple pie with hand-pumped water, in their dining room lit by oil lanterns – all in keeping with the traditional Amish ‘plain’ way of living that rejects modern technology. The dinner guests are all ‘English’ (the Amish term for non-Amish people) who are curious to learn about their hosts’ way of life. But it’s not only the guests who are curious: Eliza is just as intrigued by them and their ‘fancy’ ways, particularly the two teenaged girls who wear bright colours on their eyes and spend the evening tapping on their phones.

It’s an important time in Eliza’s life – aged sixteen she has reached the time for her rumspringa, when Amish teenagers are allowed a summer of ‘running wild’ and to sample the many forbidden treats of the outside world before making a decision whether to be baptised and to take the vow to renounce that world forever. Eliza is eager to get away, but first she has to persuade her conservative parents.

At the start of the book the writing itself seems ‘plain’, but as the story takes shape many layers are added, like the complementary and contrasting colours of a traditional Amish quilt slowly being stitched together. Having convinced her parents to allow her to spend the summer working as a nanny in the home of Mrs Aster, a guest who attends one of her mother’s weekly dinners, Eliza sets off into the ‘real’ world. From that moment every page is filled with the thrill of new experiences as Eliza rides in a car, listens to music, watches a movie and does for the very first time many things most of us take for granted. I loved the way it gives you a fresh look at the world, and the author has a knack for pinpointing mundane events that become extraordinary seen through Eliza’s unworldly eyes. I particularly liked the moment when Eliza stands beneath overhead tracks as a train rumbles past: ‘This extraordinary event that took away sound and breath and light – this incredible shaking moment happens every five minutes. It didn’t seem possible.’

Predictably, once let loose in the real world with its relaxed social rules Eliza meets a boy, named Josh. They hang out, he introduces her to music, and in a touching and quite innocent way something more soon begins to blossom. Nagging at the back of Eliza’s mind is the fact that at the end of the summer she will have to decide whether to return home, or leave her family forever to live in the real world. Her relationship with Josh, of course, figures heavily in her final decision, but she isn’t completely swept off course by romance – she’s very much aware of making a choice that’s right for her. And I won’t spoil any surprises, but there are a few other factors she encounters in the ‘English’ world that give her even more reason to want to stay. By the end of the book, through making her own mistakes Eliza has realised that things aren’t as black and white as they may first seem, and has developed into someone who is capable of making the life-changing decision she first set out to address.

There is so much to discover in this book. I was first drawn to it because of the Amish theme – I knew next to nothing about this group of people, and Nancy Grossman, who lives in Chicago and has had dinner with an Amish family herself, gives a real insight into their way of life. But the book also explores universal themes that anyone Eliza’s age will be familiar with – figuring out who you are and where you fit into the world, feeling like the odd one out amongst your peers, outward appearances and how they reflect or hide your personality, the value of true friendship, and that tricky business of readjusting your relationship with your mother as you become an adult. It’s a thought-provoking read with a heart-warming message at its centre – that you can manage without material things, but not without the people you love.
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Oct 06, 2012 Phoebe rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, realistic-fiction, ya, amish

Amish teen Eliza isn't sure she wants to embrace her lifestyle any longer. Given the opportunity to visit the "regular" world and be a nanny to two children for the summer, she finds the idea appealing and is thrilled when her parents finally consent. Her impressions of the big world are tediously described and the book could have used a better editing job (it is way too long, at almost 400 pages); there is little descriptive writing and the author never transports us. Characters are stereotyped...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, contemporary, ya-fiction, family-stories

Why I picked it up: The Amish fiction trend is starting to trickle down to teen lit, so I figured I should be aware of a title or two. I was also hoping this would give me “religious fiction” for my genre bingo, but while lifestyle was a big part of the Amishness of the book, religion was not.

Eliza is an Amish girl who just turned 16. She is very curious about the outside world (called the English world). When a visitor offers her a job as a nanny for the summer, Eliza begs her parents to let he...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

A World Away by Nancy Grossman follows sixteen year old Eliza who takes a job working as a Nanny to take a break from her Amish upbringing and explore the modern world. Eliza grows up during her time away, falls in love, learns some family secrets and must decide if she is ready to become baptized and return to the Amish community or stay in the English world.

