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Published Jul 2011
288 pages
Genre: Biography/Memoir
Publication Information
One fateful starless night, 17-year-old Ira Wagler got up at 2 AM, left a scribbled note under his pillow, packed all of his earthly belongings into in a little black duffel bag, and walked away from his home in the Amish settlement of Bloomfield, Iowa. Now, in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life - from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age 16, to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age 26.
Growing Up Amish is the true story of one man's quest to discover who he is and where he belongs. Readers will laugh, cry, and be inspired by this charming yet poignant coming of age story set amidst the backdrop of one of the most enigmatic cultures in America today - the Old Order Amish.
"Starred Review. Boldly goes where many Amish chronicles fear to tread: the exodus of members seeking an unencumbered lifestyle." - Kirkus Reviews
"The memoir is worthwhile as much for its Amish insights as for its exploration of one man's emotional turmoil, regret, and shame. Wagler... deserves praise for his honesty." - Publishers Weekly
"...[W]ell worth the read." - AmishReader.com
"...Wagler goes to great lengths to create a balanced picture of Amish life and society... My main criticism... is the lack of specific information in the epilogue. I wanted to know where Ira is now and what happened with his life. Instead, all we got were musings on his past." - The Examiner
This information about Growing Up Amish was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Ira Wagler was born in the small Old Order Amish community of Aylmer, Ontario, which he chose to leave at 17. Over the course of the next 5 years, Ira would leave and return home numerous times, torn between the ingrained message that abandoning one's Amish heritage results in eternal damnation, and the freedom and possibilities offered by the "English" world. He is currently general manager of Graber Supply, LLC and Pole Building Co. in Lancaster County, PA. You can visit his website and read his blog at www.irawagler.com.
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