I Am Hutterite: The Fascinating True Story of a Young Woman's Journey to Reclaim Her Heritage by Mary-Ann Kirkby

Sep 11, 2011 Saloma Furlong rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Hutterite Story

It was several years after I left the Amish that I first heard about Hutterites through a magazine article. At the time I was astonished that there could be a third branch of Anabaptists that I had never heard about during my 23 years of living in an Amish community. (The other two are Amish and Mennonites). Since then I have read more articles about Hutterites, but I was always left wanting for more information, which left an air of mystery and intrigue around them -- I imagine...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Carol rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, hutterite

This is book is very special to me. I love what Mary-Ann Kirby says in this book '...for it is only when we embrace our past that we can find true fulfillment in our future' (p.228). Her statement spells out the reason for my own search for my family's beginnings.

Mary Ann was invited by a friend to write a magazine article about Hutterite gardens. But it turned into a journey into past starting with her Hutterite beginnings. Her family lived in a Hutterite colony in southern Manitoba, Canada. Hu...more This is book is very special to me. I love what Mary-Ann Kirby says in this book '...for it is only when we embrace our past that we can find true fulfillment in our future' (p.228). Her statement spells out the reason for my own search for my family's beginnings.

Mary Ann was invited by a friend to write a magazine article about Hutterite gardens. But it turned into a journey into past starting with her Hutterite beginnings. Her family lived in a Hutterite colony in southern Manitoba, Canada. Hutterites were one of three groups that sprang from the Anabaptists: the Amish, Hutterites and Mennonites. I enjoyed her journey, sometimes troubled, sometimes joyful so much. She lived the Hutterite life but by reflection, she learned so much. It is my hope to trace my Mennonites ancestors and learn their way of life so I can better understand my ancestors and myself.

The core difference between the two other groups and the Hutterites was the belief in no personal possessions, that started with its Austrian founder, Jacob Hutterite and is still followed in the Hutterite colonies today in Canada and United States. Strangely, this principal of no personal possessions led to why her family in their good conscience had to decide whether or not to leave. Not because of a desire to obtain and keep things but because of importance of human life.

There is so much to learn from this book, the true meaning of freedom, the traditions of clothing, cleanliness, humor, drinking, singing, and the expressions. A unmarried woman is spoken of as 'a jar that hadn't yet found its lid' (p. 37) The tradition of giving a daughter at the age of 15,a wooden hope chest (my father did this too). The special treatment that a woman who has just born a baby receives. I could go on but I would spoil the book for you.

This book captures you at the beginning and won't let you go. I will keep it on my bookshelf for reference in the future and I hope to re-read it. It is beautifully written and from some accounts of family past come big treasures of meaning.

I invite everyone interested in the past, in their own ancestry, in religion, in ways of life to read and enjoy this book.

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Jan 13, 2011 Randi S rated it 4 of 5 stars

http://thesclub.blogspot.com/2010/06/...

What's a Hutterite? Don't worry, I had no idea either. Judging the book by it's cover (I know, how awful of me), I figured it was a community of people like the Amish or Mennonite.

I was wrong and I was right. Of course the Hutterites are a community of people with the same religious, moral, and all other values. They dress the same. Their community is focused around their faiths (an anabaptist faith like Amish and Mennonite). And they are only found in cer...more http://thesclub.blogspot.com/2010/06/...

What's a Hutterite? Don't worry, I had no idea either. Judging the book by it's cover (I know, how awful of me), I figured it was a community of people like the Amish or Mennonite.

I was wrong and I was right. Of course the Hutterites are a community of people with the same religious, moral, and all other values. They dress the same. Their community is focused around their faiths (an anabaptist faith like Amish and Mennonite). And they are only found in certain parts of the world (US and Canada - although they did originate in Europe so maybe there are some sects there?).

However, the Hutterites are even more communal than the Amish & Mennonite. They literally have one big kitchen and dining room for everyone (separate for children & adults). They have a big kindergarten (more like our daycare) and school (although children attend both "English" and Hutterite school).

I just wanted to give you a bit (very tiny bit) of background before I told you about this book. "I Am Hutterite" is the brainchild of author Mary-Ann Kirkby. Her son asked her if she was Hutterite while they were visiting her brother's grave in a Hutterite community. This question took her on a quest to come to terms with the life she left behind at age 10.