This was a delightful coming of age novel. There is a lot of "Bonnet fiction" written for the adult audience and this book explores that e...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Tricia added it

This book was a beautiful tale of coming-of-age and learning who we really are. It was set against the skillfully painted background of a different culture and one that I personally am fascinated with: the Amish community.
Now, I'm not saying I'm going to toss my cell phone and don a kapp or anything, but the Amish life has a lot going for it. I'm sure they suffer much less stress and health problems than "regular" people ever do. However, I don't believe I could ever live like that, mostly beca...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: middle-schoolers

Shelves: young-adult

This was an enjoyable book, but nothing earth-shattering. I found it in the teen section, but it is definitely on the lower end of the YA reading level spectrum, and I found the writing to be juvenile at times. Recommended for middle-schoolers. I very much enjoyed watching Eliza experience and learn about a new culture while on her rumspringa (Eliza is Amish and spends one summer nannying for an "English," or non-Amish, family). It was a little tedious that every chapter ended with a moral or pr...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Sally Kruger rated it 5 of 5 stars

ARC ebook courtesy of NetGalley.com

Release date: 7-17-12

Eliza is sixteen, but she has never seen a movie, used a telephone, or worn a pair of jeans. Eliza is Amish. Living with her family in an Amish community in Iowa, she is about to embark on her rumspringa. It will be her chance to live in the world of the English and experience all their modern conveniences and live the life of a teen without all the strict rules of the Amish.

All Eliza's friends will be partying, listening to music, wearing...more ARC ebook courtesy of NetGalley.com

Release date: 7-17-12

Eliza is sixteen, but she has never seen a movie, used a telephone, or worn a pair of jeans. Eliza is Amish. Living with her family in an Amish community in Iowa, she is about to embark on her rumspringa. It will be her chance to live in the world of the English and experience all their modern conveniences and live the life of a teen without all the strict rules of the Amish.

All Eliza's friends will be partying, listening to music, wearing a whole new wardrobe, and maybe even experiencing alcohol and tobacco all to allow them to later appreciate the simple, plain life in which they were raised. Most of the young people will attended organized activities and local events during this time, but Eliza is invited to experience rumspringa away from home.

While working at her job in a local hotel restaurant, Eliza meets a woman from the Chicago area in search of a nanny for the summer. After some convincing, Eliza's parents allow her to take the job. She will spend the summer caring for the woman's two children and cooking for the family while she lives with them. Eliza's dream of spending time in the world of the Englishers is coming true.

What follows is an amazing adventure. Eliza learns the ways of the modern world including MP3 players, movie theaters, TV, video games, washing machines, and dishwashers, cell phones, and more. The most amazing experience may be meeting Josh who shows her what it means to date, attend a homecoming dance, and make out. She finds herself falling for him and wondering what it would be like to stay in this new world forever.

Author Nancy Grossman takes readers into the world of the Amish, especially the world of the Amish teenager. Faced with making a huge life decision, Eliza learns about the world beyond her small, tight-knit community, about family secrets, and about her own goals for the future. The Amish lifestyle is fascinating and somewhat mysterious, and A WORLD AWAY is just the story for anyone interested in learning more and being entertained in the process.

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Mar 25, 2013 Journey O'Donnal rated it 4 of 5 stars

I became very fond of this book in the few days I was reading it. Unfortunately. I was not satisfied with the ending. I was pretty sure while I was reading the book that I knew how it would end, but I was kind of hoping that it would end differently. I really did enjoy this story though because it was a very different storyline for me and I found that the story about an Amish girl trying to find where she belongs was actually very endearing. I really liked how the author described every new thin...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

3.5 stars.

I actually went into this one not knowing a thing about it. After about a half hour, I figured out that Eliza is Amish and this is a story about her Romspringa, a time in the Amish adolescence when they venture into the English (as they refer to it) world. I wasn't to sure what to think when I learned that, but I ended up really enjoying this book. This really isn't a story about Amish people. It has a lot more depth than that and is more of a story about a girl finding herself.

The wa...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Ann Haefele rated it 3 of 5 stars

As an early teen I would have loved this YA book about a 16 year old Amish girl who goes into the English world during her rumspringa. Eliza lives with a family near Chicago and works for the summer as their nanny. She experiences blue jeans, high heels, makeup, music via CDs and iPods, phones, theater and DVD movies, malls, and appliances all for the first time. She meets a boy who makes her wonder if there would be a place for her in his life if she chose the English life rather than the Amish...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Wendy Darling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction, 2012-publication, july, hyperion, read-2012, ala-2012

3.5 stars Fascinating topic, but one that could have been explored with much more depth and emotion. Eliza Miller has been content with her life in an Amish community for as long as she can remember. Now that she's just turned sixteen, however, she's considering taking her opportunity to experience her rumspringa, a period of Amish adolescence during which some teenagers choose to leave the community for a time to experience the "English" world.

