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Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish
by Tom Shachtman

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/385664.Rumspringa_To_Be_or_Not_to_Be_Amish?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1174353928m/385664.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/385664.Rumspringa_To_Be_or_Not_to_Be_Amish?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/74880.Tom_Shachtman">Tom Shachtman</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8826885?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 3 of 5 stars I read this book after watching the documentary film of the same topic and research- The Devil's Playground- this was additional information and had limited Amish youth's self analysis, which was interpreted by the author. The Amish youth who were the subject of the film made reappearances and others who were not had their stories incorporated into this work. 
 
 The style of writing is easy to read, with direct quotations of the teenagers, which are better heard than read, like, um, you know what I mean, yeah, uh huh, I knew you'd see. 
 
 At any rate, the book gives the feel of a prolonged interview with various young people in the midst of their rumspringa: the time when young amish teenagers are permitted to behave as they have no rules to abide and experience the "English" world, without being bound to Amish religion as they are not technically Amish until they decide to be baptized of their own freewill. If they choose to be baptized after their rumspringa they will be Amish and live the rest of their lives according to their religion and often hard working families (or be shunned). 
 
 Sadly, being able to do things of their freewill is often interpreted as a modern life of drugs, alcohol, and sexual activity, while doing other things that their Amish culture ordinarily forbids, like driving motor vehicles wearing modern clothing. 
 
 There is relief in some of the stories in this book, which were not as developed in the documentsry film- such as the girls who choose to continue their education beyond the 8th grade, much to the chagrin of their parents, or the girls who decide to play basketball at the public high school which they also attend against their religion. 
 
 There are also interviews with those who have chosen to live separate from their families, but are still permitted to visit. And there is mention of certain Amish relatives of those interviewed, who have continued their education into college. Some of the young people who long for careers as lawyers or doctors are interesting to contemplate that their parents are discouraging them, as those of us living a non-Amish life are experiencing the opposite, often with pressure from parents to become doctors, finish high school, etc...
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/236622?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Antoinette's review
rating:
recommended for: people interested in Amish

I read this book after watching the documentary film of the same topic and research- The Devil's Playground- this was additional information and had limited Amish youth's self analysis, which was interpreted by the author. The Amish youth who were the subject of the film made reappearances and others who were not had their stories incorporated into this work.

The style of writing is easy to read, with direct quotations of the teenagers, which are better heard than read, like, um, you know what I mean, yeah, uh huh, I knew you'd see.

At any rate, the book gives the feel of a prolonged interview with various young people in the midst of their rumspringa: the time when young amish teenagers are permitted to behave as they have no rules to abide and experience the "English" world, without being bound to Amish religion as they are not technically Amish until they decide to be baptized of their own freewill. If they choose to be baptized after their rumspringa they will be ...more I read this book after watching the documentary film of the same topic and research- The Devil's Playground- this was additional information and had limited Amish youth's self analysis, which was interpreted by the author. The Amish youth who were the subject of the film made reappearances and others who were not had their stories incorporated into this work.

The style of writing is easy to read, with direct quotations of the teenagers, which are better heard than read, like, um, you know what I mean, yeah, uh huh, I knew you'd see.

At any rate, the book gives the feel of a prolonged interview with various young people in the midst of their rumspringa: the time when young amish teenagers are permitted to behave as they have no rules to abide and experience the "English" world, without being bound to Amish religion as they are not technically Amish until they decide to be baptized of their own freewill. If they choose to be baptized after their rumspringa they will be Amish and live the rest of their lives according to their religion and often hard working families (or be shunned).

Sadly, being able to do things of their freewill is often interpreted as a modern life of drugs, alcohol, and sexual activity, while doing other things that their Amish culture ordinarily forbids, like driving motor vehicles wearing modern clothing.

There is relief in some of the stories in this book, which were not as developed in the documentsry film- such as the girls who choose to continue their education beyond the 8th grade, much to the chagrin of their parents, or the girls who decide to play basketball at the public high school which they also attend against their religion.

There are also interviews with those who have chosen to live separate from their families, but are still permitted to visit. And there is mention of certain Amish relatives of those interviewed, who have continued their education into college. Some of the young people who long for careers as lawyers or doctors are interesting to contemplate that their parents are discouraging them, as those of us living a non-Amish life are experiencing the opposite, often with pressure from parents to become doctors, finish high school, etc......less

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