Mennonite Women in Canada: A History

by Marlene Epp

Mennonite Women in Canada traces the complex social history and multiple identities of Canadian Mennonite women over 200 years. Marlene Epp explores women’s roles, as prescribed and as lived, within the contexts of immigration and settlement, household and family, church and organizational life, work and education, and in response to social trends and events. The combined histories of Mennonite women offer a rich and fascinating study of how women actively participate in ordering their lives within ethno-religious communities.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

408 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2004

Reviews

[Jonathan Guenther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Within the past year, my grandmothers dementia has take a strong hold of her mental state. This book is the last book she attempted to read. I remember visiting her and she told me that she would have to read paragraphs over and over because she could no longer piece everything together.

All that to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was skeptical after reading the introduction, being very worried that this would be a very heavy/dense text. But it was actually a great read. I at times found it difficult to put it down, reading till 2 in the morning so I could “finish the chapter.”

I had hoped to gain some perspective, learning about the hardships and barriers women encountered over the years and this book delivered!

I was inspired to read this because my grandmother is much like the women described in this book. She is strong, resilient, quiet but so unbelievably intelligent. She is a powerhouse of knowledge and I’m so grateful this book ended up in my hands.

Everyone will have a personal connection with this book. Could be a friend of a relative or maybe even yourself. You’ll read a quote from someone in the 18th century and think “hey that reminds me of..”

Anyway, that’s enough reviewing for one day. I gotsta call my grandma.

[Gail Amendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been trying to learn about my Mennonite roots this year, and thought this would be an educational read. When I first started the introduction, I thought I was in for a very heavy academic read, but once I got into it, this was a pretty interesting book. It definitely broadened my understanding of my Mennonite relatives and neighbors, whose seemingly sexist behavior has long been a source of frustration and confusion for my feminist British born mother. This book really helped me to understand the cultural misunderstandings that resulted when she married my father and moved into a predominantly Mennonite community.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first knowledge of Mennonites was that they were similar to the Amish and lived in Ontario. Later I learned that not all Mennonites were "old order". Since moving to Fort St. John I noticed that there are a number of Mennonite in and around Fort St. John at varying locations on the spectrum of what being Mennonite looks like. This book was on display at our local library so I decided to learn more. There were no examples from this part of Canada but I now have a better understanding why some ladies wear long skirts and head scarves while others do not and a whole lot more.

[Annie Wieler · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would say in all I probably read about half of this book. It's a pretty hefty tome, and half about matches my degree of interest in Mennonite women's history. I appreciate the author's persistent acknowledgment of the gendered nature of history and historical records, particularly in this segment of society where women would refer to themselves by their husband's first name as well as last. It's well-written and well-researched.

[Charlotte]

Christmas present.