A premise like this is full of possibilities, not...more 3.5 stars Fascinating topic, but one that could have been explored with much more depth and emotion. Eliza Miller has been content with her life in an Amish community for as long as she can remember. Now that she's just turned sixteen, however, she's considering taking her opportunity to experience her rumspringa, a period of Amish adolescence during which some teenagers choose to leave the community for a time to experience the "English" world.

A premise like this is full of possibilities, not the least of which is the opportunity for us to learn about the Amish culture. The story has barely begun, however, when a stranger comes to her family's dinner table and presents the possibility of a summer spent in Chicago; before we've even learned about Eliza's way of life, we're already expected to identify with and accept her longing for change. While we do get glimpses here and there of some Amish traditions and values (I was especially interested in the custom of planting celery to signify an upcoming nuptial, and the fact that in Eliza's community, "bundling," or fully clothed, full-body contact make-out sessions on a girl's bed is allowed), I'm not sure that we get enough of a feel for either the rhythm and history of that way of life, nor how constrictive that life might begin to feel. I can certainly imagine those things...but I shouldn't have to when I'm reading a book like this. (view spoiler)

The first half of the book is pretty straightforward, and for my own taste, it's also a bit uninspired as both a drama and a romance. All the usual things you'd expect for a YA novel are here, including Eliza's first forays into wearing traditional "Yankee" clothes with buttons, wearing makeup, shopping, dating, drinking (even prom, heaven help us), etc. I kept waiting to experience this new life with her with some keen sense of discovery, with wonder at experiencing freedom and creature comforts for the first time, or even some giddy excitement. But the scenarios aren't presented with a great deal of originality or empathy, and coupled with a fairly prosaic writing style, I found my attention occasionally wandering throughout the first 200 pages or so of the story.

Once a mysterious woman named Beth enters the picture, however, and Eliza's mother comes to visit her in Chicago, things suddenly do become a lot more interesting. (view spoiler) These are the only two characters that had any sort of dimension to me or whose stories felt real and urgent, and I found their individual stories to be fascinating and even moving to some degree. I wish that Eliza herself were a more dynamic protagonist, however, and that I cared a little more deeply about this life-changing decision she faces: will she choose to stay with her newfound modern way of life, or will she go back to the community in which she grew up? We do get more of a glimpse of Eliza's Amish upbringing later in the book, and the decision she makes is one I'm fairly satisfied with. I just wish that the many complicated issues, histories, and emotions were tackled with a bit more context and a lot more feeling.

Still, this is an interesting book with a topic that's little-explored in fiction, so I'd recommend it as a library read if you're interested. I do wish the acknowledgments at the end of the novel provided some insight into why the author chose to write about this subject, too. I'm curious to know whether she has any ties to the community, or whether this was simply a subject she found intriguing.

An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.(less)

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Nov 28, 2012 Anjelica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-releases, contemporary, cover-love, romance, ya

To be completely honest I picked this book up because I thought the cover was gorgeous but then when I read the summary I was kind of waiting to read it. I don't know exactly what I was waiting for but I didn't think I was going to like it because it was about the Amish. Now, I have read a few Amish books in the past, they were mostly adult books, and I think that is the main reason why I finally decided to give this one a chance, because I have never read a story about an Amish teenager. A Worl...more To be completely honest I picked this book up because I thought the cover was gorgeous but then when I read the summary I was kind of waiting to read it. I don't know exactly what I was waiting for but I didn't think I was going to like it because it was about the Amish. Now, I have read a few Amish books in the past, they were mostly adult books, and I think that is the main reason why I finally decided to give this one a chance, because I have never read a story about an Amish teenager. A World Away gives you a glimpse into a different world that many probably don't know about. I have actually driven through Amish Country with my grandparents one year on the way to a flea market and at that time I didn't know much about them, all I knew was that they dressed funny and drove buggies on roads with cars. I've also seen them in stores but it seems like they all drive big gas guzzler vans whenever they do go out of their community. After reading about Eliza's life I don't think I would have the patience to be an Amish (I wouldn't be able to live without my iPod or computer) but I guess if you know nothing else it's nothing new. In A World Away we follow Eliza as she spends her rumspringa in the English world as a nanny to two children. While she's there she meets a English boy named Josh who takes her on a journey to show her everything about his world and Eliza drinks in all the sights and all the electronics and everything that is possible in this other world. She also experiences her first hangover, which was funny to read about. There were times that I thought Josh was sweet and then other times when I thought he would do anything to keep her ignorant. Like I thought it was sweet when he rented The Sound of Music for her, or when he took her to the movies for the first time, or even showed her his favorite bands. As you read about Eliza's first encounters with the English world it's like you're experiencing them for the first time too. But when he kept from her the fact that there was going to be a boy/girl sleepover after homecoming just so she would stay or the fact that there was going to be drinking. He could have prepared her for something that could have been prevented. Overall, though I loved this book!(less)