Kirkby shares an extensive genealogy of both her maternal and paternal families. The maternal side traces back to the original Hutterites in Austria. Her paternal side chose this community after fleeing from Europe before WWII. The families did not stay in a single community for the extent of time written about. Some chose to go to a new community, some were voted to a new community.

The author also writes about when the political tension in her immediate family's community became so high (mostly due to a stubborn uncle who was the community leader) that her parents chose to leave the Hutterite communities altogether. They took their seven children to find a new (free) life.

Of course, hardship incurred (trying to feed so many mouths was not an easy task). The children tried to assimilate themselves into popular culture (in the '60s) while their parents clung hard to many things Hutterite (dress, morals).

I was intrigued by the cover of this book, realizing it had to be about some sort of certain community. I have read Beverly Lewis novels about Amish and Mennonites, although I know very little about any actual communities as such (although there are some Amish families near here). I loved Kirkby's writing; you are drawn in to her story as if it were a story you've read a million times. It's a comfortable feel to the book like that. You feel like you know her family and friends.

This is the type of book that makes you wonder what life would be like in a commune. Reading through her child eyes, the closeness of community and family sounds wonderful. The work doesn't sound as back-breaking as I'm sure it was. You can feel her loss when her family departs from everything she's ever known.

My only complaint about this book is that it sort of stops suddenly. The epilogue is vague (unlike the rest of the book) so you're wanting for more specifics about what happened next. How did Mary-Ann end up where she is; what was the rest of her life like? I felt left in the dark, like a great movie with a horrible ending. Otherwise, a really good read that takes you to a place you otherwise may not have known existed.

BUY IT: You can find "I Am Hutterite" on Amazon.com for as little as $14. (less)

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Dec 12, 2010 Mrsgaskell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 9-star, canadiana, library, nonfiction

I’m not about to rush off and join one but I was fascinated to learn more about the communal life of a Hutterite colony. The author spent the first 10 years of her life in the New Rosedale and Fairholme colonies of Manitoba. She was born in 1959 so we are of the same generation and, other than stringent religious restrictions and the communal aspects of her life, I was surprised at how much I felt we were products of the same era, and not all that different. When her parents decided to leave Fai...more

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Jul 06, 2010 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to be honest. I had never heard of Hutterites before. I know of Amish and Mennonite communities around me, but just never have had the opportunity to meet someone who is Hutterite. The religions are very different from what I understand.

I’ve posted before about how I really enjoy learning about different religions and because of that I was excited to read this book. Mary-Ann Kirkby delivered with this book. It is excellent in it’s description of the Hutterite community and how they live t...more I have to be honest. I had never heard of Hutterites before. I know of Amish and Mennonite communities around me, but just never have had the opportunity to meet someone who is Hutterite. The religions are very different from what I understand.

I’ve posted before about how I really enjoy learning about different religions and because of that I was excited to read this book. Mary-Ann Kirkby delivered with this book. It is excellent in it’s description of the Hutterite community and how they live their lives. Almost made me wish I could live in a community setting like that. Almost, I don’t think I could give up my newspapers, magazines, and internet. While they don’t shun all modern conveniences, they do try to block out influences from the outside world, hence, no radios. Plus, the problems that her family experienced, I don’t think I could put up with that. She just made this community fascinating to me.

I really enjoyed reading at her family, I felt so sad for her at certain parts, happy for her at others, and just felt like I went along with her on this ride of finding herself. I loved the stories, that started with her mother getting ready for her wedding day, through Mary-Ann’s childhood, to her trying to assimilate into an “English” world.

If anything, I would have liked more! More of everything. More of her family, more experiences after the Hutterie community. I just wanted more. But alas, a book has to come to an end right? I loved the stories she shared with her readers.

If you’d like to take a peak into the Hutterite lifestyle, read this book, you can also check out the video that is posted on her website. I’ve watched the whole thing. It was just as she described in the book, exactly how I visualized it as I was reading along.

