My Amish Childhood by Jerry Eicher

MY AMISH CHILDHOOD, A TRUE STORY OF FAITH, FAMILY, AND THE SIMPLE LIFE

Published on Nov 12, 2012 Author Jerry Eicher

Bestselling fiction author Jerry S. Eicher (nearly half a million books sold) writes a moving story of his Amish life.

Jerry's mother was nineteen years old and nine months married when he was born. She had received Grandfather Stoll's permission for the wedding because she agreed to help out on the farm the following year. However, with Jerry on the way, those plans failed.

Jerry recounts his first two years of school in the Amish community of Aylmer, Ontario and his parents' decision to move to Honduras. Life in that beautiful Central American country is seen through an Amish boy's eyes--and then the dark days when the community failed and the family returned to America, much to young Jerry's regret. Jerry also tells of his struggle as a stutterer and his eventual conversion to Christ and the reasons for his departure from the childhood faith he knew.

REVIEW:
I was hoping for a little more of the behind scenes of the typical Amish life. The book did quite deliver that.  For one thing it was not a typical Amish setting, it took place in the Honduras. It is more an adventure story of what Jerry Eicher did as a child, maybe 9-15. Jerry tells of his first two years in an Amish school in the community of Aylmer, Ontario and then his parents deciding to move to the Honduras. The Amish boy say life there as beautiful but then his family returned to America, when the Amish community couldn't hold together.  He tells of his stuttering problems and his struggles with that.  He explains his departure from his Amish faith and his conversion to Christ.

 I'm not sure the book give an honest view of what Amish life is really like. I wanted to see more of the simple ways they do things and yet, some of the more modern conveniences they have taken on.  I only thought there were Amish in this country, the United States, but the book shows of the Amish in the Honduras.  He shares stories of what the lifestyle in a different country is like for the Amish.  It was an interesting read, just not what I had expected.
The book read slow and that makes it hard to stick with it.  It wasn't a page turner, I skipped quite a bit.  It just didn't hold my attention.

I would recommend the book to read, and you can draw your own opinion.

I give this book 2 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of an ebook from Net Galley on behalf of Harvest House Publishers for this unbiased review.