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Nov 25, 2012 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed "A World Away" by Nancy Grossman. And with current reality television shows like "Breaking Amish," and with the many novels featuring the Amish being published of late, I think teens will find this book appealing. Great cover! It will be an easy sell.

Eliza Miller has turned sixteen and is now beginning what the Amish call "rumspringa" or "wild time." This is a time when Amish teens have finished their schooling and are allowed to experience as much of the "fancy" or "English" or...more I really enjoyed "A World Away" by Nancy Grossman. And with current reality television shows like "Breaking Amish," and with the many novels featuring the Amish being published of late, I think teens will find this book appealing. Great cover! It will be an easy sell.

Eliza Miller has turned sixteen and is now beginning what the Amish call "rumspringa" or "wild time." This is a time when Amish teens have finished their schooling and are allowed to experience as much of the "fancy" or "English" or "Yankee" world as their parents will allow. They experiment with music, Western clothing, alcohol, parties, the work world, relationships, and so on. Eventually, they must decide whether or not to be baptized, which ties them to the Amish world for life. After this, should they leave the Amish world, they will be shunned for life. They will no longer exist in the eyes of their Amish family, friends, or community members. For her rumspringa Eliza has been given a job working at an inn. However, she is curious, restless, and anxious to see more of the outside world. Each Thursday, the Millers host a dinner for guests from the outside world, which is where Eliza meets Rachel Auster. Rachel later offers Eliza a job working in her home in Chicago as a nanny for the summer while she works on her doctoral thesis. Eliza's mother, Becky, is very resistant to the idea. Eventually, with her husband's gentle coaxing, Becky is convinced to let Eliza go.

This is a novel filled with many "hellos" and "goodbyes." Eliza says "goodbye" to her beau Daniel, to her family, to her Amish clothing, to her friends, and to the simplicity of her "plain" life. In Chicago she says "hello" to a world in which each experience is new and eye-opening - boys and cars and telephones and music and movies and hair dryers and clothes and friendships and make-up and clubs and baseball and museums and on and on. But there are also jealousies and secrets and dating and temptations. Many secrets are revealed about Eliza's family, her English family, and about the English world. And the decision that Eliza eventually makes works in light of what she learns from all of these "hellos" and "good-byes".

As one who knows relatively little about the Amish community, I am concerned that what is presented here is an accurate representation of the Amish. The book seems to be well-researched. Many details of Amish life are presented, and Grossman does a good job of helping the reader see the outside world as a sixteen year old Amish girl might see it. In that sense, it encourages a Yankee reader to examine the many things we take for granted - and their pros and cons. It would be interesting to get an Amish reader's take on the book. The author seemed to present both worlds in an objective way. However, I wonder how the Amish would feel about having their lives exposed in literature meant largely for the English.

What we do take away from "A World Away" is a sense of the universality of the teen experience - the rebelliousness, the experimentation, the finding of oneself. The Amish seem much more sensible about this than the English do. They recognize that this is something teens must go through before choosing the direction their lives will take. It also shows us that most parents are protective of their children and wish the best for them. The presence of so many involved and caring adults in this novel was refreshing.

Some lines I loved in the book:

"I wanted to know about feeling a passion so strong you needed to wear it for the world to see."

"Now that I was beginning to understand how to create the magic of this place, I wondered if I'd ever be able to get along without it."

"This was getting to be a familiar sensation. I was always anxious for the next new thing. I briefly wondered how I would feel once I'd experienced everything and there was nothing new to look forward to..."