ETA – I had to add that Lisa left me a comment on my blog about my review and I had to go check out her blog. I thought, did I not just say I couldn’t give up my internet to be Hutterite? And Lisa has a blog? So I headed over there and I love her blog! Whether you’re Hutterite or not, she has a wonderful well written blog! You should go check her out. My whole point of bringing this up is to point out something Lisa has shown me. Things have changed since Mary-Ann Kirkby and her parents left their Hutterite community. Some things stay the same, but like all of us, people change with the times. I noticed that Lisa has beautiful pictures on her blog, when Mary-Ann Kirkby was in her community, photos were frowned upon. Just another example of things changing that I noticed right away. I am seriously just fascinated with the Hutterite community, in a good way! Many of us (at least in the US) live in a place where we don’t even know our neighbors. I miss that. Growing up, I would run to the houses on both sides of us, they were like extended family to us. The Hutterite’s still have that. We could learn a lesson from them. I don’t think the world has gotten any better with people becoming more and more estranged from each other.(less)

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Jun 18, 2010 Kristine Coumbe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Before reading this book I never heard of the Hutterites so I was intrigued. The author known as Ann-Marie Dornn on a Hutterite colony near Portage La Prairie,Manitoba,CA was born and raised until age ten. This religious community was a perfect place for a young girl, filled with strong bonds of family and friendship,rich delicious food and a strong sense of belonging.But her parents had felt tension and conflict.In 1969,Ann-Marie's Parents left the colony with a family of seven children and no...more

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Jun 02, 2010 Heather added it

Shelves: read-in-2010, non-fiction, adult

About twenty pages into this book I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but by page 50 I was hooked and I had a hard time putting it down. I was drawn to this book because I like reading about things that are different from what I know or experience. I think the author has a unique viewpoint, having lived the Hutterite way of life and then living in the world as I know it.

I found reading about a culture that I knew nothing about so interesting. I live in a province that has a lot of Hutterites i...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Tammy Lee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Tammy Lee by: My sister...a Hutterite at heart :)

Shelves: canadiana, my-collection

This book came into my hands for my turn a few months ago, after being passed about in my family. I had other books on my list and just got to it yesterday...if I didn't have to work, I would have finished it in the day.

This was a great personal story of the author's journey to come full circle with her roots; rediscover and make peace with her beginnings and her culture. It also is a great story to help others understand the quiet and so often misunderstood and ridiculed Hutterite culture and c...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Krystl Louwagie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Once again, I don't feel as though the low star rating is completely fair here-this isn't really the type of book I'd be overly interested in, so it wasn't really written for me. No surprise that I didn't enjoy it a lot. But my mind was open to being interested in it, just not held that well. In general, I like books that aren't like real life, or books that I learn something from (like textbooks, and glorified textbooks). Not so much the in-between. I thought that perhaps this would fall into t...more Once again, I don't feel as though the low star rating is completely fair here-this isn't really the type of book I'd be overly interested in, so it wasn't really written for me. No surprise that I didn't enjoy it a lot. But my mind was open to being interested in it, just not held that well. In general, I like books that aren't like real life, or books that I learn something from (like textbooks, and glorified textbooks). Not so much the in-between. I thought that perhaps this would fall into the "not like real life" category, even though I knew it was true-I thought maybe that living in the Hutterite tradition it would be different enough from my life to keep my interests up.

I ended up day dreaming a lot in this audio book, and as a result, I'm not sure if there was a mess up in tracks/something missing, or if I just wasn't paying close enough attention so that I got confused when things came up I didn't remember hearing any background on. Although, I do think the author jumped around a bit as well, confusing chronological order.

I don't think the author was a bad writer. I think I wanted to know more about the religion itself than her parents history, and there was a lot of time dedicated to that. And a story told by a child who wasn't alive then just wasn't captivating at all for me-once she got to explaining what she actually remembered about her personal story, it picked up more, but still seemed to jump from here to there and truncated too abruptly. I also felt like the Hutterites weren't all that different from "normal" society, I would've liked to hear more about the important differences, not just the clothes and food. The small study on living in a community where everyone took care of each other, with no one having to worry about money and possessions, where meals are coming from, etc. was interesting. The drawback, children actually died from fairly simple illnesses because parents didn't have free access to cars for getting to the hospital.

