A Change and A Parting: My Story of Amana [Paperback]

Barbara Selzer Yambura (Author), Eunice W. Bodine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 2001 | ISBN-10: 1572160950 | ISBN-13: 978-1572160958 | Edition: 2nd

This book traces the history of the Amana Colonies through the eyes of the author who was among the last group of young people to reach adulthood in one of the seven villages (Homestad) ruled by the elders of the religious sect, The Community of True Inspiration. An off-shoot of Lutheranism, the Amana people came to America in 1844 seeking freedom from religious persecution. The church still exists today only in the Colonies. The Amana people are not Amish, although they trace to a peaceful Anabaptist heritage.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...the stories and characters in A Change and A Parting continue to make that era come alive. -- Lanny Haldy, Executive Director of the Amana Heritage Society

Product Details

• Paperback: 262 pages
• Publisher: Penfield Press; 2nd edition (July 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572160950
• ISBN-13: 978-1572160958
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,073,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Growing up in the Amana Colonies in Iowa in the first half of the twentieth century, January 22, 2009

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

As a lifelong resident of Iowa, I have always lived approximately 30 miles from the Amana Colonies. It remains the best place to eat in the area with excellent food, both in quality and quantity.
The author of this book grew up in the Amanas in the early part of the twentieth century and this is her story of her experiences. The colonies were a communal society, where each person was assigned their task and when you needed something, you contacted the person and their services were free. Since the colonies were not completely self-sufficient, each colonist was given a credit allotment that they could spend in the stores.
Elders that adjudicated disputes and needs on an individual basis governed the society. It was a society based on religious revelations and their specific religion was founded in Germany, so the primary language of the colonies was German. Their society was somewhat rigid in nature in that non-conformity was severely frowned upon and even marriage was considered to be less pure than a single lifestyle. When people departed from what was community policy, they were disciplined using tactics from being demoted in the church hierarchy to outright banishment.
The great depression affected the colonies just like all other aspects of the American society and forced them to incorporate and allocate shares of stock to the members. It was also necessary for the colonies to open up to the presence of outsiders by opening restaurants and hotels. Yambura was in her teen years when this happened and she took a job as a waitress in one of the restaurants. She also attended a public high school and then college. After college she married an outsider and left the colonies, although she acknowledges the deep roots that remain.
This book is interesting because it gives an inner description of the Amana Colonies in the time period, how the society was organized and what daily life was like. Although the modern reader will consider it a repressive society, it was highly ordered and free of all but petty crime. The society has proven to be adaptable and survives to this day, which is also a significant accomplishment.