This is definitely a character driven novel; however, I couldn't put it down and read it very quickly. A good read that I think teens, especially girls, will be drawn to - I will buy multiple copies for my library.(less)

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Aug 10, 2012 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-s

3.5 Stars
Pleasantly Surprising

This was an interesting story and not at all what I was expecting. I liked having the insiders look into the Amish life and seeing the modern world through Eliza's eyes was entertaining, engaging and heartbreaking. The depth of this book is what surprised me most and I wasn't expecting to feel the range of emotions that I did.

While I enjoyed this, the story was slow moving at first and honestly, the ending frustrated me. I wanted to know what happened next?! An Epil...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Malika rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, volunteer, favorite-female-protagonists

3.5 stars

The main character, Eliza Miller, is an Amish girl with an Amish family, living in an Amish town. Eliza is 16 years old and she wants to experience rumspringa. Rumspringa is a time when the 16 year old Amish earns a chance to be wild and free. Eliza wants to go back home with Rachel, a women who wants her to work as a nanny for her two children in the suburbs. While she's in the suburbs of Chicago she does a lot of things for the first time- listen to music, operate a telephone, watch t...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5

Eliza is a sixteen year old Amish girl and at a time in her life when most Amish teenagers experience rumspringa, which is when they can leave their community for a period of time and experience the outside world. During her time outside the Amish community Eliza works as a nanny in Chicago, she experiences many new things. As the summer comes to an end Eliza is faced with a decision, she can go back to the community she grew up in or she can stay in the outside world. Whichever decision she...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, audio

“A World Away” was an enjoyable read. For the most part, it was lighthearted and fairly realistic. The connection I felt with Eliza was instant. I liked her, and felt that she reacted the way a teenager would in her position. I have avoided Amish books as a rule, but this didn’t seem to have the usual “utopian Amish society” theme, and I admit to being charmed by such a gorgeous cover.

The descriptions of Eliza really listening to music for the first time with Josh were great, as well as her slo...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Cathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Never have I wanted to read a sequel so badly! I hope Nancy Grossman has one in the works. As compelling as this book was to see Eliza come into the "English" world, I think it would be fascinating to see what it is like for her to return to her Amish world. To see her re-incorporate herself into her old life - what does she miss, how does she mix back in with her friends, and what about Daniel and Josh. Oh so many questions to be answered!

This book itself was a bit of a long read and I thought...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Beaverton City Library Teens rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic, romance

This is a story of a 16-year-old Amish girl's Rumspringa. But it's NOT a story of her going completely crazy and out of control. Rather it's a thoughtful and realistic story of Eliza who desperately wants to try out 'English' life and has to work hard to convince her parents to let it happen. The story has great adult characters in Eliza's mother, aunt, and Rachel the woman for whom Eliza nannies. The one current YA trope that Nancy Grossman doesn't skip is the love triangle. Eliza has a good Am...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Georgia rated it 3 of 5 stars

A World Away was an enjoyable and interesting read. I loved how it was about something that you don't see much in YA literature. The story of Eliza, an amish girl who leaves to experience "english" life, just wasn't one I had thought of before and so it was interesting to read about. Still, I found Eliza a little bit "high maintenance" once she was living away from the Amish, and even a bit whiny. But don't let that keep you from read A World Away. It was a nice read.

One more note: I can unders...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Madison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Honestly this was a really powerful book. For someone who is looking for insight into the Amish world it's not for them but it's a really unique concept to find out what it's like during "rumspringa". It had some twists in it that kept the story fresh. It's not a great representation of the Amish world because she's not at home but it really is an amazing book. It is really powerful and it's more about why we make the choices we do instead of the actual Amish world. I was actually really upset a...more

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May 14, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: noodletools