Not sure what else to say. I hope I didn't judge the book harshly and unfairly because it didn't load right/fully onto my mp3 player. :p(less)

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Apr 04, 2012 Pam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bios-memoirs, religion

Mary-Ann Kirkby's memoir of her life in a Hutterite colony gives an excellent overview of this communal fundamentalist Christian group, which has colonies throughout the US and Canadian prairies. Similar to the Amish or Mennonites, the Hutterites live in a large communal colonies like the Shakers. I found the communal aspects of this religion, established in 1528, intriguing. The religion's success is based on the natural efficiencies of a large group of people working together. When Kirby's par...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Clara Roberts rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Hutterite were spawned by the Anabaptist movement that evoled from the reformation. In this respect they share a similiar heritage with the Amish and Mennonites. They live in communes or colonies separate from 'worldly' people. Like the Amish and Mennonites they do not allow tvs, radios, newspapers are anything that would contaminate the colony in the commune. The commune offered security and comfort. They take care of the elderly, infirmed, and children. Like the Amish the members must subm...more

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Dec 26, 2011 Shari Larsen rated it 5 of 5 stars

What is a Hutterite? From Wikipedia: Hutterites (German: Hutterer) are a communal branch of Anabaptists who, like the Amish and Mennonites, trace their roots to the Radical Reformation of the 16th century. Since the death of their founder Jakob Hutter in 1536, the beliefs of the Hutterites, especially living in a community of goods and absolute pacifism, have resulted in hundreds of years of odyssey through many countries. Nearly extinct by the 18th and 19th centuries, the Hutterites found a new...more

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May 14, 2010 Lynnda Ell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-will-keep

When the novels based on Amish culture began appearing in the bookstores, I enjoyed reading them. Eventually, however, I tired of repeatedly reading the same basic story. I Am Hutterite has the positive aspects of the Amish culture based books but not the negative ones.

Mary-Ann Kirby reveals all the wonders of an early childhood experienced with love, security, and challenges in the Hutterite community. She never glosses over the problems associated with that culture, but she loved the people an...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Lora Lee Hensel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am glad I read this book about a family who left the comfort and security of a Hutterite Colony to make their own living on a farm in Canada. I chose to read this book because of a school day I spent observing and assisting in a Hutterite Colony school near Yankton, SD (BonHomme). A young man at the colony toured me (and the other teachers) through their agricultural and food preparation areas showing us a highly functional community. As a teacher, I came away discouraged by the school communi...more

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May 12, 2010 Lauri2105 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christian

Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Book Review: I Am Hutterite, by Mary-Ann Kirkby
About Mary-Ann

Mary-Ann Kirkby is an award-winning author, whose first book, I Am Hutterite chronicles her childhood experiences of life on a Hutterite colony and the aftermath of leaving community life.

A former journalist, she began her career in Dauphin, Manitoba as a news anchor and reporter and later was appointed senior reporter responsible for aboriginal issues at CTV in Prince Albert. From 1993-1996, she worked in Ottawa...more

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Dec 16, 2011 Lacey Louwagie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir, non-fiction, religion

Krystl tempered her bad review of this book by stating that it wasn't the type of book she'd usually read, which is a fair qualification. Unfortunately, I also found this book to be below average, and it IS the type of book I like to read. I've been particularly drawn to memoirs lately, but this one falls short.

I picked the book up because there's a large Hutterite colony near where Ivan grew up in South Dakota (I found out from this book that it was actually the first Hutterite colony establish...more Krystl tempered her bad review of this book by stating that it wasn't the type of book she'd usually read, which is a fair qualification. Unfortunately, I also found this book to be below average, and it IS the type of book I like to read. I've been particularly drawn to memoirs lately, but this one falls short.

I picked the book up because there's a large Hutterite colony near where Ivan grew up in South Dakota (I found out from this book that it was actually the first Hutterite colony established in North America). Like any minority group, rumors about their practices and beliefs abound. I wanted to read this book because I thought it would give me a less prejudiced, more authentic understanding of this population of people. And to its credit, it did do that. I know more about day-to-day life in a Hutterite community than I really needed or wanted to.

I suspected within the first disc that this book had started its life self-published, and I was right. Although it is reasonably well written -- the author is a journalist by profession -- it suffers from a lot of unnecessary adjectives and adverbial phrases that make the writing feel sloppy. But its biggest issue is the fact that it lacks a dramatic narrative arc. Rather than reading like a memoir, which follows a certain theme in the author's life, this feels like merely a collection of reminiscences about growing up Hutterite. Very few characters are well developed, and those that are feel romanticized (as does most of the experience of growing up Hutterite). Many characters are not mentioned at all until something dramatic happens with them, and at that point we don't care because we haven't gotten to know them. And while the story DOES have the potential to follow a clear narrative arc -- it covers her father's friction with the colony's leader, which eventually led the family to leave -- the pacing is all wrong, with the story meandering off into more day-to-day descriptions of life just when there's the opportunity to heighten the tension after a key incident.

