Customer Reviews

Sarah's Seasons: An Amish Diary and Conversation

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My curiosity about the Amish allowed me to really enjoy this book. The author mingles two years of actual diary entries written in the `70's by Amish friend, Sarah, with experiences in areas she shares with Sarah - gardening, quilting, cooking/ recipes, and writing. By the end of the book I felt I knew something about Amish community interaction, and the life of a wife and mother skilled in and married to the home arts.

The author relates getting to know Sarah and Amish life as somewhat spiritual and shares her introspections. I couldn't drum up any spirituality. My reaction was simply `How like us they are, and yet, how different.' If you're curious about the Amish wife and mother's day-to-day, the book will interest you.

I loved this book. A good book is like a comfortable friend; this is one of those books. It takes us back to a time when 'mundane' tasks were considered both important and of value. This is such a soothing and gentle and genteel book. Sarah is hardworking and can master more in a day than anyone I know (I wish I could be more like her)....yet considers her own fragility -- she calls it 'feminine weakness' when she compares her abilities to that of her husband. In a short paragraph she speaks volumes about the loss of her mother. 500 people attended the wake/funeral service.....and yet, how the family is left 'in its sorrow.' Everyone is equal in Amish society; no one is viewed 'above' another -- so when the author mentions personal traits she views as superior, Sarah just looks at her, unimpressed. This to me is much more appealing than our competitive, fast-paced society. This is truly a delicious book, not full of fluff, but rather more the wisdom I wish our society still embraced.

I think that many of us are facinated by the Amish and their way of life. Most of us will never have the chance to become close friends with an Amish woman and have the chance to observe her life close up. This book takes you into the day by day life of Sarah and lets you vicariously experience what it's like to live the "plain life". We see the various seasons as recorded in her diary over a 2 year period of time. Her developing friendship with the "English" author is touching and enlightening. This is a special book.

My co-worker loaned me this book. For I used to be a member of an Old Order Amish sect. What I found in the diary were true emotions and experiences that a woman faces living in an Old Order Amish sect. This is a beautifully portrayed work. I recommend it, as well as, "The Storekeeper's Daughter", by Wanda Brunstetter, and "My Amish Heritage", by Ruth Irene Garrett.

Sicily Yoder aka Teresa Phillips

Author of, "Leaving Lancaster County."

For those unfamiliar with Amish diaries, Sarah's musings are far from the emotion filled journal entries one commonly sees in the English world. Sarah's record keeping consists of three to five lines of basic news, usually including the weather and family illnesses, scribbled on a feed calendar. Martha Davis doggedly tries to find and analyze greater substance and meaning behind the two years worth of day to day activities noted in this way by her Amish friend. I'm not sure she succeeded, as her conclusion mirrors her repeated observations that Sarah's life is slower and more anchored in daily task work. It was still rewarding to read the news from Sarah's community in Kalona, Iowa during the 1976-77 years, and no doubt it has changed minimally since then. Overall, it was an enjoyable book that felt like a warm blanket, and I can't help but recommend it.

For the curious, Sarah (Fisher) died some years back, and she'd probably be very surprised by how many people continue to enjoy this elaboration of her calendar.

Reading this wonderful book made me wish for a plain and simple life. Reading about Sarah and her everyday life made me feel Like I really knew her and this book reminded me of a time when I was much younger... with children...a husband and a house to run. Sarah takes life as it comes and seems to let nothing bother her. Her faith in God keeps her on a steady path. She is someone I would like to cross paths with. Birthing her babies, her mothers death...the cycles of life are all handled with dignity and grace. This is one book that I will keep on my book shelf.

I find this book very inspiring and admire Sarah Fisher so much for her role as a wife and mother and because she is so productive in her daily life. Her love for her family and for her Amish Community is what we should all strive for. I would love to see a picture of her but know that would have showed pride in the book. I enjoyed her thoughts on gardening, cooking, spirituality and writing. I get more out of it each time I read it.....good read....

This book is simply the diary of a young Amish housewife and mother going about her daily chores of cooking, sewing, cleaning, and rearing children. Interesting, but not particularly engaging look into the ordinary life of an Amish woman & the impressive amount of activity she crams into a single day in her life.