A World Away is unlike any other novel I've read because it introduced me to a culture I didn't know existed. Before I got this book, I had heard the word "Amish" floating around, but never really knew what it meant, and definitely didn't know that it described an entire culture. Now that I have read this eye-opening novel about an Amish girl learning what life is like as an "English" girl (The Amish refer to people who live a modern lifestyle and aren't Amish as English), I seem to stumble acr...more A World Away is unlike any other novel I've read because it introduced me to a culture I didn't know existed. Before I got this book, I had heard the word "Amish" floating around, but never really knew what it meant, and definitely didn't know that it described an entire culture. Now that I have read this eye-opening novel about an Amish girl learning what life is like as an "English" girl (The Amish refer to people who live a modern lifestyle and aren't Amish as English), I seem to stumble across information and and references of the Amish lifestyle, everywhere.
A World Away inspired me to watch the National Geographic series Amish: Out Of Order. After finishing A World Away, and watching bits and pieces of this National Geographic series, I am surprised that there aren't that many YA books about the Amish, because the Amish culture is so different than the modern-day "English" way of living.
When the main character in this novel , Eliza, decides to temporarily move in with an "English" family (a modern-lifestyle family that isn't Amish) she is introduced to an extraordinary amount of technology. In the scenes where Eliza is learning about using basic technology, like a lamp (powered by electricity--Amish don't use electricity), I realized how many little things I am so incredibly accustomed to in my life. Things like: Electricity (VERY basic), all the way to google and the internet.
This novel had a great pace. Slowly, but surely Eliza started to learn more about the "English" world, and it's way. Nancy Grossman did a great job of gradually showing how Eliza changed as her experience in the "English" world progressed, instead of dumping everything that was new to Eliza on her at once. Nancy Grossman also did a beautiful job of showing the benefits of life as an Amish person, and as an English person, when (being an "English" person) it is easier to lean towards thinking the "English" way of living has all the benefits.
A World Away is authentic, inspiring, and will intrigue you from page one until the end. This novel is an incredible debut by Nancy Grossman, and I recommend it to anyone searching for a compelling read!(less)

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Jul 05, 2012 Thalia rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Realistic/Amish Fiction

Recommended to Thalia by: Wendy Darling

Shelves: contemporary, religion-or-cults

Initially, as I began this book, I really loved reading it. Eliza had a great voice for a main character, and while I don’t know much about Amish culture, I think she was a great character to bring us into her story. I liked seeing her culture and her initial reactions to things like Stranger Night, cars, English clothes, and all that. However, as the story progressed, I was less and less thrilled with the writing style, the characters, and the plot became muddled to a point where I didn’t know...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

A World Away is a wonderful debut book by Nancy Grossman.  As a teenager, I am able to relate to how Eliza feels about our world.  It is exciting to see the world through different eyes who haven't lived in it.

Eliza, a wonderful character who has always wanted to leave home to be apart of our world today.  Eliza is Amish.  At 16 years old, she is able to leave her small little community and joins the rest of us for the exciting thrill of new things.  When she gets out of the car with the family she w

...more

A World Away is a wonderful debut book by Nancy Grossman.  As a teenager, I am able to relate to how Eliza feels about our world.  It is exciting to see the world through different eyes who haven't lived in it.

Eliza, a wonderful character who has always wanted to leave home to be apart of our world today.  Eliza is Amish.  At 16 years old, she is able to leave her small little community and joins the rest of us for the exciting thrill of new things.  When she gets out of the car with the family she will live with, her curiosity grows, wanting to try everything.  She meets a boy, who knows and is friends with the family, he shows her everything, and quickly ends her curiosity with taking/doing these things with her.  She quickly learns that a world with everything may not be ready for her, that home is where the heart is.

Anyone who feels like they don't belong, or wants to learn more about what is out in the world, would enjoy reading this book.  I felt that the author really made you think about what you do, and think of those who don't live here, or may not be able to do these things.  Grossman really opened my eyes to see more of the world that I didn't see on my own.  I think that is helpful, looking away from you own little bubble, and observing of the little things we take for granted.

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Aug 17, 2012 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of my oldest friends is a library media specialist at a middle school right in the heart of Indiana Amish country. She is part of the lives of her students as they struggle with the greater world around them, the end of their formal education in 8th grade, and the momentous choice they need to make. Raised in Indiana, the Amish are not strange to me either but they remain fascinating. This young adult novel respectfully and realistically depicts a teenage girl's rumspringa, as she sorts out...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Laura (The Little Pink Book Boutique) added it

Shelves: young-adult, ya-contemporary, 2012-release, didn-t-finish

I did not finish this book. The main reason is that it definitely reads very juvenile, more middle grade than young adult, even though the main character is 16. the writing is very simple, which is fine, but makes the characters come across as flat. The event taking place - a young Amish girl choosing to leave home for her rumspringa to live as a nanny in Chicago - would in my opinion evoke way more emotion than I felt. I had trouble connecting with Eliza, and when I realized that her explanatio...more

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