Mary-Ann Kirkby talks about how she's written the book for her son, and really, that's where this book feels most appropriate: as a chronicle of a way of life for loved ones or descendents who have a personal connection to it. As a story meant to appeal to the general public, it falls unfortunately short.(less)

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Jul 22, 2010 Coyle rated it 4 of 5 stars

So first, a caveat: at first glance, this is totally a chick book. I started reading it because, well, it was free (see the legal jargon below) and I am a fan of book books and freeness. The blurb on the back cover and the various promotions given make it seem as if the book is about a young girl's struggle to fit in to "English" society after leaving a Hutterite colony in Canada.
However, that was not the case at all. The book is instead mostly a narrative of life as a Hutterite. Of the 235 page...more So first, a caveat: at first glance, this is totally a chick book. I started reading it because, well, it was free (see the legal jargon below) and I am a fan of book books and freeness. The blurb on the back cover and the various promotions given make it seem as if the book is about a young girl's struggle to fit in to "English" society after leaving a Hutterite colony in Canada.
However, that was not the case at all. The book is instead mostly a narrative of life as a Hutterite. Of the 235 pages of the book, roughly the last hundred deal with life off of the colony, and most of those are recollections of Hutterite life. So a much more accurate way to describe the book would be: this is a description of life in a Hutterite colony, as told by someone who lived there until she was ten, then left and adapted into mainstream society.
And, I might add, a very well-written description. Kirkby tells her story with wit and ease, leading the reader gently through an unfamiliar language and an unfamiliar culture. And that really is essential, because most of us cannot imagine a culture where

Whoever cannot give up his private property as well as his own self-will cannot become a disciple and follower of Christ. The ungodly go each their own egotistical way of greed and profit. To such we should not be conformed.(45)

In a culture where both property and self-will are worshipped, we would find it jarring to encounter a place where

Everyone ate, worked, and socialized together for the good of all. Women did the cooking, baking, and gardening while men carried out the farming, mechanical, and carpentry chores. (62-63)

Kirkby laces her narrative with charming stories that off-set the unusual setting and really show that Hutterites differ in dress but not in character from everyone else. For example, she tells a story that had been relayed to her

Hutterite dresses didn't have pockets, so most of the women used their bras to store small items such as hairpins, safety pins, and Kleenex. Esther... carried tea bags and sugar lumps this way too. When an outsider had dropped in to see Esther's husband, she sent one of her children for him and offered the stranger a cup of tea, nonchalantly pulling a tea bag and two sugar lumps from her bosom. When she asked whether he took cream, the flabbergasted businessman jumped out of his chair and cried, 'No thanks!' as he fled the scene.

Finally, two major things from the book that made me stop and think are:
1) No one is made holy by being a Hutterite. They're just people. People with a different lifestyle, but people nonetheless. They have problems, personality conflicts, and the thousand big and small difficulties that confront all of us every day.
2) We really need to reconsider our ideas of freedom. It's fascinating to think that the family felt free living under Hutterite rules (which would make most of us modern Americans scream with frustration) and oppressed when forced to try to figure out how to live in mainstream culture: "I was the happy Hutterite girl, free from the dress codes and protocol of the English world." (175)

Overall, this is a very well-written and enjoyable book. Highly recommended.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 (less)

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Jun 06, 2011 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, canada-canadian-author, religion, non-fiction

I picked this up because I didn't have an audiobook for my trip back from Portland. It was a surprisingly good choice. I am somewhat familiar with the Mennonite community in Bonners Ferry, Idaho and with the Moravian community in Salem North Carolina, but knew very little a bout the Hutterites. This is the story of the community told sympathetically by a woman who lived in the community until she was ten years old; her family moved out of the Hutterite community (it is called "running away") and...more

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Jul 25, 2010 Lynnea rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

The fifth book provided to me by Thomas Nelson Publishers for review was I Am Hutterite by Mary-Ann Kirkby.
This book took me a long time to get through. There were so many characters and I really had a hard time following. It wasn't until I was more than halfway through the book that I realized there was a family tree and a Hutterite Language Glossary at the back of the book. Had I noticed that earlier, it would have helped immensely.
Reading about the Hutterites and how they live: feeling so she...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-owned

I Am Hutterite by Mary-Ann Kirkby is a retelling of the physical, emotional, and spiritual journey taken by a young girl and her family. Choosing to leave the only life they had known, on a Hutterite Colony, to seek freedom in the English World this family had to stand together in order to survive. This memoir was filled with humorous retellings and depictions, touching moments and honest feelings. It's a story of reclaiming your past in order to live in the present. While the author is remember...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction-memoir, standalone

Kirkby provides profound and gentle insight into the world of the Hutterites through her memoir. Hutterites are a religious sect similar to the Amish, only in addition to living set apart from the rest of the world, they firmly believe in communal living. Kirkby's memoir covers her time with the Hutterites as well as the painful period when her parents left the religious sect and her journey toward being a more mainstream adult. Unlike many memoirs, there is no bitterness in Kirkby's voice, even...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoirs, nonfiction

I really enjoyed this book. I bought it on a whim: it was cheap and about a new culture--the Hutterites, a religion I had no idea about.

It's a simple story: what it's like to grow up as a Hutterite. The book really covers more than one generation as the author talks about her family.

I really enjoyed the ideals vs. reality of living as a Hutterite. For example, Hutterites aren't supposed to have photographs yet the book is full of family photographs. The contrast between making homemade jam and b...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Suzanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Interesting story, and I learned quite a few things about Hutterites that I didn't know. We often saw them when I lived in Edmonton, as there were several colonies on the outskirts of town. We went there once to buy produce; I remember the lovely braid of garlic hung over the stairs to the cellar (a real cellar, with a dirt floor and a wringer washer--a wringer washer!). (I also remember making cabbage rolls with Marg & Rose, arguing about how much garlic to use, our Dutch mothers not having...more

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Jul 02, 2010 Abbie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had no expectations as I started reading this book. It is, at its core, a biography of a family and a religion, something I never would have chosen to read. But I did, so I dove in, mind open.

The cover photo was compelling to me, especially since as I read the book, I realized it was the (self-described) wide girl all grown up. And also, the outfit she was wearing on the cover was not completely following in the Hutterite guidelines (it was too form-fitting). I knew there had to be a reason......more I had no expectations as I started reading this book. It is, at its core, a biography of a family and a religion, something I never would have chosen to read. But I did, so I dove in, mind open.

The cover photo was compelling to me, especially since as I read the book, I realized it was the (self-described) wide girl all grown up. And also, the outfit she was wearing on the cover was not completely following in the Hutterite guidelines (it was too form-fitting). I knew there had to be a reason... and I wanted to keep reading to learn the answer.

Overall it was a good book. Not my favorite book, but I don't regret taking the time to read it. It was well written, but at times the author's attempts to over-describe left me confused. Instead of saying, for example, "he said," Kirkby would describe the man who spoke by what he was wearing or how he was standing. Interesting details, but they distracted too much from the original point - that he said something. Also, due to such an extensive family history, I would preferred to have the family tree that I found in the back of the book, in the front.

What resonates with me the most are the stories of life on the Hutterite colony. Hutterites live in colonies - mostly in Canada - and all their wealth and posessions are shared. Their lives are scheduled around meals and work and by the rotating job each member of the group has on any given week. Also, life cycle ritutals were fascinating to read about. When a woman has a baby, the entire colony pitches in to help care for the siblings, the baby, clean, cook. Funerals seem like any other funerals except for the part about the deceased taking up residence in the family home for up to a week, depending on the time it takes to make arrangements for burial. Weddings are attended by the entire colony and the bride sews her own colored dress for the ceremony. Dating is against Hutterite rules so when two Hutterites marry, it is practically arranged. When a family or individual leaves the colony for a life outside of the Hutterites - as they called it, English life - it is a controversy that often manages to quickly make its way to the other Hutterite colonies.

It was fascinating stuff, all of it. I am glad I was able to learn about these people and their beliefs. Overall, I would recommend this book to someone who wanted to learn about another religion, culture and way of life, all the while reading a story about a girl growing up and into herself.(less)

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Mar 05, 2011 writer... rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: wishlist

fascinated...
insightful memoir of Mary-Ann Kirkby, as she recounts the journey from Hutterian colony life to the society of today. i couldn't lay it aside. heart strings played throughout the lives she describes. struggles of life, love and losses. great faith, forgiveness and generously sprinkled with humour.
poignant...
thank you, Mary-Ann, for so beautifully sharing your life with us.

award winning~
" ... Honest, clear, direct, it opens the door on what has been for so many of us a completely c...more

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Dec 28, 2008 LaSchelle rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people interested in Hutterites or communal living

Recommended to LaSchelle by: Dad

Shelves: history, autobiography, religion, non-fiction, borrow-returned, 2008

A fascinating and honest look into the Hutterite world.

Having grown up with close Hutterite friends, this was an interesting glimpse into their world. It was like visiting an old friend. The book was particularly enlightening because many of our friends left their colony because of doctrinal challenges and issues with their Senior Minister, much like the Dornn's faced as they made their decision to leave colony life.

Mary-Ann grew up on a Hutterite colony in Manitoba. She shares the struggles o...more A fascinating and honest look into the Hutterite world.

Having grown up with close Hutterite friends, this was an interesting glimpse into their world. It was like visiting an old friend. The book was particularly enlightening because many of our friends left their colony because of doctrinal challenges and issues with their Senior Minister, much like the Dornn's faced as they made their decision to leave colony life.

Mary-Ann grew up on a Hutterite colony in Manitoba. She shares the struggles of her grandfather, father and mother. It's a fascinating story that goes back to Russia in the early 20th century and follows their path as they emigrated to Canada to escape the Russian Revolution. The loneliness of the Alberta prairie during the depression for a young mother who didn't speak English. The gratitude of the family for Hutterites who reached out to the family, and eventually the family joined their colony.

It shows the struggles that Mary-Ann's parents, particularly her father Ronald encountered. Losing his mother at a young age and having his father leave the colony to join a new religion in Ontario where the family was treated horribly. Ronald goes back to the colony where his mother died, but he is told only the children are welcome to return. While trying to figure out what to do, Ronald is lead to a colony in Manitoba and he decides to stay.

In 1969, Mary-Ann's parents decide to leave the colony with their 7 surviving children. The decision to leave is a painful and well thought out one. Mary-Ann's brother is the Senior minister and Ronald had figured out that he wasn't exactly honest in all his dealings. It was no secret between Ronald and Jake that Jake did not like Ronald and constantly denied Ronald's requests, even when Ronald's requests were to better the community as a whole or to help his own family as they faced dire health circumstances.

One of my favorite stories is the tea bag and the two lumps of sugar.

I liked this quote from the end of the book, "True freedom is an inside job--it is taking responsibility for ourselves and daring to confront and release the anger and resentment that keeps us from leading meaningful lives. My parents had wanted us to have that freedom by not saddling us with their baggage, but most of all, by pursuing the path of forgiveness themselves. Now, it was up to us to rise to the challenge." p.190(less)

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Jul 14, 2011 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Interesting book. I enjoyed it. A story of a young girl growing up in a colony of believers who live out the Acts 2:44-45 The Hutterites are Christian people who immigrated from Europe many years ago and set up colonies through-out some of the northern states, but mostly in Canada. The author tells the story of her family living in the colony and then how they came to leave the colony. She tells how hard it was when the family left the colony, and how difficult it was to be accepted by the "Engl...more

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Jul 20, 2010 Lacey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoirs

Follow the author Mary-Ann Kirkby through her childhood living on a Hutterite colony in Manitoba, Canada. An autobiography written in the form of an intriguing novel, I am Hutterite brings the reader back to a women’s heritage. Through three generations of Hutterites, Mary-Ann’s family was a part of the Hutterite people until one day her father decided to pack up and leave. The incredible journey that follows her family is a true testimony of faith and believing in hope and forgiveness. I am Hut...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Diana added it

Mary-Ann is raised on a Hutterite colony in southern Manitoba. She gives the reader an insight into colony life and provides anecdotes throughout her childhood. When she is ten years old, her family make the difficult decision to leave the colony. She tells about the struggles as she and her family try to become part of the “English” society and culture. When she is an adult she goes back and reconnects with her past. I appreciated the honest and forthright manner she used to tell her story. It...more

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May 31, 2010 Russell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Nice little coming of age story about a girl who was raised among the Hutterites.

The most interesting parts were those that explained the Hutterite lifestyle. They live communally with no private property in colonies. When the colony gets too big they start a new colony and everyone draws lots to see which colony they'll go with. It's a society with a perfect safety net but little room for disagreements.

The little girl's family leaves the colony after a disagreement and then struggles to adapt...more

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title link	preview: I Am Hutterite: The Fascinating True Story of a Young Woman's Journey to Reclaim Her Heritage
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I Am Hutterite: The Fascinating True Story of a Young Woman's Journey to Reclaim Her Heritage

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